GarmentFlow®

The GarmentFlow® system transports, separates and picks clothes hangers in high volumes and with high throughput. It can be used for transport and distribution tasks in incoming goods, storage and retrieval, sorting and outgoing goods at the distribution center. The system can be used for the classic store supply of hanging garments as well as for other applications.

Use of clothes hangers as a transport medium

Garments on hangers can be hung directly in the GarmentFlow® system without the use of product carriers, regardless of whether they are metal hangers, clip hangers or plastic hangers. 2D barcode labels on the garments serve as a routing medium. In addition, system barcodes can be added to the system to identify blocks of garments on special hangers or as tags on garment hangers.

The GarmentFlow® system can convey individual items or transport blocks of goods several meters long into the warehouse. Transports over long distances and complex sorting processes are handled automatically, while processing and buffer areas, in which the goods must be freely movable and accessible, are operated manually. Various mechatronic technologies are cleverly combined with each other. For example, SKU-only bundles in incoming goods can be used to create individual assortments for store deliveries. Another application is the feeding, distribution and collection of goods in a hanging goods warehouse for subsequent provision to downstream processes.

GarmentFlow® component overview

The solution consists of various mechatronic components to orchestrate the flow of goods from incoming to outgoing goods. DFT has perfected the GarmentFlow® system over the years and offers a long-proven and established technology for hanging garments (GoH).

Trailer Boom
(class 764a)

The trailer boom is driven into the truck trailer and receives hanging goods from an employee. The transport medium is a grip unit conveyor (class 200G).

Fence Conveyor
(class 200)

The fence conveyor is a circulating circular conveyor for transporting clothing on hangers (GoH).

Block transfer
(class 660)

Block transfers are used to connect 2 fence conveyor circuits. As a rule, 3 block transfers are used in succession to enable a smooth transfer to the next conveyor circuit, even in congested situations.

Static GoH Storage
(class 300)

A static storage for hanging garments consisting of sliding tubes. The hanging garments are transported to the desired storage location using handle unit conveyors or individual part sorters and transferred to the static storage system by employees.

Clip Conveyor
(class 652)

Clip conveyors serve as so-called “Power&Free” conveyor lines. The clips ensure that gaps on the conveyor are brought together and the goods are buffered. This technology is also used, for example, in front of an adapter linking station of an EcoFlow™ sorter.

Pin Conveyor
(class 651)

The pin conveyor is used to overcome slopes or inclines.

item sorter
(class 203/204)

Each unit of the single item sorter is married to a hanger and pushed onto a target location as the sorter progresses. The sorting result is obtained at the target points.

EcoFlow™ Sorter
(Klasse 500)

EcoFlow™ into a stand-alone system for transporting and sequencing individual items. The clothes hanger is transported with an adapter. A 3-stage sorter generates the sequencing result.

Advantages

More than 50 years of product experience

DFT has been supplying the GarmentFlow™ product since 1970. During this time, the electro-mechanical components, the control technology and the WCS have been consistently developed further.

End-to-End process automatation

DFT is able to deliver complete warehouse automation from goods receipt, storage, picking to goods issue with the GarmentFlow® system.

Combined system for flat goods and hanging goods

DFT supplies hanging garments (GoH) and flat-packed goods systems as individual systems or in combination for comprehensive retail fulfillment.

GarmentFlow® – Flow of Garments on Hangers (GOH) in warehouse operations