Special Feature 1
Evolving from a manufacturer of material handling systems to a systems integrator
Emphasis on Providing Comprehensive Systems
Daifuku does more than just manufacture material handling systems and equipment. Daifuku is active in a full spectrum of business fields, from production to distribution and services. Daifuku discusses with its customers to clarify the real issues they need to address, and is, therefore, able to offer the best solutions for responding to next-generation issues. Under its four-year business plan covering the period through fiscal 2016, Daifuku aims to evolve from being a manufacturer of material handling systems to securing a superior competitive position as a Value Innovator.
Creating the Best Customer Solutions with Real Simulations
Daifuku contributes to securing a superior competitive edge for its customers by visualization of their whole systems. Specialist engineers prepare plans that meet customer requests and then create a working computerized model that simulates systems in actual operation using Daifuku’s original simulation system. By repeating this simulation under various conditions, Daifuku structures the optimal and best systems for its customers.
| Sector | Item Handled | Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical | Medicines | Streamlining of small-lot deliveries | Automatic supply to a digital picking line |
| Food | Beverages | Effective use of space plus labor saving | Automated cold storage system linked to production lines |
| Food | All types of food products | Dealing with increased demand in logistics and aging facilities | Automation of storage/retrieval operation |
| Distribution | Toys | Need for increasing sorting capacity and eliminating human error | Introduction of automated sorters and warehouse management systems |
| Distribution | Logistics | Reduction of logistics costs and human error | Automation and acceleration of warehouse operations |
| Manufacturing | Machinery | Shortening of operation time and maintaining material quality | Introduction of automated warehouse and inventory management system |
| Agriculture | Rice | Maintaining quality in storage | Increased storage capacity and increased emphasis on inventory management |
Mahindra & Mahindra (India): Shortening Lead Time by Making Use of Vertical Open Space
Mahindra & Mahindra’s automotive plant
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in India, manufactures about 200,000 cars a year in five models on mixed production lines. In 2013, Daifuku delivered a painted body buffer system that uses a unit-load automated warehouse system. The system operates as a temporary storage for the painted car body and retrieves it to the assembly line in the proper order. This system features the use of vertical open space to store the body instead of the conventional method of storing on flat conveyors. Under the previous method, the lead time to send the body down the assembly line was a maximum of 30 minutes, but the automated warehouse makes it possible to pinpoint and deliver the body when and where it is needed. This shortens the lead time to a minimum of two minutes.
