Sonepar Launches First Cable Cutting Automation in North America

September 30, 2024

Sonepar announced the inauguration of the electrical industry’s first Automated Cable Cut and Automated Storage and Retrieval System, (ASRS) in North America. The leading technology has been implemented into Lumen’s, a division of Sonepar Canada Inc., Central Distribution Centre (CDC) located in Laval, QC.

“The new cable cutting automation enables Lumen to continue its primary business model, which is providing our customers with next day service,” said Lumen President, Serge Leblanc. “The technology supports Lumen’s future growth and productivity, by managing our increasing volume of inventory, fully automating the picking, and introducing conveyer transport with ASRS. Overall, the transformation has doubled our cable cutting capabilities.”

To support the integration of the new automation system Lumen remodelled it’s CDC and expanded the facility by an additional 180,000 sq ft. The CDC now measures at a total of 565,000 sq ft. and features; a 60 foot tall racking system, eight cable cutting machines, five cranes and over 3800 new storage locations with the capacity to store 3-tonne cable reels.

Lumen’s new cable automation project is a part of Sonepar’s global transformation goal of deploying state-of-the-art logistics through 70 fully automated warehouses by 2026. To achieve this, Sonepar has prioritized strengthening and securing the IT infrastructure, focusing on the ecommerce wing of the business, and investing in the global supply chain.

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