conveyors Archives

Vanderlande Acquires Siemens Logistics

Posted on 31 October, 202425 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Vanderlande, a supplier of logistic process automation for the warehousing, airports and parcel sectors, has signed an agreement to acquire Siemens Logistics – a provider of value-added baggage and cargo handling as well as transformational digital solutions for the airport operation of the future – from the company’s current owner Siemens.

The acquisition has received full approval and support from the Supervisory and Management Boards of both Vanderlande and its parent company Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO) as well as the Management Board of Siemens. The proposed transaction will significantly enhance customer value by providing accelerated access to advanced technologies, improving global presence for better local service, and creating further customer value through synergies in technology development. With this acquisition, Vanderlande is building a firm foundation for sustainable growth within the wider automated logistics market based on the strong and reliable contribution of its airport business.

The global logistics landscape is undergoing significant change, with increasing demand for efficient, automated systems. Vanderlande, known for its strong presence in airport logistics, recognises the evolving trends in the sector and sees tremendous potential for sustained growth. With passenger travel on the rise and airports investing heavily in modernisation, the long-term market outlook for airport automation is highly positive. Vanderlande recognises Siemens Logistics as a mature, resilient organisation with exceptional, knowledgeable people which has resulted in a robust reputation and decades of trusted relationships with customers.

Andrew Manship, Vanderlande’s President & CEO, says, “Siemens Logistics’ innovative approach and robust business model align perfectly with Vanderlande’s vision for the future. Its forward-thinking and innovative mindset also proves its ability to adapt to changing market dynamics. Our customers will benefit from a broader range of solutions and services, enabling them to address their challenges more effectively.”

Cultural synergy

Siemens Logistics, a well-established player in the logistics industry, is widely respected for its deep expertise, resilience and ability to anticipate future market dynamics. With a culture rooted in innovation, Siemens Logistics has built a solid reputation by continuously adapting to emerging trends and delivering exceptional service to its customers. The decades of industry experience, strong customer relationships and a future-focused approach perfectly complement Vanderlande’s mission to innovate and excel.

“As a distinguished provider of solutions for airport logistics, Siemens Logistics enjoys a first-class reputation in the baggage and air-cargo handling areas. Together with Vanderlande and our committed global teams, we look forward to bringing fresh impetus to the airport industry and to supporting our customers’ business with future-oriented technologies,” said Michael Schneider, CEO of Siemens Logistics. “Our innovative portfolio of high-performance hardware and software along with extensive offerings for smart services will perfectly complement Vanderlande’s portfolio and continue to drive automation and digitalization within the industry. A future joint set-up will offer our customers as well as our teams significant development and value-add potential.”
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals, and closing is expected during the calendar year 2025.

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Latest Automation Innovations at LogiMAT

Posted on 19 February, 202429 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Fives will present its complete ecosystem of smart and automated solutions at the LogiMAT tradeshow in Stuttgart, Germany (Hall 1 at Booth 1A61 & Hall 3 at Booth 3A30) from March 19 to 21st. This event will also be the opportunity to showcase its innovations designed to optimize the performance in material handling and automation.

Fives, through its Smart Automation Solutions Division, is an industry leading provider and integrator of cutting-edge, smart, scalable, and sustainable material handling solutions to increase warehouse automation. From retail and distribution to e-commerce, food, and 3PLs, as well as parcel and postal, Fives serves various business sectors, through an extensive range of technologies and software for conveying, sorting and picking the widest range of goods, worldwide.

Fives is dedicated to support its clients, providing them with comprehensive solution that increase speed, flexibility, capacity and scalability, to optimize the efficiency of their intralogistics
processes and deliver the right item, to the right place, at the right time. As a “customer-oriented company, Fives supports industrial companies throughout the entire life cycle of their facilities. From design to operations, Fives provides them with tailor-made and high-performance turnkey solutions, as well as aftermarket services ranging from spare parts, field service, maintenance programs, to retrofit solutions, anywhere in the world.

One innovation ahead

The rise of Industry 4.0 is deeply transforming the industry in various sectors. Automation innovation is key for addressing real-life challenges, such as digitally assisted remote services facilitating
AI-driven information collect and predictive maintenance. For over 60 years, Fives has been innovating, developing technologies that have become market standards. Anticipating customer needs, Fives invests in future technologies, expanding its solutions portfolio to collaboratively transform supply chain facilities with clients.

