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Interroll Dynamic Storage SBU, Breaking new ground

Manufacturing in Action, Source : The Manufacturer
Zone : Design and innovation
Published : March 2008

Didier Lermite, managing director of Interroll Dynamic Storage SBU, is proud to introduce Flex Flow – a ground-breaking new supply concept for lineside operations. Jayne Flannery reports

As all manufacturers are aware, some activities add value, others merely add costs. The challenge embodied in lean thinking is how best to enhance the former and drive out the latter. Since Interroll was founded in 1959, its mission has been to streamline production and warehouse costs, and offer premium quality products with performance driven service.

The group is in the business of developing all-embracing automation and materials handling solutions in the fields of food processing and distribution; airport technology; mail and parcel distribution; third-party logistics; automotive suppliers; and pharmaceuticals. Products and systems developed by Interroll are deployed on a global scale wherever goods have to be conveyed, stored or distributed.

The business was floated on the Swiss Stock Exchange in 1997 and has expanded steadily since then in line with the drive towards lean production. Last year turnover stood at 230 million euros and there are approximately 1300 employees. To give focus to the group’s activities, a three-way divisional structure has been implemented with business units specialising in dynamic storage, automation and drives and rollers. Interroll now has 22 factories around the world, including production sites in France, Ireland, Canada, Thailand, South Africa and China.

Didier Lermite is managing director of Interroll Dynamic Storage SBU, which is geared to meeting the requirements of global systems integrators. It is the world’s largest supplier of live storage solutions and the only provider to offer complete, rather than partial solutions.

The company is headquartered at its European manufacturing centre in La Roche sur Yon in France. Here, there is a dedicated test facility for standard product proving in addition to advanced bespoke solutions testing. The centre recently added the world’s only freezer test studio for pallet systems testing to its range of facilities.

“We have provided fresh impetus, driven innovation and set new standards in lean thinking. The development of our latest materials handling solution, Interroll Flex Flow, draws on an enormous reservoir of knowledge and embodies the philosophy of kaizen down to the last detail,” he stated.

Lermite went on to talk about the operating environment that the latest product offering has been designed to complement. “In view of ever decreasing product cycles and more challenging market conditions, flexible manufacturing techniques and just-in-time delivery have become essential. The trend is towards ‘one-piece flow’. By producing or supplying components exactly as and when needed, companies can scale back costs by a significant margin and maintain a highly effective operation, even when small batches are being manufactured,” he explained.

It is a dynamic, customer-focused approach that calls for a highly flexible and synchronised supply concept. This is the objective behind launching Interroll Flex Flow, designed for advanced lineside picking operations. Flex Flow was first showcased in the UK at IMHX in March last year and is currently being rolled out across Europe.

Initially, Interroll is targeting the automotive OEMs, along with their suppliers down to the third tier. These industries have traditionally pioneered advances in lean manufacturing. However, the company believes that its versatility, and the ease with which Flex Flow can be integrated into existing facilities, makes it suitable for many other production and assembly operations and industry sectors.

“There are several features that make Flex Flow unique,” continued Lermite. “The patented track design is unique because it cannot open under load and lose rollers, as others do. Also, we are the only supplier of this type of product that can offer a complete range of other dynamic products to support lineside picking and stock handling efficiency. For example, Interroll’s Roller Flow product fits directly into the Flex Flow system to handle difficult containers or products with ease.

Optimising equipment efficiency to minimise downtime is a fundamental objective of all lean manufacturing initiatives and Lermite also highlighted the quality assurance implicit in Interroll’s outstanding test capabilities. “There is no better guarantee of reliability than the full life-cycle testing which we carry out on all our assemblies,” he stated.

“Interroll is the world leader in this type of technology and new product development and enhancement is a continuous process within the company. We are always thinking about the next step and how we can break new ground. Flex Flow represents the latest stage of development and our ability to offer complete solutions within the dynamic storage marketplace.”

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