Walmart will build an automated milk processing plant in the US by 2025
At the new facility, located in Valdosta, Georgia, USA, Walmart will install the Swisslog automation solution, which will provide seamless material flow and increase uptime.
Walmart says its automated storage and retrieval solution (ASRS) will increase its ability to meet consumer demand for milk. ASRS is part of the company's commitment to building a more sustainable and transparent supply chain to deliver high-quality products.
ASRS combines five stacker cranes with stacking and depalletizing robots, a pallet conveyor system and a light load conveyor system. The automation solution is powered by the synchronized intelligence of Swisslog's SynQ software, which provides warehouse management, material flow and automated inspection functionality on a single modular platform.
SynQ control software optimizes equipment performance, increasing efficiency and accuracy, and coordinates the operation of multiple subsystems. SynQ equips warehouse automation and IT systems with synchronized intelligence from people, processes and machines to improve the efficiency and productivity of warehouse processes and adapt to changing market demands.
It also provides sophisticated inventory and materials management capabilities that enable real-time inventory tracking and product management to ensure freshness, quality and transparency in the food supply chain.
The Valdosta plant is Walmart's second dairy processing facility in the U.S., after the company opened its first milk processing plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2018 with Swisslog.
Sean Wallingford, President and CEO of Swisslog Americas, said: “We are pleased to partner with Walmart again to open a second milk processing plant. From initial discussion to finalized design, it was a hands-on, collaborative and proactive approach. Our automation experts worked closely with the Walmart team to incorporate lessons learned and best practices from the first processing facility, as well as improvement concepts designed to enable Walmart and its farmers to bring fresh, transparently sourced dairy products to market.”
The project also includes Swisslog's 'Managed IT Services', which employs experts who can manage the IT systems and software needed to keep equipment running at peak performance. 24/7 support allows Walmart to free up internal resources from routine IT system administration and provides proactive, data-driven service that helps reduce unplanned downtime.