Take order picking to the next level

Speed, visibility, and reliability are essential for the success of logistics operations. To address the challenges associated with managing large order volumes while ensuring precise inventory management and efficient tracking of flows, Fives offers a warehouse automation solution based on the “Pallet-to-Robot” process, a new technological brick for automated pallet preparation.

A flexible, versatile, and scalable solution, AgileP2R ensures complete automation of order picking and adapts to the variability of logistics operations. It is designed for multi-product layer-pallets preparation and multi-product case-pallet preparation, and offers a choice of equipment, thus enabling customized adaptation possibilities.

For layer picking, Agile P2R features on one or more robots equipped with a layer gripper that can adapt to various pallet sizes. This gripper handles product-layers, up to 38 cm in height, using various technologies: suction, depression, clamping, security curtain.

For case picking, one or more robotic cells equipped with case grippers, which are adapted to all types of loads and take the fragility of the products into account, make up heterogeneous pallets. For both preparation modes, the use of AMRs complements robotics for maximum flexibility. 360° management software controls the entire process, and powerful algorithms automatically calculate and control the positioning of layers and cases to optimize pallets. Finally, a buffer area allows product pallets to be placed as close as possible.

IFOY Test Report: ff Fördersysteme

Posted on 2 June, 2023 by Keith McKinley

It’s the turn of ff Fördersysteme’s 3D conveyor and drive system in the spotlight as we continue our run-through of all the IFOY Award finalists ahead of the announcement ceremony in Dortmund on June 22nd.

Category: Start-up of the Year

IFOY Test Report

ff Fördersysteme offers a flexible basic system for conveyor and transport systems of all kinds. On the basis of a three-dimensionally movable chain and a guide system consisting of straight and curved segments, conveyor sections that are precisely adapted to the respective requirements can be implemented without interfaces in the smallest of spaces. By adapting the system with various transport drivers, it is suitable for a wide variety of applications.

The basis of the conveyor system is a patented, three-dimensionally movable drive chain. The free movement of the chain is made possible by an axial axis of rotation. In contrast to conventional conveyor chains, this 3D chain can thus twist on a helical path and run straight into it on a continuing path. This allows the conveyor chain to follow any guideway and curvature in space.

The chain consists of two chain links, which are connected to each other by means of an axial pin. These links can be manufactured in different sizes and materials depending on the requirements. The chain is guided in an aluminium profile. This profile is open on one side so that a carrier for the transported material can be placed directly on the conveyor chain. The load is transferred via the guide rail.

The modular 3D chain drive system consists of straight and curved components that can be flexibly linked together, allowing a system to be converted or retrofitted as required. This allows the tightest radii and any inclines to be mastered and the shortest possible conveying distance to be realised. No interfaces, interruptions and associated drives, sensors, etc. are necessary. By attaching different transport carriers such as conveyor belts, plastic boxes, overhead conveyors and possibly even a lightweight robot, the system can be used in a wide variety of ways. The technology thus also offers the possibility of converting an existing conveyor system or managing an entire production process with a single basic system.

Innovation: The simplicity, flexible use by means of different transport attachments and the three-dimensionality of the system are particularly noteworthy. Most conveyor lines, with curves, ramps, elevators, etc., consist of a large number of combined modules. Each module usually has its own drive and sensors. This results in numerous transfer points and all drives must be integrated into one control system. Gradients are often only possible to a limited extent.

The ff conveyor sections consist of a single drive train, which can be designed three-dimensionally in space as required and can be linked to various transport attachments. Whether transporting, tilting, swivelling, rotating: various tasks can be solved in one track. 3D systems offered on the market do not offer full freedom of movement and are also mostly designed for a specific application. This opens up new possibilities in plant design with ff conveyor systems. An example application could be a spiral conveyor that can travel up a transport path once and back down again in the same piece. This endless loop allows such a system to serve once as a buffer, packages can be fed in, but also removed again. This results in enormous space savings.

Market relevance: The 3D chain drive offers a technical and economic alternative in many areas. For example, the system can be used in the industrial sector, but also in passenger transportation. In the field of passenger transportation, this technology can be used as a new drive technology for a three-dimensional escalator.

