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Month: June 2022

LogiMAT 2022: “Expectations greatly exceeded”

Posted on by David Priestman

LogiMAT 2022 has scored a big win in the post-pandemic era, re-emerging with a broad slate of exhibitors and a highly engaged visitor base. High-profile business deals and partnerships coupled with in-depth networking opportunities underscore the reputation of the International Trade Show for Intralogistics Solutions and Process Management as a leading communications hub where industry leaders come to do business.

As LogiMAT 2022 drew to a close last week in Stuttgart, it demonstrated there was stability across all leading indicators in the trade show business. The international trade show for the intralogistics industry was able to build on the success of its previous events with numbers edging back up toward pre-pandemic levels.

“A successful reboot after a nearly 40-month Covid-induced interruption,” notes Exhibition Director Michael Ruchty of EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH in Munich, which organises LogiMAT. “Adjusted for the pandemic-related restrictions, the results across the board show a continuation of the LogiMAT success story.”

“Smart – Sustainable – Safe” was the theme of this year’s three-day event, bringing together 1,571 registered exhibitors from 39 countries, including 393 first-time exhibitors and 74 big-name vendors from overseas – all showcasing their latest products, systems, and solutions for reliable automation and digital transformation. A wide range of new products, including some never before exhibited anywhere in the world, provided powerful inspiration for smart, forward-looking intralogistics processes. The Messe Stuttgart convention centre was once again completely booked this year, with exhibitors spread across 125,000+ square meters in all 10 exhibit halls.

After a pandemic shutdown of two-and-a-half years, 50,000 industry professionals seized the opportunity to explore and directly compare the latest technologies and their integration into intelligent, future-proof systems – live and in person. At peak times on the second day of the event, 3,000 industry professionals streamed through the turnstiles at the entrance within 10 minutes.

More than a quarter of the visitors work for large companies with 1,000 to 9,999 employees. Broken down by industry, 58.8% of visitors came from the manufacturing sector, 12.4% from wholesale, and another 4.3% from retail. Some 6.9% of visitors work in freight forwarding, with most (52.8%) holding a position of responsibility for purchasing decisions at their company. For them, LogiMAT is the primary platform for information on the latest solutions for efficient intralogistics.

Among all visitors, 55.1% came to learn about innovations and trends, while 27.7% wanted to make new business connections. There was particular interest in innovations in the product domains of material handling and warehousing technology (55.8%), industrial trucks (38.3%), and AGV/AMR technology (18.3%).

Some 36.5% of the industry professionals who came to Stuttgart also had specific investment projects in mind. The high number of sales contracts, business deals, and partnership initiatives signed at LogiMAT underscore the character of LogiMAT as a hub for information, education, and communication where people come to do business. A full 5.2% of the visiting industry professionals awarded a contract during the show, while 31.7% plan to do so immediately afterward. This naturally resonated well with exhibitors, all of whom emphasise the quality and sophistication of the contacts they made.

Some 38.5% of visitors travelled more than 300km to attend LogiMAT. The high level of interest among international industry professionals and exhibitors remained stable. Data gathered by the independent Basel-based market research institute Wissler & Partner shows that one in five event attendees came to Stuttgart from outside Germany. Of these international guests, 73.8% came from other EU countries, 7.9% from non-EU countries, and 8.3% from Asia, the Americas, and other areas overseas.

“We’re extremely pleased with the numbers for LogiMAT 2022 and how it unfolded,” concludes Ruchty. “LogiMAT 2022 continues online through the LogiMAT.digital platform. The 14 stimulating presentations from the high-quality accompanying program in the LogiMAT Arena spanning all three days will be streamed on LogiMAT.digital in the coming weeks.”

The organisers confirmed that LogiMAT 2023 will take place in Stuttgart on April 25th-27th, 2023.

 

INFORM optimises Toyota Logistics Services’ delivery network

Posted on by David Priestman

INFORM, a leading provider of AI-based optimisation software that facilitates improved decision making, processes and resource management, has successfully completed an ambitious network optimisation project on behalf of Toyota Logistics Services, the finished vehicle logistics provider for Toyota North America.

TLS sought to further advance its mission of operational excellence and turned to INFORM to address today’s increased market and operational complexities including various contract conditions (i.e., carriers’ rates, capacity constraints, minimum/maximum viable volumes, etc.), while gaining the tools needed to better evaluate and manage its large volume of data and criteria.

INFORM’s network planning optimisation solution for TLS includes a user interface which eliminates the need for users to have programming skills, enabling TLS to quickly gain the solution’s benefits without a lengthy learning curve. The solution provides intelligent, strategic and holistic planning for the organisation’s entire outbound logistics network.

It enables information relating to locations, logistics services providers (e.g., freight forwarders) and partners (i.e., rail and truck carriers) to be recorded with the data entered into the solution for improved network stability and service quality. Using the INFORM network planning tool, TLS is able to benefit from optimised routes and modes of transportation determined in conjunction with transport volumes and with consideration to various restrictions and business rules.

