Page 38 - Food & Drink Magazine April 2021

SUPPLY CHAIN
Providing a safe, well-managed workplace was a priority for Lion.
Automating for the future
With 15 key beer brands, brewing giant Lion turned to Dematic to automate its largest facility, the Tooheys Brewery in Lidcombe, New South Wales.
running simultaneously. Symons says its old manual
system was less reliable and prone to frequent breakdowns, which would interrupt the entire production facility.
“Also, the reliance on forklift drivers and warehouse worker interactions created a large safety risk. When you combine that with the general inefficiencies of manual forklift operations and the frequent level of maintenance needed to run them, the system was simply not futureproof. Automation was what we needed,” he explains.
A core objective was a solution that would eliminate human contact to products. Using AGVs meant operators no longer had to touch products, lift or transport heavy items and pallets.
“We also wanted the solution to help us optimise our supply chain to prepare it for the future. The reliability of AGVs has given us the confidence that the product we have nurtured through the brewing and production process is going to be a good fit for our customers at the end of the line,” Symons says.
The AGVs increase reliability, are capable of working 24/7, improve efficiency and accuracy of operations, and minimise mistakes, product damage and workplace accidents. All of this leads to significant improvements in occupational health and safety standards.
Dematic general manager of
LION is one of Australasia’s largest beverage companies, with a diverse portfolio in beer, cider, fine wine, spirits, and both alcoholic and non- alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages. It generates revenue of around $3.9 billion each year.
With a total of 15 key beer brands including Tooheys, XXXX, Hahn, and James Squire, Lion initiated a re-structure of its supply chain and internal fulfilment operations to future-proof its manufacturing and supply chain operations.
Lion’s overarching goal was to make upgrades that would help the company meet the needs of its consumers whilst also looking after its own employees by providing a safe and well-managed workplace.
After significant growth in its product range, the focus was on its largest facility, the Tooheys Brewery in Lidcombe.
The Lidcombe site operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and brews roughly 300
million litres of beer per year. It produces up to 120,000 cartons a day, which is equivalent to 2 million litres.
A bigger product range and market dynamics pushing the beverages supply chain into a 24/7 cycle made it clear that Lion’s legacy systems were outdated and in need of upgrading.
FUTURE-PROOFING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
As part of the upgrade project, the decision was made to implement Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) from intralogistics automation specialist Dematic.
Tooheys packaging manager Tim Symons says the implementation of AGVs was part of a widespread initiative to streamline operations within the Tooheys Brewery and across the entire business.
“We needed a definitive way to improve our productivity to keep up with demand, whilst also remaining cost-effective and
competitive within the market. “We invested in AGV
technology as a way to better deliver services to our core assets – our people, brands, production facilities and suppliers – and to generate better value for our customers,” Symons says.
38 | Food&Drink business | April 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au
“ The reliability of AGVs has given us the confidence that the product we have nurtured through the production process is going to be a good fit for our customers.”
STREAMLINE OPERATIONS
Lion selected Dematic as its automation partner due to its track record of implementing automated solutions and its global experience in supply chain optimisation.
The Dematic AGVs were selected because their reliability and consistency eliminated all possible traffic blockages between the automatic palletiser and despatch, even when all palletising lines are
AGV sales Tony Raggio says: “The major requirement for the Lion AGV solution was to operate at a faster rate than any palletisation activity done with a manual forklift, with the end result being to eliminate all manual activity completely.”
At the Lidcombe facility the AGVs work in two distinct areas: zone one and zone two. The zone one AGVs handle full pallets from a robotic palletiser, which has the capacity to handle both