Main advantages for the customer: ff Fördersysteme offers a basic system for installations that are not only designed and built for a specific purpose. Flexible adaptation allows them to be converted to meet a wide variety of requirements – today transporting battery components, tomorrow parts for a hydrogen drive. The three-dimensional mobility eliminates the need for a modular design of a conveyor system. This results in significantly reduced engineering and equipment requirements with enormous cost and resource advantages. The possibility of new routing also offers additional space advantages. Last but not least, the assembly, installation and maintenance effort is low.

IFOY test verdict: ff Fördersysteme offers a flexible basic system for conveyor and transport systems of all kinds. Based on a three-dimensionally movable chain and a guide system consisting of straight and curved segments, conveyor lines precisely adapted to the respective requirements can be realised in a very confined space without interfaces. The adaptation of the system with various transport carriers makes it suitable for a wide range of applications.

IFOY Innovation Check

Market relevance: Optimally suited for complex existing buildings due to the very flexible geometry and the high number of degrees of freedom. However, it is certainly not a standard solution for every application. In the environment of limited space, for example for future urban solutions, certainly of importance, but also here dependent on the price. The envisaged area of passenger transportation also sounds particularly interesting, although this is not yet described further in conceptual terms.

Customer benefit: All spatial directions and even a rotary movement around its own axis can be implemented. This means that a high degree of space economy can be achieved. Furthermore, the chain and the chain carrier can be designed for virtually any application. This means that practically any load carrier is possible in the field of small load transport. Possible applications can be found in various industrial sectors, both as a pure drive element in multidimensional conveyors or, with the appropriate load carrier, as an independent conveyor system.

Novelty / Innovation: Very good, patented idea for driving multidimensional conveyors with a maximum number of degrees of freedom. Due to the special design, the drive motor can be accommodated almost anywhere, drives positively and almost without polygon effect. This results in very smooth running for a chain conveyor. The design itself is a clear leap forward in innovation, but the application and available construction kit has yet to be developed. It should be possible to cover long distances with a closed drive train, although the maximum lengths that can be implemented have not yet been described in detail.

Functionality / Type of implementation: Since this is a start-up category, the idea has so far only been implemented as a prototype, and the chain guide has been realised as a 3D print. Even as a prototype, the high-quality, robust design is clearly evident, which is also suitable for dynamic and demanding industrial use and certainly ensures a long service life with all its flexibility.

Verdict: Nice, purely mechanical idea, which can certainly offer great advantages for specific applications due to the very flexible geometry. However, the cost side is quite little known, also the performance can only be estimated. The product is still at a very early stage. The innovative leap is definitely neatly present in the mechanical area, but as an overall system it is still difficult to estimate.

Market relevance Ø
Customer benefit +
Novelty / Innovation +
Functionality / Type of implementation +
[KEY: ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / — not available]

Successful Through Tradition for Beumer

Posted on 28 March, 202325 July, 2025 by David Priestman

FAM Group has been part of the Beumer Group since May 2022. FAM plans, designs and manufactures turnkey plant and systems to extract, transport, load and store minerals, raw materials and goods. Through this acquisition, Beumer Group has considerably strengthened its market position in the minerals and mining sectors. But what is FAM?

FAM Group is a globally active manufacturer of conveyor systems which has its headquarters in Magdeburg. The mid-sized company is one of the world’s leading full-range bulk handling and processing equipment suppliers. The company’s journey started with the construction of steam engines in the mid-19th century. Over a period of just a few decades starting in the 1830s, Magdeburg witnessed the growth of one of Germany’s major industrial centres. In the early 20th century, the industrial areas in and around Magdeburg continued to grow. Increasing numbers of technical innovations first saw the light of day here – for example, the first double-portal excavators for coal mining, which were developed and built by the company.

During the Second World War, and more precisely on 16th January 1945, Magdeburg was almost completely destroyed for the second time in its history. Due to the changed political circumstances, Magdeburger Maschinenfabriken – as FAM was called at the time – became a state-owned company. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, industry in Magdeburg and the mechanical engineering sector in the area underwent a deep-seated structural change. The majority of the businesses in the area were unable to keep pace. FAM Förderanlagen Magdeburg, which was the new name of the company, was more fortunate: In 1993, it was privatized and able to make a fresh start.

