Tag: conveyors|materials handling|warehouse automation

Fives, one of the world’s most preferred partners for transforming supply chain facilities, has been chosen by the start-up mon-marché.fr, created by Prosol, the entity behind Grand Frais, to automate its new flagship called “Quartier Général du Goût”. This new location, which is revolutionising the way people shop, has just opened its doors to the public in Puteaux (France).

Already present in Paris and its near suburbs thanks to home delivery and “click & collect”, mon-marché.fr has just opened a new flagship in the Paris region, called “Quartier Général du Goût”. Designed as a real entertainment area, customers are welcomed in a large hall and do their shopping via an iPad or the mon-marché.fr application. Once the order has been validated, machines and robots coordinate with the operators to put together the basket.

To make this project possible, mon-marché.fr has equipped itself with the best cutting edge technologies, including the wide range of EASY-Stream conveyors from Fives.

Modular and complete, EASY-Stream conveyors (belt and roller conveyors, dosing conveyors, belt sorters…), integrate perfectly into any type of system thanks to a wide range of configurations designed to handle all types of loads.

Fives ’conveyor solution is installed on the three levels of the concept store and includes overhead conveyors, a total of 11 lanes, three sorters, four drop-off stations and five elevators that will allow mon-marché.fr to complete thousands of orders per day in less than 10 minutes.

Thanks to Fives’ expertise as a supplier and integrator of advanced automation technologies and its intimate understanding of its customers’ processes and objectives, the 450 sq m facility combines optimised storage (more than 1,500 fresh and grocery products at five different temperatures) and fast order picking.

“We are the first in France to use this robotic technology in an urban network in the heart of a city, with optimised storage temperatures for each product category,” declares Carlos Pichel, Innovation Director of Prosol, the entity that created mon-marché.

“Our customers in the food retail sector are under great pressure from consumer demands. These solutions for optimising order preparation are now one of the criteria for differentiation and competitiveness. Therefore, we are increasing their development. At Fives, we are convinced that micro-fulfilment is the future of intralogistics, and our ambition is to become the No. 1 partner of the major players in the market,” says Zakariae Haoudi, Sales Director of Fives Intralogistics SAS, specialised in automated solutions for micro-fulfilment.

Leuze has launched the world’s first safety bar code positioning system. With the FBPS 600i, only one device is needed for safe position detection.

In the past, system manufacturers had to use two sensors and two different technologies for position detection. But not anymore: The new FBPS 600i safety bar code positioning system from Leuze enables position detection with a single sensor.

The FBPS 600i is connected to a safe evaluation unit via two SSI interfaces and is suitable for applications up to performance level e.

In intralogistics, it is important that the stacker cranes and transverse transfer cars pose no danger to the staff. The position and speed must be monitored during maintenance work or when operating with a manned car. Until now, system manufacturers had to use a redundant setup with two sensors in order to meet performance level d.

This problem is now solved with the new single-sensor safety bar code positioning system FBPS 600i, which already meets the requirements of performance level e. This means that safety functions can now be easily implemented. The unit is connected to a safe connection unit, for example, a frequency inverter, via two SSI interfaces. The FBPS 600i also requires less space in the system, and the installation effort is reduced significantly.

Ideal for quick movements

The FBPS 600i has an impressive error reaction time of only ten milliseconds. This makes it especially suitable for position detection when quick movements are involved. Important parameters, such as the speed curves and the throughput can be optimised as a result. The sensor’s large working range of 50–170 millimetres also enables flexible integration in different types of systems.

The new safety bar code positioning system is installed on the stacker crane or transverse transfer car. A bar code tape is affixed on the opposite rack. In the development of the FBPS 600i, the Sensor People emphasised maximum reliability: With every scanning pass, the FBPS 600i reads multiple codes of the tape, from which the software determines highly precise position values.

The sensor scans the code at various locations through the diagonal path of the scanning beam and the movement of the transfer car. This prevents reading errors caused by local soiling or damage. The self-adhesive bar code tape, which was optimised for industrial application, also facilitates flawless operation: It is UV resistant, extremely resilient, and mechanically durable. In addition, the printed position values are easy to read and simplify handling.

