GE Healthcare: Self-driving vehicles are the centerpiece of ROC

GE Healthcare Repair Operations Center

Oak Creak, Wisc.

Size: 280,000 square feet, expanding to 330,000

Products: Repair of medical devices

Throughput: 2,000 repairs per week

Employees: 150

Shifts per Day/ Days per Week: 1 shift per day, 5 days per week

At GE Healthcare’s repair operations center, or ROC, in Wisconsin, self-driving vehicles are the centerpiece of an automated Kanban, delivering repair parts and equipment through the facility.
(See Layout below)

Receiving

Medical devices and repair parts arrive at the receiving dock (1) and are scanned in a receiving processing area (2). GE Healthcare’s management system determines whether the received item is needed at one of the repair cells (3), can go into flow racks in the receiving area (4) or into a raw materials or components storage area (5).

Retrieval and replenishment

The self-navigating vehicles are directed by a software system that is connected to individual repair cells (3). When a technician is ready for a task, he logs onto a Web page on his computer. From there, the technician can choose whether he needs a piece of equipment to repair (4); has finished a repair that needs to go to packaging (6) and shipping (7); or needs to replenish a bin of raw materials used for repairs (5).

Raw materials

To maintain a lean operation, only two bins of repair parts and raw materials are maintained in racks at the repair cells (3). When one bin is empty, a technician loads it onto one of the self-driving vehicles, which delivers it to a stock room (5). There, an associate scans the bin and fills it with the required materials. The full bin is delivered to the appropriate repair cell (3), where a technician places it into a storage location.

Parts for repair

When a technician signals that he is ready for a part to repair, the self-driving vehicle travels to a flow rack location in receiving (4). An associate loads a part onto an appliance that holds the part in place during travel. The vehicle then delivers it to the appropriate repair cell (3).

Repaired parts

Once a machine is ready for packing (6), a technician loads the repaired part onto an appliance on the self-driving vehicle. At the assembly station, a technician loads a repaired part into the appliance. The vehicle automatically transfers the appliance onto a conveyor in the packing area (6). In packing, an associate scans the item and uses the on-demand packaging system to create the right box for shipping. Once a shipping label is printed and applied, the part is staged by parcel carrier (7) according to the shipping requirements. Larger parts—some can weigh as much as 400 pounds—are handled in a separate packaging area, where they are loaded by crane into a shipping container.

Systems Suppliers

Self-navigating Vehicle:OTTO Motors
Lift Trucks: Yale
Bar Code Scanning: Zebra Technologies
Packaging System: Box On Demand

About the Author

Bob Trebilcock

Bob Trebilcock is the executive editor for Modern Materials Handling and an editorial advisor to Supply Chain Management Review. He has covered materials handling, technology, logistics, and supply chain topics for nearly 30 years. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at 603-852-8976.

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