Beverage Manufacturer, Vitasoy, Turns to Dematic Automation to Stay Ahead of the Competition
The Dematic solution includes AGVs and an AS/RS to meet the growing demand for Vitasoy products and maintain sustainability
Vitasoy is beverage company based in Hong Kong. It hosts a brand of beverages and desserts named Vita. Founded in 1940, Vitasoy products initially focused on high-protein soy milk drinks. Over the years the company has expanded into the production and sale of over 100 products across six categories: soy milk, tea drinks, milk, juice, distilled water, and coffee.
The challenge
With the intense competition in the plant-based beverage market and diverse consumer trends in China, industry leaders like Vitasoy been looking to automation to gain a competitive advantage. Vitasoy products are natural and healthy, so Vitasoy made it priority to find a natural and healthy production and distribution model for their automation solution.
Vitasoy decided to transform their distribution centres Dongguan and Wuhan into automated, intelligent distribution operations that drive their long-term mission “to advance the transformation toward a sustainable future through the amazing power of plants.” And they chose Dematic as a partner to help them meet their mission.
The solution
The Dematic automation solution begins with an electrical monorail system (EMS) that supplies packaging materials in the production facility. The system reduces the need for manual involvement with packaging and efficiently prevents disruptions caused by the transferring packaging materials in the production line.
The EMS also reduces the amount of packaging waste and the need for recycling, significantly improving the packaging workshop’s cleanliness.
Dematic Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) seamlessly transfer finished goods from the production to the warehouse. The AGVs operate at speeds up to 1.7 metres per second around the clock, efficiently transporting pallets of finished goods to the Dematic Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS).
This procedure guarantees that product is handled with utmost care and with operations that are completely automated within the storage and distribution centre. Dematic AGVs have several safety features that effectively eliminate accidental collisions and product damage.
The Dematic Warehouse Control System (WCS) software manages requests for delivery of finished goods from various aisles of the AS/RS and provides real-time tracking throughout, ensuring prompt delivery to customers.
The results
The partnership with Dematic in automating operations at its two logistics centres is injecting new momentum into Vitasoy’s leadership position in the food and beverage industry, propelled by high-end, standard, and intelligent operations.
Donggaun DC
- High-rise double-pallet AS/RS with 37,200 pallet storage locations for finished products and 5,300 pallet storage locations for raw materials.
- Efficient coordination of equipment and systems to support increased business distribution.
- Full integration with packaging for a smart operation from raw material distribution to finished product delivery.
Wuhan DC
- A ten-level double-pallet AS/RS with 30,976 pallet storage locations for finished products.
- Fully automated high-speed AS/RS and a stable conveyor line, providing distribution support for the increased business.
- Connects with the production line for intelligent operation of production packaging, storage, and delivery.