KING JOUET Business case
KING JOUET recently chose to entrust Thimon with the task of automating its end-of-line line at its logistics warehouse in Rives, in the Isère department. Faced with rising volumes and the constraints associated with manual wrapping, this new installation enables the company to significantly improve its throughput, optimise the stretch-wrapping stations and make operators’ work easier, whilst adapting to the specific requirements of its business and its pallets.
From manual packaging to an automated production line, whilst keeping the teams’ day-to-day work in mind
In Rives, KING JOUET’s logistics warehouse supplies nearly 450 shops in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. As business is highly seasonal, volumes can rise from around 10,000 pallets per month to 18,000 or 20,000 at the end of the year.
For a long time, the end-of-line process relied on several semi-automatic spiral wrapping stations, spread across the various cells of the warehouse. The order picker would take their pallet to a stretch-wrapper, where an operator would then manually carry out the wrapping, fit the top sheet and apply the security seal.
As volumes increased, this system began to show its limitations: insufficient throughput, physically demanding workstations, difficulty in recruiting and retaining operators, and a significant amount of floor space devoted to wrapping.
For KING JOUET, the challenge was therefore to take the next step: to automate the packaging process whilst retaining the flexibility needed to adapt to fluctuations in activity due to seasonality and the variety of pallet sizes.
A necessary transformation, with one key requirement: that it actually works in practice.
The project addressed several very specific requirements.
In particular, KING JOUET wanted to significantly reduce the number of workstations dedicated to film wrapping, whilst ensuring consistent packaging quality and making better use of the available space.
There were also ergonomic considerations. Certain operations, such as fitting a cover onto pallets of varying heights or manual taping, were physically demanding for operators.
Added to this were particularly stringent layout constraints: the line had to be installed at floor level to allow pallets to be fed in and removed by handling equipment without lifting capability.
Finally, not all pallets prepared for the shops are identical. Some have specific shapes or dimensions, which makes automating their handling more challenging.
The aim was therefore not simply to purchase a spiral wrapping machine. A solution had to be found that could truly integrate into the warehouse’s operations and maintain the required output, even during peak periods.
A solution developed in collaboration with the teams, right down to the finer details of the workflow
The project was developed step by step in collaboration with the KING JOUET teams.
The Thimon teams visited the site on several occasions to observe the workflow, understand the operational constraints and determine the layout of the new production line.
Tests carried out at our premises also enabled us to verify in advance that the spiral wrapping process could accommodate the various pallet sizes used at KING JOUET and to assess the consumables required.
This consultation phase was particularly important: the requirements had not been fully defined at the start of the project. The Thimon and KING JOUET teams therefore worked together to draw up part of the specifications, until a solution emerged that was consistent with the realities on the ground.
The proximity of our teams also played a reassuring role in this decision, as did the opportunity for the client to visit the facilities and meet the teams.
A line designed to relieve operators of the most strenuous tasks.
The chosen solution is based on a SPILOTE PRO 4-foot spiral wrapper, integrated into a compact line specially designed to meet the site’s layout constraints.
Specially designed for logistics warehouses, the line features a low conveyor height, allowing it to be used with all types of forklift trucks, including order-picking trolleys without lifting capacity. Swivelling conveyors, constructed from reliable, low-maintenance components, enable the direction of the pallets to be changed at a very low height.
The line automates several operations that were previously carried out manually:
- TOP-PAL top-cover placement system;
- Full wrapping of the load;
- Securing the top cover with stretch film to ensure protection and greater tamper-resistance of the contents;
- Pallet flow management;
- Control of the entire system from a control panel fitted with a 7-inch screen.
A hoist has also been integrated to facilitate the changing of the cover rolls and reduce the physical strain on operators.
The objective was clear: to eliminate repetitive and arduous tasks, whilst maintaining consistent packaging quality.