INFORM’s optimisation solution enables numerous scenarios to be run based on various criteria. The network planning strategy process began with a baseline scenario, which evaluated TLS’ existing network and bid rates, and then created a scenario focused on pure cost optimisation and a limited set of restrictions, less weight on transit times, and no limit on potential changes. This then led to the creation of several competing business scenarios incorporating business requirements and restrictions along with information such as costs, Service Level Agreements, and other factors like emissions.

Next, various business rules were applied, including minimum/maximum volume, number of legs and distance between origin and destination, lead times, and volume of business being allocated to individual carriers. After this process of scenario building and discovery was completed, TLS could achieve the optimum decision making.

As a result of its network optimisation project and the related optimisation process, TLS has been able to derive many important benefits. It has realised a 3% cost reduction annually; an important accomplishment given that TLS has seen its costs increase annually by 2%, which computes to a 5% cost avoidance. TLS is also now able to check on the accuracy of its assumptions and compare them to the actual number of vehicles it is shipping month to month.

Overall, TLS can now interpret data and arrive at optimal decisions as to its best carrier partners based on their performance and related costs. TLS can issue RFPs that give them real world competitive bid information, since the organisation can now ask its partners to provide additional data as the INFORM network planning optimisation tool is able to handle a very high volume of data and calculations with relative ease. Even prior to the process beginning, TLS had maintained a very high quality of data which is required for the optimisation process to work.

Other key benefits derived from its network optimisation project include the ability to better address their sustainability goals. TLS recognises that rail has lower CO2 emissions than trucks and therefore it is striving to introduce more rail ramps to somewhat reduce truck miles. TLS is reviewing truck miles per unit and considering a ratio of rail to truck to determine carbon footprints, as well as factor in whether a carrier has a CO2-reduced fleet. The organisation is also able to promote greater cost competitiveness between rail and truck carriers.

Due to the success of its network optimisation project, TLS plans to run the optimisation process every five years.

INFORM optimises Toyota Logistics Services’ delivery network

Posted on by David Priestman

INFORM, a leading provider of AI-based optimisation software that facilitates improved decision making, processes and resource management, has successfully completed an ambitious network optimisation project on behalf of Toyota Logistics Services, the finished vehicle logistics provider for Toyota North America.

TLS sought to further advance its mission of operational excellence and turned to INFORM to address today’s increased market and operational complexities including various contract conditions (i.e., carriers’ rates, capacity constraints, minimum/maximum viable volumes, etc.), while gaining the tools needed to better evaluate and manage its large volume of data and criteria.

INFORM’s network planning optimisation solution for TLS includes a user interface which eliminates the need for users to have programming skills, enabling TLS to quickly gain the solution’s benefits without a lengthy learning curve. The solution provides intelligent, strategic and holistic planning for the organisation’s entire outbound logistics network.

It enables information relating to locations, logistics services providers (e.g., freight forwarders) and partners (i.e., rail and truck carriers) to be recorded with the data entered into the solution for improved network stability and service quality. Using the INFORM network planning tool, TLS is able to benefit from optimised routes and modes of transportation determined in conjunction with transport volumes and with consideration to various restrictions and business rules.

INFORM’s optimisation solution enables numerous scenarios to be run based on various criteria. The network planning strategy process began with a baseline scenario, which evaluated TLS’ existing network and bid rates, and then created a scenario focused on pure cost optimisation and a limited set of restrictions, less weight on transit times, and no limit on potential changes. This then led to the creation of several competing business scenarios incorporating business requirements and restrictions along with information such as costs, Service Level Agreements, and other factors like emissions.

Next, various business rules were applied, including minimum/maximum volume, number of legs and distance between origin and destination, lead times, and volume of business being allocated to individual carriers. After this process of scenario building and discovery was completed, TLS could achieve the optimum decision making.

As a result of its network optimisation project and the related optimisation process, TLS has been able to derive many important benefits. It has realised a 3% cost reduction annually; an important accomplishment given that TLS has seen its costs increase annually by 2%, which computes to a 5% cost avoidance. TLS is also now able to check on the accuracy of its assumptions and compare them to the actual number of vehicles it is shipping month to month.

Overall, TLS can now interpret data and arrive at optimal decisions as to its best carrier partners based on their performance and related costs. TLS can issue RFPs that give them real world competitive bid information, since the organisation can now ask its partners to provide additional data as the INFORM network planning optimisation tool is able to handle a very high volume of data and calculations with relative ease. Even prior to the process beginning, TLS had maintained a very high quality of data which is required for the optimisation process to work.

Other key benefits derived from its network optimisation project include the ability to better address their sustainability goals. TLS recognises that rail has lower CO2 emissions than trucks and therefore it is striving to introduce more rail ramps to somewhat reduce truck miles. TLS is reviewing truck miles per unit and considering a ratio of rail to truck to determine carbon footprints, as well as factor in whether a carrier has a CO2-reduced fleet. The organisation is also able to promote greater cost competitiveness between rail and truck carriers.

Due to the success of its network optimisation project, TLS plans to run the optimisation process every five years.

Powerful refrigeration for Swedish fleet

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Varubud Åkeri AB, a storage and distribution company of Eskilstuna, Sweden, upgraded its fleet with the new V-1000 vehicle-powered units from Thermo King, a leader in transport temperature control solutions.