A difficult period of modernization followed. FAM stayed the course and developed from being a component manufacturer and supplier to become a general contractor offering custom-built conveyor solutions. Nowadays, the provider supplies state-of-the-art machines for the extraction, handling and preparation of raw materials. FAM is one of the global market leaders in its sector. The company stands out for its impressive, high-level engineering expertise. In this way, FAM is successfully continuing the tradition of mechanical engineering in Magdeburg. The Group has subsidiaries around the globe. It has customers in more than 80 countries. These rely on the bulk materials handling equipment, loading systems and opencast mining technology from Magdeburg to transport raw materials or extend port facilities. FAM offers consulting, planning, development, design engineering, assembly and commissioning services, all from a single supplier. However, the company’s range of activities also includes quality management and monitoring, maintenance, conversions and service.

In addition to expanding the BEUMER Group’s portfolio, FAM Group’s expertise and global positioning also complement Beumer’s competence in the planning of plant and equipment projects. The company brings planning, engineering, and the entire value chain to the Beumer Group, as well as aftersales service.

Ammeraal Beltech at LogiMAT Stuttgart

Posted on 9 March, 2023 by Keith McKinley

Ammeraal Beltech, a leader in conveying solutions, is proud to join LogiMAT Stuttgart 2023. The event is held in Stuttgart, Germany, from 25 to 27th April. At booth G31, Hall 1, you will experience the company’s innovations for the logistics industry.

LogiMAT 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the latest technologies, products, and solutions in the intralogistics industry, with a focus on process optimisation and cost reduction.
Ammeraal Beltech believes in the positive impact of technology and evolution on intralogistics. Their R&D Centres collaborate with customers to offer innovative solutions that meet the demands of today’s market. LogiMAT is an excellent opportunity to discover their products and find ways to improve your operations.

Discover Ammeraal Beltech portfolio at LogiMAT 2023

At Ammeraal Beltech booth, you will discover the product portfolio that prioritises energy efficiency, reliability, and long service lifetime. Some of the innovations to be presented include:
• Elastic belts for belt-over-roller applications, which withstand extreme temperature variations, save energy and offer remarkable flexibility
• belts with recycled fabrics making the production of belts more sustainable. The solution is a perfect choice for all business owners wanting to run their operations more responsibly towards the planet and people.
• AMMdurance belts, which provide substantial energy savings, low-noise operation, long service lifetime, and reduced ecological impact, for all business owners wanting to run their operations more responsibly towards the planet and people.

Visit Ammeraal Beltech at LogiMAT Stuttgart 2023 and let them optimise your operations. The team is ready to discuss solutions tailored to your applications. HALL 1 | STAND G31

New Titanium Power Transmission Belt

Posted on 25 January, 202329 July, 2025 by David Priestman

‘Titanium’ is Megadyne’s new Power Transmission Belt. A flagship, high-performance product, it aims to deliver a new level of performance for synchronous timing belt drive applications.

The combination of materials and belt design used to create ‘Titanium’ have been tested against industry-leading belt brands and proven to deliver outstanding results.

“The new belt design surpasses the current industries’ offerings with carbon cords, unique cross-linked elastomer construction, and a new low-friction self-lubricating tooth facing. However, one of the most important features is that the belt is anti-static,” says Anna Villalta, Global R&D Manager of Rubber Power Transmission Belts.

Power Transmission Belt

The belt’s anti-static features, high-strength cords and wide temperature range make ‘Titanium’ the right choice for high-performance needs across a broad range of industries and applications such as HVAC, Material Handling & Logistics, Agriculture, Wood, Marble & Heavy industry, Textile, Machine Tools, Oil & Gas, Fin Fan.

Megadyne is a member of AMMEGA – a global company located in 40 countries. AMMEGA provides advanced and high-quality belting solutions for over 20 different industries, including global logistics, food production, packaging, material handling and construction.

Successful material handling systems require many different components to achieve efficient results. Material handling systems assist with sorting products in distribution centres. They are highly automated to optimize the productivity and efficiency of a variety of operations. Properly implemented and well-designed material handling solutions reduce operational costs and improve services for a wide range of businesses.

The experts at Megadyne continue to keep pace with the rapid developments in the material handling industry. As a result, we have expanded our selection of conveyor and polyurethane timing belts to meet this industry’s specific requirements and overcome its various challenges. The latest in our line of top-quality products is Megalinear QST, which offers perfect tracking, positive drive, and minimal noise.