The well-thought-out fastening concept with a quick-change system ensures simple mounting of the FBPS 600i devices. The device can be safely secured with an easy-to-access screw on the mounting clamp. This saves time during assembly.

 

Playing it safe in the event of a fault: The LCAM 308 IP camera from Leuze monitors hidden areas on stacker cranes and conveyor lines. This allows operators of logistics centres to trace back events reliably and rectify faults quickly and efficiently.

Even in modern logistics centres, it is not always possible to fully rule out faults. However, system operators can take steps to guard against this: The new LCAM 308 IP camera from Leuze records the 60 seconds prior to a fault in full HD. This enables events to be easily traced back. This is important if you want to rectify a malfunction quickly and efficiently. The camera is flexible in use and is suitable for visually monitoring hidden areas on stacker cranes and conveyor lines.

Diverse functions

Thanks to the comprehensive range of functions, system operators are equipped for every situation: For example, a live stream in HD resolution can be called up if required. Furthermore, the snapshot mode allows individual images to be captured, e.g. content of a box. This feature can be used during order picking to document whether the goods in the box were complete.

Practical: Standard browsers or standard streaming tools are all that’s needed for transmission of the 60-second recording or the live stream. No additional software is required. Operators are also spared having to deal with a flood of data: The LCAM 308 IP camera has a ring memory so that only the period before and after an event remains saved.

Harsh environments

With its robust metal housing, the LCAM 308 industrial IP camera has an IP65 protection rating. Dust cannot get inside and the device is water-jet proof. The advantage for mounting: Dovetail, threaded holes and a wide range of mounting accessories enable universal installation.

The Gebhardt Intralogistics Group, headquartered in Sinsheim, Germany has welcomed two new members to the management team. This change is necessary to maintain strong company growth and meet the challenges of the market, optimally positioning the company for the future. Volker Nicolai has been appointed the new Managing Director of Sales and Service. Kevin Stadler will be responsible for Human Resources and Finances as Managing Director. With these positions, Gebhardt strengthens its current management consisting of Fritz and Marco Gebhardt and Reinhold Himmelhan.

Gebhardt Intralogistics Group has been on the market for 70 years and is proud of the many years of continuous growth. Fritz and Marco Gebhardt and Reinhold Himmelhan reflect happily on the successful past and made the company a reliable and innovative intralogistics provider.

Fritz and Marco Gebhardt explain the motivation behind the expansion: It was an important step “to ensure this development continues and to best position the company for the future, as well as to expand the market position further.”

Nicolai is no stranger to the company. He began his Gebhardt career in 1993, taking a short hiatus as Head of Project Management at ICM Airport Technics GmbH from 2005 – 2012. Since then, he has led the International Sales team.

“Gebhardt is more than just an employer to me. It is a long-standing connection, both professionally and personally. I am looking forward to the new task and am thankful for the trust they have put in me,” explains Nicolai, pleased about the new position as Managing Director of Sales and Service.

In December 2006, Stadler started his professional career at Gebhardt after successfully completing his industrial engineering degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Mannheim. Over the years, he has gained professional experience in many areas, primarily in controlling, finance, and human resources, and he looks forward to bringing his expertise to the management team. “In this position, I will do my part to ensure that Gebhardt continues to be at the forefront of intralogistics providers and remains an interesting, sought-after employer in the region and other locations,” comments Stadler.

“With Volker Nicolai and Kevin Stadler, we welcome two skilled professionals in their field and long-time employees to the management team. With this step, we are focusing on continuity and continued positive development. Intralogistics is facing great challenges, whose solutions we want to actively shape with the expanded management and the entire Gebhardt team,” Marco Gebhardt concludes.

BEUMER Group‘s BG Pouch System can meet the growing demands of e-commerce fulfilment – and the combination of retail and D2C. The operator benefits from simplified returns handling because dynamic buffering eliminates the need for re-storage and picking. The sorter increases throughput by 25% compared to conventional pocket sorters. It requires little space and is suitable for a wide range of items – from high-tech to high heels. BEUMER Group presented the BG Pouch System to the German public for the first time at the recent LogiMAT 2022 event.