Conducting deliveries in close collaboration with local municipalities, schools and senior homes, one of Varubud’s paradigms is making its distribution fleet carbon neutral and efficient. For its new Volvo FL truck, it was looking for a powerful direct-drive unit as a sustainable alternative to diesel-powered refrigeration systems. Designed for larger rigid trucks up to 25 tonnes, the Thermo King V-1000 proved to be equally or more powerful as its nearest equivalent diesel units and met all Varubud’s requirements.

“Sustainability and environmental responsibility are very important for us, our operations, and our way of doing business,” said Daniel Johansson, owner of Varubud Åkeri AB. “Our warehouses use renewable energy, our vehicles run on HVO biofuel, and we have a history of successfully using Thermo King’s direct-drive refrigeration units. When we were looking for a solution to refrigerate the larger trucks, the new V-1000 units were a perfect fit for us.”

“Our relationship with Varubud goes years back as they operate a mixed fleet including different Thermo King units. We have been closely supporting them with our service, even in remote locations, and sharing our expertise to help Varubud deliver on their promise to customers,” said Anders Thyselius, application manager, Thermo King Sverige AB. “High cooling capacity and high airflow of the V-1000 will protect their load under the most arduous conditions. And it will do with no CO2 emissions from the unit and lower noise when in operation.”

The V-1000 uses a compressor exclusively developed for Thermo King that, when driven by the truck engine – including CNG, LNG or Biodiesel – produces performance previously unattainable in units of this type. This positively impacts the total cost of operation when it comes to fuel consumption, maintenance costs and productivity, making the V-1000 a competitive investment compared to diesel powered unit with equivalent performance.

“We have several of the Thermo King V-800 units in our fleet, and they have been performing at their maximum capacity to cool our larger trucks’ boxes – practically with no technical issues,” said Daniel Johansson. “As the new V-1000 leverages the same technology as the other units, we had no doubts it would meet our expectations. Also, when compared to the hydraulic refrigeration units, we experienced that the direct-drive technology from Thermo King offers us much lower total cost of ownership. It is quieter, has better efficiencies, less impact on the engine’s fuel consumption and easier maintenance.”

Powerful refrigeration for Swedish fleet

Posted on by David Priestman

Varubud Åkeri AB, a storage and distribution company of Eskilstuna, Sweden, upgraded its fleet with the new V-1000 vehicle-powered units from Thermo King, a leader in transport temperature control solutions.

Conducting deliveries in close collaboration with local municipalities, schools and senior homes, one of Varubud’s paradigms is making its distribution fleet carbon neutral and efficient. For its new Volvo FL truck, it was looking for a powerful direct-drive unit as a sustainable alternative to diesel-powered refrigeration systems. Designed for larger rigid trucks up to 25 tonnes, the Thermo King V-1000 proved to be equally or more powerful as its nearest equivalent diesel units and met all Varubud’s requirements.

“Sustainability and environmental responsibility are very important for us, our operations, and our way of doing business,” said Daniel Johansson, owner of Varubud Åkeri AB. “Our warehouses use renewable energy, our vehicles run on HVO biofuel, and we have a history of successfully using Thermo King’s direct-drive refrigeration units. When we were looking for a solution to refrigerate the larger trucks, the new V-1000 units were a perfect fit for us.”

“Our relationship with Varubud goes years back as they operate a mixed fleet including different Thermo King units. We have been closely supporting them with our service, even in remote locations, and sharing our expertise to help Varubud deliver on their promise to customers,” said Anders Thyselius, application manager, Thermo King Sverige AB. “High cooling capacity and high airflow of the V-1000 will protect their load under the most arduous conditions. And it will do with no CO2 emissions from the unit and lower noise when in operation.”

The V-1000 uses a compressor exclusively developed for Thermo King that, when driven by the truck engine – including CNG, LNG or Biodiesel – produces performance previously unattainable in units of this type. This positively impacts the total cost of operation when it comes to fuel consumption, maintenance costs and productivity, making the V-1000 a competitive investment compared to diesel powered unit with equivalent performance.

“We have several of the Thermo King V-800 units in our fleet, and they have been performing at their maximum capacity to cool our larger trucks’ boxes – practically with no technical issues,” said Daniel Johansson. “As the new V-1000 leverages the same technology as the other units, we had no doubts it would meet our expectations. Also, when compared to the hydraulic refrigeration units, we experienced that the direct-drive technology from Thermo King offers us much lower total cost of ownership. It is quieter, has better efficiencies, less impact on the engine’s fuel consumption and easier maintenance.”

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: SYNAOS IMS Vehicle Localization

Posted on by David Priestman

Continuing with our run-through of each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement on 30th June at BMW World, we look at the SYNAOS IMS Vehicle Localization solution from SYNAOS.

IFOY Category: Special of the Year

Description

The seamless localization of transport vehicles is one of the most important steps towards fully digitized, highly efficient intralogistics. As soon as the position of every manually guided vehicle is known at all times, numerous new potentials arise: Important KPIs such as fleet utilization can be recorded, heat maps can be created and layouts can be optimized. In addition, drivers can be navigated optimally through production facilities and logistics centres, with delays being detected at an early stage. Furthermore, flexible, near real-time transport order planning can be realized. Also scan-free processes are made possible in this way, further simplifying workflows.

