Janis's Reflection

While on my way to the Army Logistics Base(ALB), my thinking went “What will I learn today”? It is because I studied Logistics Management in ITE before entering Temasek Polytechnic. I thought it was about the same as other field trips I attended.

We went through the warehouse operations from the Inbound operations to the Outbound operations. The Height of warehousing floor of ALB Building is 30metres equivalent to a 10-Storey building.

At there, I saw the following storage equipments: Pallet Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems(AS/RS), Vertical carousel, Bin AS/RS, etc. Different storage equipments have different purposes. For example, small items are suitable for carousel and long-shelf items are suitable for mobile storage system.

Vertical Carousel System

They use Vertical Carousel System at medical supplies room for medical supplies. It is a mechanical device that stores and rotates small items for order picking.

The Material Handling Equipments used there are Pallet AS/RS, VNA(Very Narrow Aisle)Forklift, Auto palletized system etc.

Laser Guided Vehicle

I also learn about Laser Guided Vehicle. It operates on batteries without driver on the vehicle. It does pick and pack and move around the same level of the building on itself. The benefits of using the vehicle are low handling costs and reduced product damage, improved safety and reliability.

"Through" Flow Layout

I saw that the ALB is using the “Through” Flow Layout for the operations because we learnt two types of layout design for DCM namely “U” Flow and “Through” Flow. In the “Through” flow, the items are moved within the building from one side to the other side of the building.

In the overall, I learnt the different Material Handling equipments and storage systems and their purposes. I was most impressed by Laser guided vehicle because it operates fully without a help of a driver and able to do functions of a order-picker.

hanping's reflection

28 November 2008 was a special day for all LOM year two students. No, it’s not LOM DAY. It’s more day a ‘bonding’ day. It’s an educational field trip to Singapore’s renowned Army Logistic Base. We get to learn new things while bonding with people from other classes as well. Killing two birds with one stone, yea?

The field trip was an eye opener for me. Not only did I get to see real life warehouse processes and distribution, I get to see their amazing state of arts-equipments/ technology that I’ve never heard before. The trip had also deepened my understanding on the subject distribution centre management.

First, we were brought to a room where there was a short power point presentation on how the Army Logistic Base operates. It was very enriching. I learnt how their automation technology enhances the logistic operations performances and productivity. It was followed by a refreshment break.

After that, we toured around their premises. Prior to the field trip, I had worked for DHL for a month and the layout with they adopted was the ‘U’ flow and because of that, I thought that there was only one type of layout. After learning Chapter 1 of DCM, I learnt that there were more than 1 type of layout, in the case of our course of study, we are only learning two of them- ‘U’ flow and ‘Through’ flow.

ALB adopted a ‘through’ flow layout. It can be clearly identified as the docks are located at opposite sides of each other.

The height of ALB building is the 10 storey high (30m) tall. This is 18.75 times taller than clarence yeo tze ming. This is the highest a warehouse can go up to and it takes a lot of hard work and cost to maintain it.

There were many types of storage systems installed in ALB. This includes conventional racking system, mobile crane, vertical carousel, pallet ASRS, bin ASRS. The mobile racking system is located at the ground floor where the main storage area is. The vertical carousel which requires temperature and humidity control is held in the medical room at level 3 where drugs are stored.
MHEs used at the inbound and outbound ALB is pallet ASRS, rack leveling, very narrow aisle (VNA) and auto palletized system. There is also a laser guided vehicle located at the consolidating (pick and pack) order area.

After the tour, we bid ALB goodbye and headed back. =)

Li choo's reflection on ALB

I was excited for my field trip to Army Logistics Base (ALB) as finally I am able to view real life warehouse processes and distribution industry practices, after reading it so much from the textbook. Indeed, this trip has enriched and allows me to understand more about warehouse processes and the operational areas.

We had a short presentation about the introduction of ALB processes by one of their staffs which provide me with a deeper understanding into how ALB functions. E.g. storage systems used and how the automation technology enhance the performance and productivity of the logistic operations such as RFID which controls warehouse and distribution functions.

Moving on, we were brought around the warehouse. The warehouse adopted a Through-flow concept and the height of each warehousing floor is of 30 meters high, approximately 10 storeys high. The storage systems used in ALB included vertical carousel system, automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) and mobile racking system, and AGV, etc.

We saw the powered mobile racking system at the main storage where it is used to store combat rations. Powered mobile racking system which is used as throughput level is low and large storage space is needed, consists of back-to-back adjustable pallet racking on electrically powered bases frames that moves along rails set into the floor. The whole shelves move along the girths of VNA (very narrow aisles).

The Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) is fully computerized from receiving to packing of goods which helped to improve manpower efficiency and space utilization. Also, with a push of a button, we can retrieve the goods in less than a minute.

The vertical carousel system is used to stored medical supplies in the ALB. It is used to stored medical supplies because they provide air-conditioning and dehumidification system. It has helped to minimize time taken as it is computerized where picking and storing of goods is automatically brought to operator’s location. I was delighted and impressed to see the vertical carousel system as I heard so much about it on the forum and textbook.

Automated-guide vehicle or laser-guided vehicle- AGV moves across the warehouse and it can change path and the traveling route according to the computer control system. Also, AGV can move between storeys by the four-tonnes cargo lifts they interfaced with.

It is an eye-opening and rewarding trip that I have certainly enjoyed and learn things that is out of the textbook! I have come to understand better about the different types of storage systems and materials handling equipments such as forklift trucks.

yiling's reflection

Went to Army Logistics Base for the first time in my 18 years of life. At the beginning, the presentation about ALB was quite boring but enriching. The person told us about the different operations of ALB.

Then there was a tea break. Food was quite nice, the mini popiah was quite special, didn't eat this kind before, the filling is egg and crab meat instead of normal vegetable. For the banana balls or cake, someone saw a worm crawling in the tray.

After the food, went to the warehouse to tour. It was a through flow warehouse. The height of it is 30m which is 10-storey high! A lot of things are automated, because the staff there is lazy?

Anyway, there are a lot of different types of storage:

• Vertical carousel system
  It stores small and light load items on their rotating shelves, which in this case, medical supplies are stored. I think vertical is used because the height of the warehouse is high? it's part to picker, so can save the picker from moving around.

• Powered mobile racking (in main storage, maybe the throughput level is low)
  it's quite cool because it'll move but will stop when someone is in the way or something. It is expensive but they still use it to save space. One disadvantage is that only one person can take the item at a time, so the other person has to wait. But it's for low throughput anyway, so nevermind.

• ASRS
  Pallet ASRS is for big items, and bin ASRS is for small ones. Just press a button and it'll store and retrieve items itself. This will prevent the workers to climb up and down, thus, reducing risks of them falling down.

APR

VNA racking

Shelving

Cabinet

Block stacking

There are quite a number of material handling equipment. But I only remembered the forklift and the laser guided vehicle. The laser-guided system ensures that they avoid physical obstacles. The LGV is found in the marshalling area.

Forklift

Modern wireless radio frequency identity system is used in the warehouse to facilitate WMS, allowing all warehousing and distribution functions to be recorded in the system as and when they want.

Overall, it was quite a fun trip. It let me experience a real life dcm instead of the usual theory theory and theory.