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Tag: Materials Handling

Plug & play motor retrofit project

Posted on 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.

Conquering retail peaks with mobile robots

Posted on by David Priestman

Retail peaks such as Black Friday can seriously challenge intralogistics operations. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) offer a cost-effective solution that will help remove much of the risk, smooth the spikes and ensure continuity of service to customers, writes Frazer Watson, VP-Sales UK/Ireland at mobile robot designer and manufacturer iFollow.

Not so long ago peak in retail meant Christmas. Now there is a whole season of peaks through autumn, starting with Black Friday and followed by Christmas and then Boxing Day. This year, unusually, the World Cup has been thrown into the mix, which shows how peaks can crop up at any time. After Christmas comes the inevitable peak for returns, which now run at unprecedented levels across retail. In fact, depending on the sector, peaks will keep popping up throughout the year – Valentine’s Day, Easter, summer goods and Halloween being just a few examples. Fashion retail has moved from two main seasons of Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter in a year to over 50 micro-seasons catering for new trends and rapid customer purchases.

Peak events are not limited to promotions where the retailer is in charge of how much and of what is being offered, such as with Black Friday. There are likely to be instances of unpredictability, where they have no control over demand. For example, each Christmas sees a ‘must have’ toy or game emerge, sometimes apparently from nowhere.  Book publishers can launch what they assume will be a ‘best seller’, but they have little influence on the content or timing of reviews that may promote sales. These days, all it takes is word to spread on social media to spark lines to fly off shelves. With so many peaks, many being off-piste, it starts to look like a mountain range for retailers to conquer.

Cost of living crisis affects peaks

And that’s not all. The cost of living crisis is expected to have an overall dampening effect across this year’s peak season, though Black Friday may be an exception as shoppers spread the cost of Christmas by taking advantage of reduced prices. Consultancy PwC estimates the overall spend on Black Friday bargains to be £7.5bn this year – some £0.5bn higher than last year. Nevertheless expectations of consumers cutting back in the coming months in some form abound, certainly in non-grocery. This puts additional pressure on retailers during the most important part of the year and at a time when they are facing higher energy and labour bills, as well as rising commodity costs.

With profit margins under intense pressure and given the crucial role warehouse operations play in ensuring that customers are not let down, retailers are looking for flexible and cost effective intralogistics solutions that can help to improve their bottom line and achieve their priorities­ – including continuity of customer service levels. Resources such as warehouse shelf space and labour are tight. To cope with peaks, it may be necessary to change modes of operation, which might mean different pick routines in the warehouse, for example.

To support this need for flexible intralogistics processes it makes sense to also have in place easily adaptable, robust and reliable equipment that not only performs everyday functions, but can also be scaled up whenever necessary to meet peak demand. Few items of intralogistics equipment tick these boxes as successfully as AMRs, which is one of the reasons why robotics has become an integral part of warehouse operations. According to the International Federation of Robotics report, half a million industrial robots were installed in 2021 globally. This represents a growth rate of 31% year-on-year and exceeds the pre-pandemic record of robot installation in 2018 by 22% – we can call that a new peak.

Easily scaleable

A significant advantage of using mobile robots in retail warehouses, unlike systems that are fixed to the ground, such as conveyors and automated storage and retrieval systems, is the ability to add and remove robots to meet demand. Given they do not require the support of infrastructure, their tasks can be easily modified to suit changes in requirements.

They offer simple automation that can enhance productivity. For example, assigning one zone per operator and organising the robot’s shifts according to the products it has to pick will maximise the number of picks per hour achieved by a picker and will minimise their movements. This allows the operator to gain up to 90% in productivity compared to manual preparation.

Duo picking is an excellent way of working efficiently with one or more mobile robots. Each operator is equipped with a voice terminal, a Radio Frequency (RF) terminal or an order picking tablet to read the list of items to be picked. This picking method allows the operator to gain up to 50% in productivity compared to manual picking.

Fleet management software

Fleet management software that can manage up to 200 robots, and works with all ERP and WMS systems, will efficiently allow locations and tasks to be modified with just a few clicks.

Christmas being the busiest time for grocery retail is a trend that is unlikely to ever change, despite current economic conditions. The ability to handle two roll cages up to 1500kg on one robot, which is a stand-out feature on iFollow’s AMRs, will be a massive help to warehouse operators looking to keep the supermarkets shelves full of everything required for Christmas. iFollow AMRs can also operate in cold rooms down to -25°C and ensure the absence of condensation, even when moving from a very cold environment to a temperate space, which demonstrates their flexibility and reliability.