However, so far these and other use cases are not or only very rarely implemented – previous localization solutions are simply too expensive and it is not possible to achieve any savings. SYNAOS therefore pursues a modern approach: Intelligent software combined with cost-effective hardware allows precise and robust vehicle localization. For this purpose the sensor kit, which holds a stereo camera and a powerful embedded computer, is attached to the vehicles. This comparatively inexpensive combination enables the implementation of many use cases that were previously unprofitable.

Innovation
Current approaches for localizing vehicles in intralogistics are based on UWB (ultra wide band) or LIDAR (light detection and ranging). However, both techniques are associated with high costs – they require high and long-term investments. UWB requires a huge infrastructure investment and is very difficult to change or extend. In addition, the accuracy of localization depends on the illumination on site. LIDAR on the other side is achieving a very high accuracy. But this is not necessary for 95 percent of the applications in intralogistics. Another disadvantage is the high commissioning effort, because a map has to be created first.

SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization, on the other hand, uses cameras and a technology called “visual odometry”. This technology is known from the fields of robotics and autonomous driving and is applied in logistics for the first time according to SYNAOS. In addition, SYNAOS uses simple markers at frequented locations in the hall so that the system has a global reference from time to time. This makes the installation of the system simple and commissioning uncomplicated, as no map has to be created. Only some markers are needed and the environment can change at any time without affecting the localization.

Market relevance
Every intralogistics vehicle providing power supply and a mounting option can be equipped with the SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization, enabling precise localization in real time. Thereby, complete fleets can be digitized retrospectively. The system increases the efficiency of fleets and saves costs. The market for this solution is therefore huge: In 2020, about 1.5 million forklifts were produced. In addition, there is a correspondingly high number of already existing vehicles in the field. But very few of these vehicles already have their position recorded, nor are they digitally mapped.

Upgrading manual transport systems with the localization solution from SYNAOS is also highly relevant for the mixed operation of autonomous and manually guided vehicles. The entirety of transport orders for intralogistics can be controlled precisely and more efficiently. In addition, autonomous guided vehicles can be better controlled with known positions of the manually guided vehicles. For example, they can be slowed down when a forklift comes close, avoiding an emergency stop at an intersection. Enabling or improving the mixed operation of manual and autonomous vehicles also supports the gradual automation of intralogistics processes.

Main customer benefits
Customers benefit from easy-to-use, real-time localization for any intralogistics vehicle. However, SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization is not only quickly installed, but also easy on the budget. Despite a comparatively low price, the solution achieves a very high accuracy. The position of the vehicle is calculated by strong computer vision algorithms from the images of the camera. Apart from an accelerometer, no other input sources are required. The complex creation of a map is also not necessary, since SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization additionally uses simple markers for orientation, which are placed approximately every 100 meters in the environment. The solution is therefore extremely flexible and can be used in any intralogistics scenario.

All image processing takes place locally on the embedded computer – no sensitive data needs to be transferred to the cloud. The image data captured by the camera is immediately discarded after processing. Furthermore, communication is always transparent and future-proof thanks to compatibility with a standardized industrial interface.

Summary

The position of forklifts and other manually guided vehicles in intralogistics is usually unknown. This is now changing with SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization: A camera-based sensor kit for the cost-efficient localization of manually guided intralogistics vehicles. SYNAOS uses state-of-the-art computer vision technology as enabler for its accurate and robust location system that is easy to install and scale.

CLICK HERE to watch a video.

IFOY TEST REPORT

What good is all the digitalisation if there are always “blind spots” in the company. One such blind spot is the fact that most of the forklift trucks that drive around in companies are still controlled manually and are therefore not digitised or only rudimentarily digitised. With the SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localisation system, a camera-based sensor kit ensures their cost-efficient localisation – using state-of-the-art computer vision technology.

SYNAOS is a software company, but has decided to build a small hardware. A small black box (19 x 12 x 6 centimetres) can be found at the demo set-up in Hall 3 of the Dortmund Trade Fair. It is screwed onto a child’s forklift and projects its images onto a screen.

The manufacturer has dedicated itself to eliminating the gaps in the localisation of manually controlled industrial trucks of all kinds: So it’s all about indoor localisation of industrial trucks. 95 per cent of companies have forklifts in use, but they are rarely well integrated into the value chain: Currently, only the transport order is digital; the forklifts themselves are not digitalised. As a result, there is no knowledge of where a forklift is located. There are forklift localisation technologies, but they are often not used. There is a reason for this: ultra-wideband or lidar technology are simply too expensive. Speaking of lidar: the system is already too accurate, as if one were shooting at sparrows with cannons.

With the new system from SYNAOS, which works with so-called “markers”, a Localisation-as-a-Service (LaaS) tool, it’s different: Everything is already included in the price and the detection comes to an accuracy of about 25 centimetres. So it’s not just about the “little box” on the test set. For 1,980 euros a year per truck, that would be relatively low costs for admittedly standardised electronic components that can easily be bought at electronics stores: But the intelligence is in the software – plug and play.

