Posted to News on 2nd Sep 2014, 00:00
Hal Leonard chooses Interroll technology at new distribution facility
Hal Leonard Corporation is the world leader in the music print industry with more than 200,000 available titles. In 2008, Hal Leonard moved its distribution operations from a 40,000 sq.ft to a new, 170,000 sq.ft facility. When it came to choosing the right solution for them, they partnered with system integrator ISG (Integrated Systems Group) and compared several conveying systems. The Interroll Intelliveyor system with 24V RollerDrives emerged by far as the winner.
The company, which was established in 1947 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, produces sheet music, songbooks and method book/CD packs for all instruments, as well as band and choral arrangements, reference books, instructional DVDs, music software, apps, e_books, magazines, children's music products and more. They have offices in several countries and have rights to distribute their products across the world.
Operating in a fast_paced, competitive market, quick order processing is key to succeed. To ensure a sustainable, profitable growth and to improve their turnaround time to 24 hours or less, Hal Leonard needed an effective, durable solution to transition from a more manual approach towards an automatic system to manage their material flow in a more effective manner, save on labor cost and improve their overall efficiency.
"To compare the systems we were considering, there was some analysis done on how much each system would cost to run yearly. One of the reasons we chose Interroll was that it would be less expensive to run than the other systems," said Bill Stockhausen, facility manager of the distribution center.
The new system, driven by Interroll RollerDrives, is decentralized, which means there is no central motor. The drives are located in every conveyor zone. This allows the controls to switch them on and off on demand and individually from each other. In the whole conveyor there is only motion if a box or a tote needs to be conveyed. This type of conveyor system saves up to 50% energy compared to a centralized driven system.
Hal Leonard handles about 5,000 packages per day from envelopes to large boxes with an average weight of 30 lbs. The Interroll Conveyor allows them to process a wide variety of boxes and totes ranging from 1 lb. to 60 lbs. seamlessly with Zero Pressure Accumulation.
Not only do they enjoy the ease and fluidity of distribution and flow from the warehouse, they utterly enjoy how quieter the facility has become as a result of Interroll's impeccable products. Said Bill, "we were - and still are - impressed by how quiet the system is!" Another major advantage of the Interroll Intelliveyor is the ease of maintenance.
Hal Leonard recently expanded their portfolio to include distribution of music software, music merchandise, and various instruments of all shapes and sizes, from ukuleles to drums and bongos. Interroll's flexible and reliable conveyor system will help them continue to deliver the best possible experience to their customers the world over.