This innovative system, which was developed in response to shifting market trends and customer demands, expands BEUMER Group’s offering for the warehouse and distribution industry. Making great use of available space, the BG Pouch System can be installed in unused overhead areas where single items can be buffered, sorted and sequenced to automate the order handling and returns processes, reducing floor space requirements by up to 30%. The modularity of the system means that it can easily be scaled up with minimal installation time.

The system features a capacity of 10,000 items per hour per sortation module, allowing logistics centres to flatten their handling peaks and reduce the amount of manual handling to dramatically improve overall logistics efficiency. The system has an item capacity of 7kg, making it ideally suited to handling fashion goods such as shoes and garments on hangers, as well as print and media, pharmaceutical and beauty products, and electronics.

Pouch sorting increases efficiency by reducing the number of touch points, which is particularly critical for handling returns. The BG Pouch System facilitates the e-commerce driven demand for fast cycle times. Reverse logistics efficiency can also be improved by effective handling of returns using built-in interim storage for returned products.

Different types of products, held for different clients and destined for different types of shipping, can be held in a single intelligent storage system. As the BG Pouch System is a single item handling system (one item per pouch) the warehouse management system can move the relevant item from this buffer for packing swiftly without any human touch. This means that returned goods can be sent for shipment direct from the dynamic buffer without ever being sent back to the main storage area for re-picking. For logistics operators handling a diverse array of goods, this flexibility can prove invaluable for both outbound items and returns.

The system has already seen successful use in Italy, where international fashion brand Calzedonia Group implemented BEUMER Group’s pouch technology to optimise e-commerce operations for its Tezenis brand. The company had seen a steady rise in its direct-to-consumer business, and needed to optimise its despatch operations to handle this growth while raising the level of efficiency and customer service. Following the installation, Calzedonia Group has transformed its warehouse, optimising it for omnichannel operations while continuing to achieve high efficiency in handling and fulfilment. Calzedonia Group has joined some of the world’s leading warehouse and distribution operators in embracing BEUMER Group’s solutions, along with companies including Nike, Foot Locker and ASOS.

BEUMER Group can facilitate the entire process of installing the pouch sortation solution through every stage, from the selection of the solution, through design, build, test, implementation, training, maintenance and growth. As well as operating independently with its own technology, BEUMER will also act as a full-service integrator throughout the process, working with third-party suppliers to provide a complete system.

 

Interroll achieved significant growth in the financial year 2021: sales increased to CHF640.1m/€616.6m (+20.6% year-on-year, +21.0% in local currencies). Order intake climbed significantly to CHF788.4m/€759.4m (+43.9% year-on-year, +44.2% in local currencies).

The result is expected to show a substantial increase compared to the previous year. Based on the positive order development in the full year 2021, the Group is cautiously optimistic about the financial year 2022.

Sales in consolidated currency reached CHF640.1m/€616.6m (+20.6% year-on-year) and exceeded the previous year by 21.0% in local currency. Compared to the first half of 2021, Interroll was again able to increase its sales momentum. In the second half of the year, a disproportionate growth in the project business in particular contributed to this.

Order intake in 2021 rose to CHF788.4m/€759.4m in consolidated currency (+43.9% year-on-year) and grew by +44.2% year-on-year in local currency. The second half of the year saw continued strong business momentum in the markets.

In terms of the result, Interroll expects an increase. According to preliminary figures, the company was also able to increase EBITDA and EBIT. Margins are slightly below the record year 2020 due to increased material prices and the strained supply chains.

“Interroll convinces with its innovative technology platform for material flow solutions. We have significantly expanded our market presence in 2021 and have started the new year with a record order backlog,” explains Ingo Steinkrüger, CEO Interroll Worldwide Group.

“We expect positive demand momentum, while at the same time we continue to closely monitor strained supply chains and rising material costs worldwide. Against this backdrop, we remain cautiously optimistic overall, but maintain our cost discipline and continue to do everything we can to further improve our delivery times for customers.”

The complete Interroll Annual Report 2021 with the final audited figures will be presented on 18^th March, 2022.