You can create transparency in a flash with SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localisation: Where in the warehouse is busy? What are the braking distances? Where are people driving around without a driving order? Even the truck that is always running late can now finally be pointed out. In short: you can observe the fleet utilisation exactly. And a very big USP compared to the conventional storage method is that the forklift only reports the position where it has driven a pallet; scanning the pallet or the products on it is no longer necessary.

SYNAOS expects CE certification in a few weeks. The already mentioned indoor accuracy of 25 centimetres is achieved with markers every 100 metres. The “little black box” operates with a power consumption of 7 watts and transmits its camera data – 15 images per second – via WiFi for evaluation using computer vision algorithms. Apart from an acceleration sensor, no other input sources are required. In times of increasingly important cybersecurity, this is perhaps not entirely unimportant: the entire image processing of the system takes place locally on the embedded computer; no sensitive data need to be transferred to a cloud. After the camera’s image data has been processed, it is immediately discarded.

IFOY Test Verdict

The simple real-time localisation of all types of industrial trucks with the help of this very convincing localisation system helps customers on their way to the complete digitalisation of intralogistics. It is very easy to record fleet utilisation, but also to create heat maps for critical points in the warehouse or optimise warehouse layouts. The basic tenor: inexpensive hardware works together with intelligent software. Every industrial truck with a power supply and a mounting option can be equipped with the SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localisation sensor kit – a huge market.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: The localisation system was developed in order to retrofit forklifts with a sufficiently accurate, cost-effective and scalable solution for position tracking and to integrate it into digital control processes. With an annual production of approximately 1.5 million forklift trucks and a minimum service life of 10 years, there is a very large market with a high demand for digitalisation of all players in the warehouse, also driven by the trend towards mixed operation with AGVs.

Customer benefit: Users benefit from the fast set-up, almost without adapting the infrastructure, as well as the easy usability of the system. As a result, the solution scales from quantity 1 without significant investment costs, as it is offered as Localisation-as-a-Service at a reasonable price. In use, SYNAOS enables the user to perform statistical analyses for fleet utilisation and process optimisation, digital order control and monitoring, optimised driving behaviour of AGVs in mixed operation, navigation of forklifts in the warehouse as well as automatic scanning processes for goods booking. Unlike compact UWB (ultra-wideband) systems, however, SYNAOS can only locate vehicles, not people.

Novelty: The localisation of intralogistic vehicles on the basis of visual odometry, i.e. relative localisation via stereo vision with occasional absolute referencing via markers, is a novelty in the industry. However, the technology itself is not completely new and has already proven itself in autonomous driving. Advantages over the usual laser scanner-based methods with a map are the lower costs as well as the simplicity and robustness of the approach even in highly dynamic environments. Compared to UWB-based solutions, the advantage lies in the low need for adaptation of the infrastructure and the low investment costs. The innovation value consists in a solution that is appropriately balanced between localisation accuracy (approx. 25 centimetres) and costs.

Functionality / type of implementation: The solid test setup of the sensor kit with integrated computing unit convincingly demonstrated the functionality of the system. The energy-efficient retrofit kit requires only a power supply and can be integrated via the WiFi infrastructure. SYNAOS offers its own order and fleet management, but can also connect to other systems via VDA 5050. The operating interfaces are user-centred and the closed sensor system does not disclose any images to the outside for data protection reasons, but will enable new additional functions in the future. It is still not clear how much maintenance is required with regard to contamination of the camera sensors.

Verdict: The forklift market is a lucrative market for SYNAOS in the long term. The customer benefit is high due to improved order status information, statistics and optimised traffic flow guidance. The novelty of the reliably and robustly implemented plug&play system is given in logistics.

market relevance ++
customer benefit +
novelty +
functionality / type of implementation ++
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about SYNAOS.

IFOY FINALIST FOCUS: SYNAOS IMS Vehicle Localization

Posted on by David Priestman

Continuing with our run-through of each of the IFOY Award nominated finalists ahead of the winners announcement on 30th June at BMW World, we look at the SYNAOS IMS Vehicle Localization solution from SYNAOS.

IFOY Category: Special of the Year

Description

The seamless localization of transport vehicles is one of the most important steps towards fully digitized, highly efficient intralogistics. As soon as the position of every manually guided vehicle is known at all times, numerous new potentials arise: Important KPIs such as fleet utilization can be recorded, heat maps can be created and layouts can be optimized. In addition, drivers can be navigated optimally through production facilities and logistics centres, with delays being detected at an early stage. Furthermore, flexible, near real-time transport order planning can be realized. Also scan-free processes are made possible in this way, further simplifying workflows.

However, so far these and other use cases are not or only very rarely implemented – previous localization solutions are simply too expensive and it is not possible to achieve any savings. SYNAOS therefore pursues a modern approach: Intelligent software combined with cost-effective hardware allows precise and robust vehicle localization. For this purpose the sensor kit, which holds a stereo camera and a powerful embedded computer, is attached to the vehicles. This comparatively inexpensive combination enables the implementation of many use cases that were previously unprofitable.