Applications that benefit from our innovative solutions include:

Automated Storage Retrieval System (ASRS)
Large Warehouse and Distribution centers use computer aided technology to move and store small and large goods being inventoried. Megadyne high strength synchronous belts are used in both single and double mast fixed aisle lift systems,as well as on gantry cranes and carousel systems.

Transport Platform
As part of the ASRS systems, transport platforms are used to shuttle the goods being stored from the lifting apparatus to the storage rack. Timing belts with high friction, wear resistant covers are used to telescope products into the dedicated storage location.

Offloading & Delivery Conveyors
Offloading and delivery conveyors are typically fitted with at belts, however multiple path polyurethane timing and rubber belts with high friction covers are also common. Special cover materials are available on belts used where accumulation occurs.

Diverters
In today’s warehousing and distribution environments, offloading of product for specific fulfillment needs can be accomplished with high friction belt right angle diverters. Starting with a base synchronous belt, we offer a broad range of high friction cover surfaces. From Megalinear joined polyurethane synchronous belts and Mega ex truly endless polyurethane synchronous belts with TPU smooth covers, to rubber synchronous belts with homogeneous covers, along with specialty cover materials like DuraTaq® high friction.

Pallet Conveyor
Pallet Handling Conveyors are designed to move light to heavy loads in a precise, flexible manner. Used in warehouse picking and delivery systems or in assembly operations in a number of manufacturing environments. Starting with a base synchronous belt, we offer a broad range of high friction cover surfaces.

Roller Conveyor
Timing belts or poly-v rib belts are commonly used on roller conveyors. On the external side of the roller, power transmission belts deliver power from the motor to the main driven conveyor roller. From this stage rollers are interconnected by either timing belts or poly-v rib belts, some of which can be produced with elastic-stretch properties.

Flowsort merges with FATH Group

Posted on 16 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Flowsort has recently merged with the global FATH Group to help intralogistics system integrators and conveyor system manufacturers around the globe directly access Flowsort’s products.

FATH says it is very successful with components for aluminium profile system construction and with solutions for lean processes on the industrial shopfloor. Intralogistics system integrators will now have access to these solutions from a single source through the connection of FATH and Flowsort and thus be able to bring more productivity to the intralogistics sector.

Consumers have now come to expect same- or next-day delivery not only from e-commerce and retail giants but from other small and medium-sized sellers as well. This consumer expectation is pushing many e-commerce businesses to move their distribution centres closer to cities and create micro-fulfilment centres for delivering products to the consumer at a faster pace.

Flowsort supports e-commerce businesses

While e-commerce businesses need to optimise their product delivery speed from fulfilment centres to consumers, they also need to optimise the product movement within the distribution centre itself. Flowsort, which describes itself as one of the top-10 warehouse automation innovators, has developed a range of modular and automated sortation systems which are an integral part of intralogistics automation.

Flowsort distributes these modular sortation solutions to e-commerce and 3PL businesses through intralogistics system integrators and conveyor belt manufacturers. The modular design of the Flowsort sorting equipment allows system integrators and conveyor manufacturers to purchase the sorting modules that fit their clients’ unique requirements.

From there, system integrators can add extra modules to their clients’ intralogistics systems to meet future needs, offering continuous scalability while keeping the initial investment much lower.

Plug & play motor retrofit project

Posted on 5 December, 2022 by Keith McKinley

Carrying out a large scale retrofit at any facility can be daunting, but at a steel mill, where extreme conditions and high productivity demands combine, particularly so. As equipment such as motors require replacement, plant operators need to install new units quickly to safeguard uptime. That’s why Aperam, a leading producer of steel and alloy, selected Bauer Gear Motor to carry out a three-year retrofit project for the roller table conveyor drives at its Châtelet facility.

While the operating life of a motor can exceed 10 years, eventually plant managers will need to upgrade to a new efficiency standard or replace faulty units. However, the footprint and interfaces of new equipment will almost never match up to the original, which can make retrofitting a modern motor problematic. Complex mechanical adaptations to fit the new unit can be very time consuming. With demand and prices for steel and alloy through the roof, any extended downtime for a retrofit project at a steel mill must be avoided.