In a volatile retail economy, predicting and managing future events is always going to be difficult. Mobile robots offer a great intralogistics solution to support agile retailers that cannot afford to disappoint at peak. But remember: robots aren’t just for Christmas – they should be at the core of everyday intralogistics operations, continually providing flexibility and improving productivity.

Scalable solution for optimised pallet handling

Posted on by David Priestman

Fluctuating demand and a shortage of skilled workers pose mounting challenges for many companies. In order to translate multi-layered requirements into efficient, optimised logistics structures, companies need flexible logistics systems that work together perfectly. SSI Schaefer offers a solution in the form of an intelligent combination of space-saving pallet channel storage with an SSI Orbiter channel shuttle and automated guided vehicles (AGV) – a solution that also provides a gradual entry into automation.

In parallel, the system guarantees 24/7 availability of goods, helping compensate for the ongoing labour shortage. Operators can start with a manually operated SSI Orbiter environment and then introduce a control system with manually operated ground conveyors, gradually integrating AGVs as needed.

Volume-optimised storage solution

Increasing time and cost pressures are another reason companies are considering process automation for their warehouse logistics and production supply. This is where volume-optimised channel storage systems for pallets come in. Thanks to high storage density, they require less logistics space than static racks or conventional floor block storage.

Johan Kagerö, Global Product Line Manager at SSI Schaefer, is familiar with other benefits of this combination: “The solution doesn’t require a large initial investment – it can grow as the company develops, making it especially attractive for small and medium-sized enterprises. Thanks to the high volume utilisation rate, customers get more storage capacity in the warehouse, can systematically adjust their resources to the daily order volume and can significantly increase their throughput.”

Keeping costs and processes under control

The turnkey combination of SSI Orbiters and AGVs is especially practical where SKU variance is low, particularly in the food and beverage industry. In addition to a space-saving design, which allows easy integration with the stock system, the channel shuttles can potentially save significant energy. Manually operated bin stackers can be integrated flexibly to cover temporary peaks.

The combination with AGVs offers additional advantages providing basic transport capacity, reducing the error rate and ensuring material flow consistency thanks to continuous availability, even in a three-shift operation.

“This is especially important in countries experiencing critical shortages of skilled workers and high labour costs,” emphasises Kagerö. “Staff can instead be deployed more efficiently in regular operations and assigned to plan further process optimisation.”

Software-supported interplay

SSI Schaefer offers the system solution together with a warehouse control system (WCS), which handles the coordination of transport orders. In addition to the channel shuttles, a fleet controller is coupled to this system to control the AGV network, with optional fleet management for manually operated ground conveyors. For example, in the storage process, transport orders are first generated via the host, which sends the orders to the WCS.

When the transport order is transferred to the fleet control system, resources are automatically aligned with priorities. The transport order is then assigned to a vehicle according to the retrieval strategy, prioritisation, sequencing or bundling rules and the AGV availability. The AGV picks up the loading unit and transports it to the storage cube. The specially tailored WCS ensures that the assigned destination rack is already equipped with a channel shuttle to eliminate waiting time. Once the transport order is completed, feedback is simultaneously sent to the host, and the vehicle is now available for its next deployment.

Greater flexibility and performance

“Using the WCS we offer gives operators even greater flexibility,” adds Kagerö. “The software offers options such as applying FIFO/FILO (first in, first out/first in, last out) handling principles, performing sequencing and using KPIs for further performance optimisation.”

Interface compatibility with all common customer systems and their interface technologies also guarantees flexibility. With this foundation, integrating a WCS-supported combination of SSI Orbiters and AGVs is possible not only in greenfield environments with a high degree of design freedom – integration even into existing (brownfield) structures poses no difficulty. This allows companies to gradually switch from manual processes to partially automated processes at reasonable cost. Other warehouse areas, such as static racks, mobile rack systems, vertical lift modules or conveying systems, can also be integrated flexibly to create a tailored logistics solution.

One partner

SSI Schaefer supplies the entire system as a turnkey solution from a single source. This eliminates the need for complex coordination of different systems and risks. “The intelligence the software includes is what makes our solution so special,” adds Kagerö.

“The solution lets our customers adapt their intralogistics to up-to-date requirements at any time. That makes it ideal for a kanban approach to production supply, for equipping and supplying production lines and for use at the interface between outgoing goods and truck loading, for example.”

