Spacemaker Wins Yusen Logistics 4-Way Shuttle Project in UK
Logistex award Spacemaker a prestigious contract for a large 4-way shuttle project for Yusen Logistics (UK) SDC project.
89,000 pallet positions to be rolled out in new sustainable warehouse facility in Northampton, UK
Deep lane pallet storage specialist Spacemaker Inc Ltd (UK) have secured an 89,000 pallet position 4 way shuttle project via Logistex for the Yusen Logistics (UK) SDC (Sustainable Distribution Centre) project in Northampton. On completion, it will be the largest four-way pallet robot system in the UK, located within a 1.2 million square foot facility.
Logistex is an independent warehouse automation specialist providing integrated materials handling and WMS solutions, including robotics, sortation, and 24/7 support.
Yusen Logistics is a global supply chain logistics company which offers its clients a variety of services, such as freight forwarding, storage and deliveries, to get products from suppliers to customers, whether B2B, B2C or D2C.
Strategic partnership
The Yusen Logistics contract is the first joint project Spacemaker and Logistex have won since announcing their strategic partnership in February this year. Under the agreement, Logistex deploys Spacemaker's state-of-the-art four-way shuttle technology in its designs for automated warehouse and materials handling projects.
In the process, joint customers like Yusen Logistics get an efficient and reliable solution to manage how items are received, stored, organised and delivered from their warehouses and distribution centres.
"Our collaboration with Spacemaker Systems transforms how we approach warehouse automation," says Justin Saw, Business Development Director at Logistex. "Their shuttles are cutting-edge and complement our system design and software solutions. This means we can deliver warehouses that function efficiently and reliably, which lets our customers focus on running their businesses, rather than getting tied up in logistics bottlenecks."
Sustainable distribution
Spacemaker Systems’ Quad Axis Pro® system will be rolled out by Logistex in Yusen Logistics’ new 1.2 million square foot warehouse facility in Northampton, UK, called the Yusen Logistics Sustainable Distribution Centre (SDC). Yusen Logistics will operate it as a shared facility, open to any of its customers.
The SDC will be fully automated, and will have two main areas, called “chambers”. One chamber will be an “ambient facility”, meaning the space will be held at constant room temperature, without refrigeration or excessive heating.
A second chamber will house pharmaceutical products and meet strict regulatory standards for proper temperature (including refrigeration), humidity and security controls. This type of environment maintains the quality and efficiency of medications and chemicals throughout their shelf life, as required by agencies like the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the World Health Organisation.
An automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) with aisle changing and fixed aisle cranes, and an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) goods-to-person solution will be used in both the Pharma and Ambient chambers.
Spacemaker’s Quad Axis Pro® advanced shuttles, which are capable of moving at 2m/second while carrying pallets of up to 1,500kg in all four directions, will be used in the Pharma chamber. These software-directed shuttles are driven on rails in a specially designed racking system of travel lanes and cross-travel lanes. They are powered by on-board batteries that are charged automatically by in-rack chargers.
As a result, pallets are moved into the warehouse, organised in deep lanes and easily picked up again for delivery to loading bays with very little human intervention. This makes the distribution centre a safer working environment and delivers pallets faster and more accurately where they are needed.
Logistex's warehouse system, Reflex, will directly interface with all technologies and automation equipment providers used in the SDC to control inventory and picking operations.
Within easy reach
Paul Bates, Chief Executive Officer at Spacemaker says, “Spacemaker is committed to helping businesses maximise space, increase efficiency, and future-proof their operations. Yusen Logistics’ Sustainable Distribution Centre is the type of project we are keen to be involved in, and an example of why we expanded to the UK.”
Logistex’s Justin Saw notes, "The team at Logistex have collaborated closely with Yusen Logistics (UK) throughout the tender process, establishing a strong partnership. With the freedom to integrate best-in-class technology such as the Spacemaker Quad Axis Pro® to optimise the solution, this collaboration showcases Logistex's capabilities as a systems integrator at the highest level."
Benjamin Bird, Business Development and Solutions Director at Yusen Logistics says: “This project represents a strategic milestone in our commitment to delivering sustainable logistics services by 2030, giving our customers net zero warehousing solutions.
“It will also empower Yusen Logistics to meet the future needs of our customers through shared user automation, able to deliver B2B & D2C operations. Alongside the Sustainable Distribution Centre's proximity to the new rail terminal, it is ideally positioned to offer further carbon reduction incentives for our customers and create a full operation that has ESG at its heart.”
The SDC is less than a mile from Junction 15 of the M1, meaning it is within approximately four hours’ drive time from 90% of the UK population. Key sea ports are within 2.5 hours away. It is also immediately adjacent to the new Northampton Rail Freight Interchange, which supports the carbon reduction targets of customers through rail freight distribution solutions.
The warehouse is designed to be a net zero facility and will be fully operational by the end of 2025.
