ULMA Handling Systems fits out the logistics centre at Papelera Samseng, a tissue paper manufacturer in Argentina

Requirements

The logistics centre at Papelera Samseng, one of the three largest tissue paper manufacturers in Argentina, is operating at full capacity and fully automated with a project developed and executed by ULMA Handling Systems. The plant is one of the most modern in its segment in Argentina and is located in the industrial district of Buenos Aires.

Currently with an annual production of around 50,000 tons of tissue paper (products for toiletries, kitchen items and multiple uses) sold in Argentina, Papelera Samseng began the automation of its logistics area by integrating it into the manufacturing plant, based on a business plan forecasting growth in the coming years. The company needed to be raised to a new level of productivity, flexibility, and storage capacity to meet market demand, but there was no physical space.

"A few years ago, we realized that future demand would bring us a great challenge regarding the capacity to move, store and dispatch an already increasing volume of products", said Papelera Samseng's project manager, Carlos González. "We lacked physical space and we considered investing in technology and the best suggestion was for a globally incorporated solution".

Proposed solution

ULMA Handling Systems' international experience, combined with its partnership with the Japanese company Daifuku, was decisive in choosing the solution for Papelera Samseng: the proposed project was the construction of a new 26-metre-high self-supporting smart warehouse, equipped with nine unit load stacker cranes and storage capacity for more than 31,000 pallets.

In addition, the complex consists of two input lines: the first, connecting the production area to the automated warehouse, has a six-vehicle high-performance STV (Sorting Transfer Vehicle) system for handling, sorting and picking items at multiple stations. The second input line, only for raw materials, is stored directly in the warehouse, using stacker cranes.

Alex Gutierrez, CEO LATAM ULMA Handling Systems, explains the difference in the movement dynamics of this installation in which the finished product pallets enter through the head of the warehouse after passing through the STV automatic transport system, while the pallets of raw materials enter directly from the rear of the automated warehouse. Two of the system's stacker cranes share both inputs and outputs on both sides of the warehouse. 

"The warehouse system equipped with nine double-depth stacker cranes and the STV circuit, allows us to meet the flow needs of both the input to the production lines and the  high demand of dispatch at Papelera Samseng", said Gutierrez. "All this is led by the smart Warehouse Management Software (WMS) that supports the system's daily operations in order to obtain the highest overall performance".

The executive also states that the Papelera Samseng project was designed to increase the productivity of logistics flows compared to conventional systems and to streamline the use of available space for pallet storage, providing complete product traceability and efficiency in the handling and manipulation of materials. 
 
"The logistics system ranges from material storage to the dispatch of complete single-item and multi-order pallets. The project is also equipped with a picking area in which the picking process is very simple thanks to the Pick to Light System installed". 

Result

As a result, Papelera Samseng has achieved a great increase in quality in its operation and in the business in general. The company's project manager, Carlos González, points out that the operation of the new logistics centre is already enabling the systematic storage and efficient dispatch of products, with a drastic reduction in delivery errors.

"We are dispatching large volumes of products to customers and delivering them on time. The cultural change in the new work methodology is something we are still assimilating, but I can say that we are already benefiting from the organization and the quality of the deliveries of our entire product line" the project manager concluded.