The Aperam Châtelet facility in Belgium consists of a melt shop and a rolling mill, which produces durable steel and alloy. During routine inspections, maintenance engineers at the plant identified that the motors powering the roller table conveyors required replacement. Due to the weight of the slab, each roller was powered by its own dedicated motor. Therefore, carrying out a motor retrofit project – which would require extensive mechanical adaptation for each unit – was unacceptable. Consequently, Aperam approached Bauer Gear Motor, a brand of Altra Industrial Motion Corp., to provide a plug and play motor retrofit solution.

Bauer retrofit solution

Bauer Gear Motor says it is a world leader in geared motor technologies, with a proven track record in providing highly robust and reliable drives for use in challenging metal industry applications. Focused on delivering motors that attain the highest efficiency standards, Bauer also offers operators in the metal industry a plug and play retrofit solution for drives operating on roller table conveyors.

The Bauer retrofit solution features two key elements. A standardised shaft connection using either a flange or coupling ensures increased ease and speed of installation. This is matched by a foot adaptor plate, which allows a one-to-one changeover between the old and new motor. A plug and play design eliminates the need for any costly, time consuming mechanical adaptations. Consequently, retrofitting new motors can be done with minimal downtime.

Plug & play solution

“What was key for the Aperam project was that we could offer a plug and play solution as a complete package, which was particularly important to engineers at the facility,” explains André, Regional Sales Manager, North Europe. “Our extensive engineering knowledge in the metals industry and the OEM support we could provide were also deciding factors. One of the primary challenges was to deliver the volume of motors required within the timeframes of the plant’s scheduled downtime, but our production capacity ensured we could achieve this. Over three years, we have updated all the motors on the roller table conveyors, bringing the system up to a new efficiency standard while also streamlining future maintenance and retrofit work.”

Bauer offers specialised motors specifically for roller table conveyors. With heavy duty fan or non-ventilated designs, the motors feature windings for delivering high torque, heavy duty gearbox housings and gear wheels, seals to withstand high temperatures and IP65 enclosures as standard.

By standardising the shaft connections and footplates for Aperam, Bauer was able to not only streamline the initial retrofit project, but all subsequent motor upgrades or replacements required for the roller table conveyors in future. This ensures that as the Châtelet facility moves to improve energy efficiency and boost reliability, these dual aims can be achieved while safeguarding production uptime.

Bergzeit expands operations with Fortna

Posted on 25 November, 202225 July, 2025 by David Priestman

With rising shipping volumes and continued expansion of the product range, Bergzeit GmbH based in Otterfing, Bavaria, is tackling its steady rise with logistical know-how by expanding its warehouse and shipping capacities. This leading online supplier of mountain sports equipment, part of the South Tyrolean Sportler AG, has commissioned Fortna with developing the logistics concept together with implementation support.

A high-performance shuttle warehouse is at the core of the new processing system, which was integrated during ongoing operations, and features more than 57,000 new bin locations and an intelligent batch picking system. The new ergonomic goods-to-person workstations also ensure optimised workflows. The new systems were integrated during ongoing operations and were successfully put into operation in September 2022, notwithstanding the various negative factors affecting the logistics industry at present.

Founded over 20 years ago, Bergzeit has established itself as the leading online supplier of mountain sports equipment. More than two million customers can choose from a range of over 40,000 articles from over 500 brands. Two stores in the south of Munich complement the successful web shop. In 2017, a new building in Otterfing housed the administration and logistics functions, with the support of Fortna already in place.

Increased capacity for Bergzeit

“We had been steadily growing for years, and in the meantime had reached our limits in terms of logistics capacity. On top of that, since the COVID pandemic, many people have shifted their sporting activities to the outdoors,” explains Holger Cecco-Stark, Head of Projects & CSR, Bergzeit. “We needed a sustainable solution for the resulting increase in shipping volume and stock. Fortna had already taken our future requirements into account in the 2017 design concept, which was the best reason for us to start the new expansion phase with our tried-and-tested team in place.”

The available property for the Bergzeit company headquarters had already been utilised to the maximum for the new building in 2017. As anticipated five years ago, it was therefore now necessary to create additional capacity within the existing building in the current project phase. With a growth forecast up to 2025 as a projection, the Fortna team developed a phased solution for the integration of a compact shuttle warehouse with up to 3,000 double cycles/hour, capable of processing 800 shipments/hour.

