Discover how Skilled Manufacturing Inc. (SMI), a company specializing in the machining, inspection, and assembly of aerospace components, transformed its operations by optimizing space and increasing efficiency thanks to Modula’s automated Vertical Lift Modules.
The Challenge
As the company grew to between 125 and 150 employees, floor space quickly became a valuable resource. The addition of new machinery and increased production posed significant logistical challenges:
- Limited floor space: The business was expanding within a fixed physical footprint, making floor space extremely valuable.
- Inefficient storage systems: Before Modula, the company used a traditional rack system that occupied a lot of space and was static and inflexible.
- Risk to expansion plans: Without a space-saving solution, SMI would have had to forgo the installation of new machinery or face the costs of a building expansion.
- Complex inventory management: With thousands of components of various sizes, from “as small as a fingernail” to much larger parts, remembering the location of each item and physically retrieving it was a difficult and time-consuming task.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, SMI sought innovative vertical storage solutions. Meeting Modula at a trade show was the turning point:
- The company was already familiar with Vertical Lift Module (VLM) technology and realized it could be the ideal solution to integrate storage and free up floor space.
- After seeing Modula’s products at a trade show, SMI decided to move forward with implementation.
- The installation was fast: it took only one week for assembly and two weeks for full integration into the company’s system, including staff training.
Why Modula?
SMI’s choice fell on Modula for several strategic reasons that went beyond the product itself:
- Local production and support: The fact that Modula warehouses are “US built” was an important factor, in line with the desire to support the local economy.
- Service and responsiveness: The local presence ensures excellent service responsiveness. SMI has a 24-hour hotline and, if needed, typically receives a response on how to solve the problem within a couple of hours.
- Exceptional reliability: Problems with the Modula units have been so rare that they have almost never caused “production down.”
- Picking efficiency and accuracy: The laser pointer is extremely precise and indicates the exact location of the item on the tray with a green dot, eliminating the need for the operator to remember where thousands of parts are located and drastically reducing picking times.
The Results
The implementation of Modula’s VLMs led to concrete and measurable results that exceeded expectations:
- Space optimization: Freeing up floor space allowed SMI to install four new machines, a goal that would otherwise have been impossible to achieve without physically expanding the building.
- Increased operational efficiency: The “goods-to-person” system, where trays are brought directly to the operator, along with the laser pointer, made the work “much better, easier, and much more efficient.” This efficiency is crucial for meeting client deadlines.
- Improved inventory management: The operator no longer has to worry about remembering the location of items or searching for them physically. The system indicates exactly where each part is, ensuring data integrity and inventory accuracy.
- Greater component safety and cleanliness: Keeping the parts inside the vertical lift module protects them, keeping them cleaner and safer than when they were stored on open shelving.