Innovation
Current approaches for localizing vehicles in intralogistics are based on UWB (ultra wide band) or LIDAR (light detection and ranging). However, both techniques are associated with high costs – they require high and long-term investments. UWB requires a huge infrastructure investment and is very difficult to change or extend. In addition, the accuracy of localization depends on the illumination on site. LIDAR on the other side is achieving a very high accuracy. But this is not necessary for 95 percent of the applications in intralogistics. Another disadvantage is the high commissioning effort, because a map has to be created first.

SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization, on the other hand, uses cameras and a technology called “visual odometry”. This technology is known from the fields of robotics and autonomous driving and is applied in logistics for the first time according to SYNAOS. In addition, SYNAOS uses simple markers at frequented locations in the hall so that the system has a global reference from time to time. This makes the installation of the system simple and commissioning uncomplicated, as no map has to be created. Only some markers are needed and the environment can change at any time without affecting the localization.

Market relevance
Every intralogistics vehicle providing power supply and a mounting option can be equipped with the SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization, enabling precise localization in real time. Thereby, complete fleets can be digitized retrospectively. The system increases the efficiency of fleets and saves costs. The market for this solution is therefore huge: In 2020, about 1.5 million forklifts were produced. In addition, there is a correspondingly high number of already existing vehicles in the field. But very few of these vehicles already have their position recorded, nor are they digitally mapped.

Upgrading manual transport systems with the localization solution from SYNAOS is also highly relevant for the mixed operation of autonomous and manually guided vehicles. The entirety of transport orders for intralogistics can be controlled precisely and more efficiently. In addition, autonomous guided vehicles can be better controlled with known positions of the manually guided vehicles. For example, they can be slowed down when a forklift comes close, avoiding an emergency stop at an intersection. Enabling or improving the mixed operation of manual and autonomous vehicles also supports the gradual automation of intralogistics processes.

Main customer benefits
Customers benefit from easy-to-use, real-time localization for any intralogistics vehicle. However, SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization is not only quickly installed, but also easy on the budget. Despite a comparatively low price, the solution achieves a very high accuracy. The position of the vehicle is calculated by strong computer vision algorithms from the images of the camera. Apart from an accelerometer, no other input sources are required. The complex creation of a map is also not necessary, since SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization additionally uses simple markers for orientation, which are placed approximately every 100 meters in the environment. The solution is therefore extremely flexible and can be used in any intralogistics scenario.

All image processing takes place locally on the embedded computer – no sensitive data needs to be transferred to the cloud. The image data captured by the camera is immediately discarded after processing. Furthermore, communication is always transparent and future-proof thanks to compatibility with a standardized industrial interface.

Summary

The position of forklifts and other manually guided vehicles in intralogistics is usually unknown. This is now changing with SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localization: A camera-based sensor kit for the cost-efficient localization of manually guided intralogistics vehicles. SYNAOS uses state-of-the-art computer vision technology as enabler for its accurate and robust location system that is easy to install and scale.

CLICK HERE to watch a video.

IFOY TEST REPORT

What good is all the digitalisation if there are always “blind spots” in the company. One such blind spot is the fact that most of the forklift trucks that drive around in companies are still controlled manually and are therefore not digitised or only rudimentarily digitised. With the SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localisation system, a camera-based sensor kit ensures their cost-efficient localisation – using state-of-the-art computer vision technology.

SYNAOS is a software company, but has decided to build a small hardware. A small black box (19 x 12 x 6 centimetres) can be found at the demo set-up in Hall 3 of the Dortmund Trade Fair. It is screwed onto a child’s forklift and projects its images onto a screen.

The manufacturer has dedicated itself to eliminating the gaps in the localisation of manually controlled industrial trucks of all kinds: So it’s all about indoor localisation of industrial trucks. 95 per cent of companies have forklifts in use, but they are rarely well integrated into the value chain: Currently, only the transport order is digital; the forklifts themselves are not digitalised. As a result, there is no knowledge of where a forklift is located. There are forklift localisation technologies, but they are often not used. There is a reason for this: ultra-wideband or lidar technology are simply too expensive. Speaking of lidar: the system is already too accurate, as if one were shooting at sparrows with cannons.

With the new system from SYNAOS, which works with so-called “markers”, a Localisation-as-a-Service (LaaS) tool, it’s different: Everything is already included in the price and the detection comes to an accuracy of about 25 centimetres. So it’s not just about the “little box” on the test set. For 1,980 euros a year per truck, that would be relatively low costs for admittedly standardised electronic components that can easily be bought at electronics stores: But the intelligence is in the software – plug and play.

You can create transparency in a flash with SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localisation: Where in the warehouse is busy? What are the braking distances? Where are people driving around without a driving order? Even the truck that is always running late can now finally be pointed out. In short: you can observe the fleet utilisation exactly. And a very big USP compared to the conventional storage method is that the forklift only reports the position where it has driven a pallet; scanning the pallet or the products on it is no longer necessary.