Over the course of the project, the excellent cooperation and exchange with the Otterfinger community deserve particular mention. “Together, we achieved a perfect balance between capacity and dynamic performance, allowing the available space of 2,000 sq m to be used to its full height. With over 57,000 additional bin locations in the shuttle warehouse, Bergzeit has doubled the total capacity in the warehouse and will remain competitive in the long term,” says Project Manager Andreas Spitzki, Senior Manager, Fortna.

More effective shipping

Fortna has designed a goods-to-person order picking solution for more efficient shipping. The solution considers the individual requirements of each order type (single item or multiline orders, different sized cartons as well as shipment in bags). It enables powerful sequencing and ensures, where possible, the consolidation of a wide range of different items such as textiles, hard goods and bulky goods.

Items are picked into containers and then transported to new ergonomic workstations via a conveyor loop. They are scanned and distributed to as many as 21 different destinations to make up the shipment. On account of the many different types of shipments processed manually, the ergonomic adjustability of work areas is paramount for the individual set-up of workstations and employees’ occupational health. The experts from Fortna were key brainstorming partners for Bergzeit in terms of processes, from the initial concept and the drawings in 3D to the test setup and the implementation of the new workstations.

“Creating additional capacity and making the most of the existing potential was our top priority,” concludes Holger Cecco-Stark. “Together with Fortna, we have ensured that our new logistics operations enable us to adapt flexibly to ever-changing demands and are in the best possible position for future growth.”

www.fortna.com

Bolt-on sensor for continuous condition monitoring

Posted on 21 November, 2022 by Keith McKinley

SICK has launched its MPB10 Multi-Physics Box condition monitoring sensor, a pioneering and rugged bolt-on device designed to deliver real-time, continuous service data from industrial machines, including electric motors, pumps, fans and conveyor systems, even in the harshest industry environments.

SICK’s first dedicated condition monitoring sensor, the MPB10 is an all-in-one device designed to make it easy to monitor and interpret vibration, shock and temperature measurement data delivered right from the heart of machines. The MPB10 provides service data to enable more cost-efficient predictive maintenance practices that can improve plant availability, maximise operating life, and protect product and process quality.

Detecting signs of failure

The SICK MPB10 measures vibration, shocks and temperature that can be the tell-tale signs of approaching machine failure. Users are provided with pre-processed, concise and easy to interpret information that can be customised for the machine and process.

A stand-alone SICK MPB10 can transmit data over IO-Link to a machine control or output a simple alarm-based switching signal. With wide-ranging measurement parameters, the MPB10 can be set up according to the type of machine to alert, for example, when values exceed pre-configured thresholds.

Dashboard visualisation

Users also have the option to visualise real-time and historic data from the SICK MPB10 on easy-to-interpret, customisable dashboards using the SICK Monitoring Box digital service. Via the Monitoring Box, operators can also receive notifications via email, or provide data for integration into cloud-based applications.

The SICK MPB10 detects vibrations (±8G) and shocks up to 200G in all three axes via the sensor’s MEMS elements. Multi-stage alerts can be set up to monitor vibration thresholds according to the requirements of DIN ISO 10816-3 in rotating machines such as electric motors, fans, turbines and generators. The indicative vibration values in the time and frequency range are significantly easier to interpret than raw data, helping to detect, for example, insufficient lubrication, bearing damage or motor imbalances.

Protected by a rugged IP68 stainless-steel housing, the MPB10 delivers consistent contact temperature data between −40°C and +80°C, even in dusty or wet environments. Ideally fixed close to the bearings, the MPB10 can be mounted securely using a single M3 screw or fixed onto curved surfaces using the mounting plate supplied. Alternatively, it can be secured with epoxy glue or welded.

Cost-saving benefits

David Hannaby, SICK’s Market Manager for Presence Detection, said: “The SICK MPB10 is a rugged little instrument with the potential to add huge value to industrial machines and processes. By bolting on an MPB10 to their machine, plant operators and managers can upgrade simply to predictive maintenance practices and identify problems early before any significant decrease in performance or failure.

“By avoiding damaging temperatures, shocks or vibrations, the availability of the machine can be increased, product and process quality can be protected, and operators have more potential to extend the life of their machines. Maintenance effort and costs are reduced because reactive interventions can be avoided, and time-consuming routine preventive inspections can become less frequent.”