SSI Schaefer says it offers operators a comprehensive portfolio of services from a single source, through implementation and beyond, and its Customer Service & Support (CSS) helps ensure continuous system availability. This allows companies to upgrade their intralogistics step by step with transparent costs. This can be achieved with additional channel shuttles and automated guided vehicles. A WCS takes most control tasks off their plate and handles them automatically. Thanks to the Schaefer Maintenance Philosophy (SMC), customers can fully rely on SSI Schaefer’s skilled experts for maintenance, too.

 

 

Locus Robotics attracts $117m funding

Posted on by David Priestman

Locus Robotics, a leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for fulfilment and distribution warehouses, has attracted more than $117m (£97.6m) in Series F funding, led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners. As part of the financing, Mark Midle, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs, and Zach Barasz, Partner, G2 Venture Partners, will join the Locus Board of Directors, bringing their unique industry perspectives and insights to further guide Locus’s next stage of growth and global expansion.

“Locus has established itself as an innovative, high-quality market leader for flexible automation in the massive warehouse fulfilment and distribution market,” said Midle at the announcement of the funding. “Our investment reflects our view that Locus has the product offering and the operational excellence required to meet and exceed the market challenges posed by today’s dynamic economic environment.”

“This new round of funding marks an important inflection point for Locus Robotics as we look toward our next stage of growth, and we strategically chose to bring in investors with a wealth of experience in both public and private markets to advise us as we continue our journey,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “As the rapid digital transformation of the supply chain continues, warehouses increasingly seek flexible, intelligent robotics automation to improve productivity and grow their operations, despite ongoing labour shortages and exploding order volumes.”

Funding partner “thrilled”

The Locus warehouse execution platform disrupts large-scale warehouse fulfilment and distribution with an industry-leading, intelligent, and dynamically scalable robotics-driven solution. Locus delivers 2-3x productivity by seamlessly coordinating both human labour and AMRs to dramatically improve order fulfilment efficiency and workplace ergonomics, while lowering operational costs.

“Locus is clearly a winner in the flexible warehouse robotics space, and the consistency with which the Locus team has executed is extraordinary,” said Barasz. “We are thrilled to be investors in Locus Robotics, and to partner with the leading warehouse execution company in making global supply chains faster, more cost-effective, and more resilient and sustainable.”

With more than 230 sites under contract around the world – some having as many as 500 LocusBots per site – the Locus solution efficiently and seamlessly orchestrates the operation and management of multiple robot form factors, and provides forward-looking, real-time business intelligence, critical for optimising productivity, proactively managing labour, and managing costs.

“By 2026, 75% of large enterprises in product-centric businesses will have adopted some form of intralogistics robots in their warehouse operations,” said Dwight Klappich, Analyst, Gartner. “The lower price of entry and faster time to value of robotics opens the market to more companies that can justify automation … as companies adopt robotics, most organisations will expand and scale their use of robotics within the enterprise, leading to fleet growth.”

“As order volumes continue to increase and labour shortages persist worldwide, robotics automation is now a must-have for warehouse operators,” said Ash Sharma, Managing Director, Interact Analysis. “Locus is uniquely positioned as a leader in digital transformation in this enormous global market as warehouse operators increasingly focus on scalability, fast ROI, and ease of deployment.”

Flexible and scaleable solutions

Locus partners with the world’s leading warehouse operators to create a powerful synergy that speeds deployment and delivers powerful, actionable business intelligence to optimise warehouse productivity, cost management, and labour management.

“Our five-year partnership with Locus has enabled DHL to deliver more resilient, flexible, and scalable supply chain solutions to our customers to support faster delivery, improve operational efficiency, and reduce employee workloads,” said Sally Miller, CIO of DHL Supply Chain North America. “In that time, Locus’s ability to integrate groundbreaking technologies into our operations seamlessly and in a targeted way has been a tremendous success for our customers’ supply chains.”

In September 2022, Locus reached a major milestone with its industry-first 1 billionth pick. It took Locus 1,542 days to pick its first 100 million units and just 40 days for the last 100 million picks. Locus robots now average more than three million picks per day around the world.

Locus counts more than 90 customers worldwide, including CEVA Logistics, DHL, Material Bank, Boots UK, GEODIS, Ryder, Verst Logistics, Radial, and others, who are consistently doubling and tripling their fulfilment productivity, with near-100% accuracy, using the Locus solution.