SYNAOS expects CE certification in a few weeks. The already mentioned indoor accuracy of 25 centimetres is achieved with markers every 100 metres. The “little black box” operates with a power consumption of 7 watts and transmits its camera data – 15 images per second – via WiFi for evaluation using computer vision algorithms. Apart from an acceleration sensor, no other input sources are required. In times of increasingly important cybersecurity, this is perhaps not entirely unimportant: the entire image processing of the system takes place locally on the embedded computer; no sensitive data need to be transferred to a cloud. After the camera’s image data has been processed, it is immediately discarded.

IFOY Test Verdict

The simple real-time localisation of all types of industrial trucks with the help of this very convincing localisation system helps customers on their way to the complete digitalisation of intralogistics. It is very easy to record fleet utilisation, but also to create heat maps for critical points in the warehouse or optimise warehouse layouts. The basic tenor: inexpensive hardware works together with intelligent software. Every industrial truck with a power supply and a mounting option can be equipped with the SYNAOS IMS – Vehicle Localisation sensor kit – a huge market.

IFOY INNOVATION CHECK

Market relevance: The localisation system was developed in order to retrofit forklifts with a sufficiently accurate, cost-effective and scalable solution for position tracking and to integrate it into digital control processes. With an annual production of approximately 1.5 million forklift trucks and a minimum service life of 10 years, there is a very large market with a high demand for digitalisation of all players in the warehouse, also driven by the trend towards mixed operation with AGVs.

Customer benefit: Users benefit from the fast set-up, almost without adapting the infrastructure, as well as the easy usability of the system. As a result, the solution scales from quantity 1 without significant investment costs, as it is offered as Localisation-as-a-Service at a reasonable price. In use, SYNAOS enables the user to perform statistical analyses for fleet utilisation and process optimisation, digital order control and monitoring, optimised driving behaviour of AGVs in mixed operation, navigation of forklifts in the warehouse as well as automatic scanning processes for goods booking. Unlike compact UWB (ultra-wideband) systems, however, SYNAOS can only locate vehicles, not people.

Novelty: The localisation of intralogistic vehicles on the basis of visual odometry, i.e. relative localisation via stereo vision with occasional absolute referencing via markers, is a novelty in the industry. However, the technology itself is not completely new and has already proven itself in autonomous driving. Advantages over the usual laser scanner-based methods with a map are the lower costs as well as the simplicity and robustness of the approach even in highly dynamic environments. Compared to UWB-based solutions, the advantage lies in the low need for adaptation of the infrastructure and the low investment costs. The innovation value consists in a solution that is appropriately balanced between localisation accuracy (approx. 25 centimetres) and costs.

Functionality / type of implementation: The solid test setup of the sensor kit with integrated computing unit convincingly demonstrated the functionality of the system. The energy-efficient retrofit kit requires only a power supply and can be integrated via the WiFi infrastructure. SYNAOS offers its own order and fleet management, but can also connect to other systems via VDA 5050. The operating interfaces are user-centred and the closed sensor system does not disclose any images to the outside for data protection reasons, but will enable new additional functions in the future. It is still not clear how much maintenance is required with regard to contamination of the camera sensors.

Verdict: The forklift market is a lucrative market for SYNAOS in the long term. The customer benefit is high due to improved order status information, statistics and optimised traffic flow guidance. The novelty of the reliably and robustly implemented plug&play system is given in logistics.

market relevance ++
customer benefit +
novelty +
functionality / type of implementation ++
[++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / – – not available]

For an overview of all the finalists, visit www.ifoy.org

CLICK HERE to find out more about SYNAOS.

Improved customer service with Beumer Smart Glasses

Posted on by Keith McKinley

If faults and downtimes occur in machines and companies are unable to rectify them as quickly as possible, this can be expensive for them. With the Beumer Smart Glasses, the Beumer Group has developed a pioneering product that helps users to avoid precisely this quickly and easily: Beumer Customer Support employees look over the shoulder of the customer’s service technician virtually and solve the problem together with him. Remote commissioning is also possible.

The employee at the machine puts on the glasses and starts the Beumer Support App via voice command. He transmits a service number and a pin code to the hotline, and the connection with image and sound is established securely. The Beumer technician receives the same image that the customer sees. This means that he can give him instructions directly and display all relevant information in the field of vision.

The employee has both hands free to follow the expert’s instructions and perform the necessary actions. In this way, faults can be solved quickly and precisely – at any time. Beumer experts are available around the clock, seven days a week. Language barriers or a lack of specialist knowledge are therefore no longer relevant when troubleshooting. Based on the recorded images, the experts can better clarify with the operator why the fault occurred in the first place.

With the digital solution, customers can not only be helped in case of malfunctions or downtimes of existing plants. Remote maintenance is also possible, in which Beumer experts connect to the system – regardless of the time or day. This increases the availability of the machines, as no long journeys are required. In addition, there is the option of remote commissioning: The Corona pandemic is massively changing the travel behaviour. Due to travel restrictions, the technicians cannot always be on site. Nevertheless, it is important to get new machines up and running quickly.

The data goggles allow an overview of the entire system: Beumer Customer Support sees the same as the wearer on site and can directly prescribe the correct actions. In this way, he guides the user step by step through commissioning. The Beumer experts can react flexibly with this procedure.

