Japanese fastener distributor Sunco Industries has added rotary racks in its new warehouse, substantially improved its collection efficiency for transport companies to 13,000 pallets, Fastener + Fixing Magazine reports.

The distribution center, which came online last October, features rotary racks with an image recognition system to enable fully automated banding, using cameras to detect whether cardboard cases lack plastic bands and apply them as needed. Items can then be stored and automatically retrieved according to each carrier’s scheduled collection times, streamlining the handover process. This not only prevents overflows within the warehouse, but also reduces waiting times for delivery companies.

Initially, four delivery companies will be used, with plans to expand coverage following further testing, according to Fastener + Fixing. Full scale operations are expected to boost the efficiency of both collection and transportation.

Previously, products that had already been ordered by customers at the time of arrival had to be temporarily stored on the warehouse floor, separately from stock items. Now, the warehouse has introduced a new outbound system that allows all incoming goods to be temporarily stored upon arrival, with only the ordered items retrieved later for dispatch. This system streamlines the receiving process while reducing floor stock levels.

For over 75 years, Sunco has distributed fasteners from its headquarters in Osaka, Japan’s fastener manufacturing hub. The company works with more than 1,300 suppliers and reports annual sales of 39 billion Yen (US$248.4 million).