Also participating in the Series F round were Stack Capital Group, Next47, Stafford Capital Partners, HESTA, Newton Investment Management North America, Gray’s Creek Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Hercules Capital, Inc., BOND, and Scale Venture Partners.

Pallet industry calls for power cut protection

Posted on by David Priestman

The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) has asked the UK government to confirm it will act to keep the pallet and packaging business operational in the event of any planned power outages during the winter.

The organisation, which represents the sector in the UK and Ireland, is seeking clarity that it will be accorded ‘protected site status’ and be able to manufacture and repair during any rolling power cuts that may be introduced if gas supplies run low in the months ahead.

Wooden pallets and packaging are key to keeping supply chains of critical goods – including food, drink, and pharmaceutical products – moving. Accordingly, the government gave essential worker status to the industry during COVID lockdown periods. TIMCON also worked closely with Defra in the run up to Brexit to ensure that supply chains understood new phytosanitary requirements to ensure unbroken movement of timber pallets and packaging between the UK and EU markets.

TIMCON president John Dye said: “The current energy crisis once again poses a threat to the continuity of supply chains. If power outages are indeed going to occur during winter months, it is vital that the wooden pallet and packaging sector continues to operate to ensure that consumers have uninterrupted access to essential goods.

“We are urging government to engage, support and enable pallet and packaging manufacturers, pallet pools, reconditioned pallet businesses and the logistics industry to continue their work and ensure UK sawmilling operations can continue providing timber to our operations.”

Durable drives for belt conveyor systems

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Nord Drivesystems has specially developed the MAXXDRIVE XT industrial gear unit for the requirements for conveyor technology drives in the bulk goods and mineral industries. It provides output torques of 15 to 75kNm with speed ratios from 6.3 to 22.4 and is offered in seven sizes for powers from 22 to 2,100kW.

The power and speed ranges of the two-stage right-angle gear unit have been specially designed for industries in which low speed ranges are required in combination with high powers – such as the bulk goods and mineral industries. Its robust design makes the MAXXDRIVE XT resistant to dirt and reliable in rough operating conditions. A special sealing concept reduces maintenance. Large roller bearings and centre distances increase the load capacity and service life of the components.

As standard, the industrial gear unit is equipped with a heavily ribbed UNICASE housing and an integrated axial fan. Due to the increased surface and the airflow covers, the cooling airflow is optimised and a very high thermal limiting power is achieved. In many cases, additional cooling is not required.

Individually configured drives

“As with other application areas, our drive solutions for the industry are individually configured for customers according to the modular principle,” emphasises Jörg Niermann, Head of Marketing at Nord Drivesystems. This is based on a comprehensive range of frequency inverters, motors and gear units, as well as coupling and brake systems, each with a wide variety of options. Features such as hydraulic couplings tailored to the particular process or Taconite seals, which effectively protect radial shaft seals against abrasive dust and corrosion, ensure smooth operation.

Nord also offers innovative predictive maintenance concepts for heavy industrial gear units. Nord drives networked via the frequency inverter communicate their status data via the control system or directly into a secure cloud. With optional vibration monitoring, condition changes can be detected at an early stage and predictive maintenance can be scheduled in good time. Performance data recording also ensures optimal system dimensioning as well as continuous condition monitoring of the drives.

 

Clark GTS range with new engines

Posted on by David Priestman

Clark has equipped its popular GTS series with new HMC diesel and LPG engines. The environmentally-friendly industrial engines comply with EU emission level 5 and ensure equally powerful and economical operation.

The GTS series consists of diesel and LPG forklifts with lifting capacities from 2 to 3.3t and lifting heights of up to 7,315mm. As is standard at Clark, the GTS series is also built according to the “built to last” principle and accordingly has a solid construction with high-quality and durable components. The standard wet multi-disc brakes, the transmission in separate design, the stable, vibration-free steering axle and the ergonomic driver’s workplace make this series not only robust and reliable, but also comfortable and safe.

This makes the truck series ideal for intensive use in multi-shift operation in goods distribution, production or warehousing. In addition, maintenance costs are extremely low over the entire life cycle. The new low-maintenance timing chain also contributes to this. This has a positive effect on the total cost of ownership of the vehicles.

New engines for low-emission

The new powerful HMC four-cylinder industrial engines with diesel particulate filter ensure powerful acceleration and reliable operation with more economical consumption. The engine power is 48.7kW with a displacement of 2,199cc. Since the engine and transmission are installed separately from the drive axle (split transmission), vibrations and oscillations at the driver’s seat have been reduced and smooth driving behaviour ensured.