 

Improved customer service with Beumer Smart Glasses

Posted on by David Priestman

If faults and downtimes occur in machines and companies are unable to rectify them as quickly as possible, this can be expensive for them. With the Beumer Smart Glasses, the Beumer Group has developed a pioneering product that helps users to avoid precisely this quickly and easily: Beumer Customer Support employees look over the shoulder of the customer’s service technician virtually and solve the problem together with him. Remote commissioning is also possible.

The employee at the machine puts on the glasses and starts the Beumer Support App via voice command. He transmits a service number and a pin code to the hotline, and the connection with image and sound is established securely. The Beumer technician receives the same image that the customer sees. This means that he can give him instructions directly and display all relevant information in the field of vision.

The employee has both hands free to follow the expert’s instructions and perform the necessary actions. In this way, faults can be solved quickly and precisely – at any time. Beumer experts are available around the clock, seven days a week. Language barriers or a lack of specialist knowledge are therefore no longer relevant when troubleshooting. Based on the recorded images, the experts can better clarify with the operator why the fault occurred in the first place.

With the digital solution, customers can not only be helped in case of malfunctions or downtimes of existing plants. Remote maintenance is also possible, in which Beumer experts connect to the system – regardless of the time or day. This increases the availability of the machines, as no long journeys are required. In addition, there is the option of remote commissioning: The Corona pandemic is massively changing the travel behaviour. Due to travel restrictions, the technicians cannot always be on site. Nevertheless, it is important to get new machines up and running quickly.

The data goggles allow an overview of the entire system: Beumer Customer Support sees the same as the wearer on site and can directly prescribe the correct actions. In this way, he guides the user step by step through commissioning. The Beumer experts can react flexibly with this procedure.

 

Walbusch first to use OSCA DC software

Posted on by David Priestman

The Walbusch Group has taken a decisive step forward in modernising its infrastructure as well as IT applications: Since the end of 2021, the Solingen-based company has been using Setlog‘s cloud-based SCM software OSCA DC (Digital Core) to gain transparency and improve management, collaboration, and communication in the supply chain.

What makes it special: Walbusch is the first Setlog customer to rely on the new standard product version of OSCA. This means that the processes of the Walbusch, Avena and Mey&Edlich brands were adapted to best practice workflows from OSCA – and not vice versa. This way, the group bypassed costly, customer-specific adjustments in the OSCA SCM software. The advantage: Above all, in addition to costs, the company saved time. Less than six months passed from the initial contact to the software’s go-live.

“We definitely wanted to avoid customer-specific adaptations and were able to bring transparency to the supply chain within a few months with the new software generation. We can inform our most important suppliers of changes in real time via a single tool. Emails, phone calls, and Excel spreadsheets are now a thing of the past,” reports Ralf Seggering, Head of IT and member of the management team at Walbusch.

Currently, the main suppliers are integrated into the system. In addition to other suppliers, forwarding agents of the Walbusch Group will also be connected to the software. “We are convinced that the Walbusch example will set a precedent – also in other industries. Because in volatile times, there is no alternative to an agile, digital value chain. The digital supply chain based on OSCA is based on three values: simplicity, transparency, and control,” emphasises Guido Brackelsberg, member of the board of Setlog.

According to IT project manager Thomas Betzhold, the user-friendliness, the attractive best-practice offering and Setlog’s SCM expertise in the fashion industry tipped the scales in favour of the Bochum-based software provider when it came to selecting a system. “We are convinced that OSCA’s new software generation is also a very good prerequisite for the migration project of the Ravenna-Park logistics center,” says Betzhold.

Background

Christian Busch, majority shareholder of Walbusch, acquired the logistics centre from Gerry Weber in 2021. Since then, planning has been underway for the integration of the large-scale facility in Halle/Westphalia.

Whether men’s shirts, women’s blouses, or outdoor jackets: Walbusch offers a wide range of goods online as well as in its 42 stores and through other channels. The articles are mostly produced in Europe, but also in the Far East. They are stored centrally in Solingen in a distribution centre with more than 350,000 storage locations. Walbusch transmits orders to its suppliers from the ERP system via OSCA. The SCM software acts as a central communication and processing tool in the supply chain. The software is used for numerous purposes – including:

the placement of purchase orders

monitoring, controlling, and tracking of orders

as a network between customer, supplier, carrier, and warehouse locations

for digital collaboration

for managing delivery parameters such as timing and mode of transport

and as a database for important documents such as customs-related paperwork.

A KPI dashboard visualises key metrics for employees working with the solution. As soon as delivery data changes, all partners in the supply chain are informed simultaneously. More than three million shipments will pass through the system each year.

Ralf Seggering is very satisfied with the progress of the project so far: “It was a prime example of agile project work and a blueprint for our IT strategy: we are modernizing our entire IT infrastructure based on our own ERP core and department-specific best-of-breed solutions.”

Seggering is already planning further steps in IT. The OSCA CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) module is also being considered for the future. The company, with its more than 1,000 employees, will be well prepared for the implementation of the new German Supply Chain Due Diligence Law, which will come into force in 2023, says the IT division manager.

 

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