Copper infused antimicrobial totes for sterile environments
Using a special process designed for HandCraft Services, the SSI SCHAEFER copper infused antimicrobial totes create a clean environment for sterile linens during storage. For HandCraft Services, this was an essential element for their automation implementation.
“The tote really is a key part of our system,” says General Manager, Jeff Diehl. “HandCraft worked with Schaefer Systems to develop this tote. It is made with copper infused plastic, so it is antimicrobial.”
About HandCraft Services
Since the late 1960s, HandCraft Services has been the market leader for supplying high-quality linen, apparel, and commercial laundry services to the medical industry. HandCraft Services works best quietly operating behind the scenes, fulfilling a major necessity within the industry.
The Challenge
With over 900 clients, inventory management became increasingly difficult. Ensuring the right product was pulled correctly was simply too time consuming. Reconciling lost articles from previous pick-ups had the company trying to recoup those costs—and not always successfully.
Additional SKU tracking was complicating the inventory process and pack-out got even more difficult. HandCraft needed a solution for sterile storage space.
SSI SCHAEFER enabled the use of 900 antimicrobial totes along with the use of an SSI Schäfer Miniload Crane (SMC). This combination enables HandCraft to properly store and manage the clean linen process.
The Solution
“They seem heavy if you pick them up, but the way the system is designed they don’t need to be picked up,” says Jeff Diehl. “Gravity helps move them, along with the motorized conveyors. Bringing the product to the employees with the totes has been ergonomically much better for our employees.”
The antimicrobial totes carry linen inventory through the system where product is quickly turned around and shipped out anywhere from within a few minutes up to 24 hours later. Products are scanned to read RFID tags, which corresponds with tote placement.
Afterward, the totes are scanned using a barcode scanning machine and paired with the RFID inventory inside. The SMC system takes the tote from the conveyor and places it securely in its proper location using RFID tags and tote barcodes.
At HandCraft Services, SSI SCHAEFER technology and software are paired with each tote to simplify the picking and packing process while also providing a sterile storage environment.
