Perhaps that's why Art Van Furniture is America's largest independent furniture retailer.

With 30 stores in Michigan, Art Van has huge buying power to keep prices low and service levels high.

It needed an efficient distribution center at the outset.

The goals were to keep the footprint small by using high density storage.

Reduce the number of times product was touched, resulting in reduced product damage, increased throughput and reduce the size of the fork truck fleet and reduce labor and improved inventory control and accuracy to accomplish these goals.

Dramatic, implemented and integrated system.

An automated storage and retrieval system, conveyors, controls and software.

The automated Story Jen Retrieval System features four S.

R S machine's 10,000 palate locations and input output conveyors.

Product is received in the morning.

While furniture can be large and bulky, it is easily moved from the trailer onto a pallet.

Each pallet has a £1500 capacity theon parade.

IR scans the bar code label and releases the load to the A S.

R.

S.

It is automatically transferred into the rack where it is stored until needed.

System tracks the storage location of the product in the late afternoon product is picked for stores loads air retrieved from the rack at a rate of 100 picks per hour.

The load is then transferred onto the conveyor loop for output to shipping in a conventional warehouse.

Product is touched and moved, usually by forklift more often, so there is greater potential for damage.

The conventional warehouse has less control over inventory, and the cube space is less dense, so available spaces not utilized to the fullest.

In this automated distribution center, there is reduced product damage because there is less physical handling of the product and fewer people are required to locate and transport the furniture.

It provides maximum storage in a minimum area with accurate inventory control.

The out palate conveyor provides direct movement from truck trailers into the A S.

R.

S and out of storage to the shipping doors.

This automated storage and retrieval system is a reliable, highly efficient, safe and secure distribution system for our van.