Texas Instruments Installs AutoStore Warehouse System

RMN Digital | June 5, 2013 | Asia Pacific, Corporate, Regions, Strategy | No Comments

To streamline its product shipments throughout Asia, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) announced Tuesday it has installed AutoStore inventory management system in its Product Distribution Center (PDC) in Singapore.

This marks the first installation of AutoStore by a semiconductor company, as well as the first of its kind in Asia, says TI.

AutoStore uses state-of-the-art warehouse automation and reduces the amount of space required for inventory. Goods are stored in bins within an aluminum grid structure, and battery-driven robots move along rails on the top of the grid to store and retrieve product from the bins.

The robots deliver requested goods to operator ports along the outside of the grid. TI’s installation of this solution will include 63,000 storage bins for TI products.

“At full capacity, the AutoStore system will provide several benefits for TI’s customers, including increased storage and shipping capabilities,” said Jan De Meulder, director of worldwide logistics at TI. “This innovative warehouse automation system will make more inventory readily available to our customers in Asia and improve the efficiency and reliability of our shipments.”

A joint effort between TI and its logistics suppliers, DHL and Swisslog, the newly automated PDC began ramping this week and will be in full production by September, according to TI.

TI commissioned Swisslog to design and implement AutoStore, which includes the grid system, AutoStore software and the light goods conveyor system.

DHL provides complete contract logistics support at TI’s PDC in Singapore and has been integral partner through the design and implementation of AutoStore. By allowing four times the amount of product to be stored within the same footprint, the integrated design will support years of growth in this strategic PDC location, believes TI.