To optimally adapt the performance to the individual application, the maximum speed can be adjusted via an optional speed limiter. Compared to vehicles with drum brakes, the GTS series with enclosed and oil-cooled multi-disc brakes requires up to 50% less effort. In addition, downtimes and costs for brake maintenance are eliminated, as they are maintenance-free compared to drum brakes. Another advantage of wet multi-disc brakes is that operating the truck in a dusty or wet environment has no negative impact on the braking effect.

Ergonomic driver’s workplace

The driver’s workplace is designed so that the driver enjoys plenty of headroom and legroom. The suspension seat and the tilting steering column can be individually adjusted. The pedals are arranged in a car-like manner and can be operated intuitively. The vehicle is operated via hydraulic levers that are conveniently positioned on the bonnet. Up to five hydraulic functions can be implemented directly from the factory.

The hydrostatic power steering enables easy and safe steering with just a few turns of the steering wheel. In addition, the driver has a good field of vision through the mast. This is ensured by the low front wall and the nested mast profiles. The clear driver display informs the driver about all important operating data at a glance. On diesel engines, it also serves to monitor the diesel particulate filter.

Safe and quiet load handling

The nested mast profiles and the robust 6-roller fork carriage provide high strength even under the heaviest loads. For low-noise lifting operations, the trucks are equipped with mast damping as standard. During lifting operations, the transition between the individual mast profiles is smooth. This protects the goods and lift mast components and allows smooth and precise load handling.

In order to guarantee a high level of safety in different operating conditions, numerous safety features are available for the trucks, such as a highly visible orange safety belt, automatic neutralisation of the direction of travel if the belt buckle is not closed with sequence monitoring, blue LED warning lights or the CLARK SafeView@360 camera system so that the driver has everything in view around the truck. Hydraulic accumulators are also designed to prevent the load from swinging up on uneven floors.

Wide range of additional equipment

In order to adapt the trucks individually to the application, Clark offers a wide range of additional equipment, such as wide track, twin or non-marking tyres, integrated or mounted sideshifters, fork positioner, lockable fuel filler cap, additional hydraulic functions, quick-change system, rear-view mirrors, strobe lights as well as different seats and cab variants.

With a full cab, for example, the two-part driver’s doors can be opened 180° and fixed to the truck frame. This makes it possible to move the truck with the doors open, for example in summer. A heater, electrically heated rear window, front and rear windscreen wipers, easily accessible storage compartments and a radio with Bluetooth function round off the comfortable full cab.

 

Smooth docking at Evri superhub

Posted on by David Priestman

As one of the UK’s largest delivery companies, Evri sorts and delivers millions of parcels every day. With ambitions of adding greater capacity to its nationwide network and strengthening its regional operations, the company – formerly known as Hermes – committed to creating a third superhub.

Situated on a 42-acre site in Barnsley, the 340,000 sq ft facility is the largest of its kind in Europe and represents a £60m investment by the firm. Responding to the growing demand generated by online shopping, the automated parcel distribution hub will take Evri’s national capacity to 4.2 million parcels per day.

A key aspect of the building is the 163 docking bays; lining two sides of the superhub, they provide the entry and exit points for every one of the 1.1 million parcels making their way through the facility each day during peak periods. This high volume of parcel traffic makes the vehicle docks an integral component in smooth and efficient parcel distribution.

Efficient doors for Evri

To equip the superhub with the docking solutions it required, Evri turned to long-term partner Assa Abloy Entrance Systems for a range of expertly designed systems. Centred around the OH1042P Insulated Panel Door, the solution for each loading bay also benefits from a DS6060P Mechanical Curtain Dock Shelter and a DL6120T Telescopic Lip Dock Leveller.

Providing a reliable, robust and well-insulated operational entrance, the OH1042P Insulated Panel Sectional Doors used in each bay maximise free space by opening vertically, or up and over ceilings, conveyors or mezzanines as required. Paired with a hard-wearing twin-ram hydraulic Teledock which ensures an adjustable, ergonomic and seamless contact between vehicle and dock, Evri’s team can get to work loading and unloading vehicles at each dock quickly, safely and easily.

Surrounding each dock system is the Mechanical Shelter, which provides weather protection during the loading and unloading process. For staff, this creates a safer and more comfortable working environment internally, while adding greater protection to parcels, ultimately improving standards through Evri’s processes.

For a long-term solution, however, several variants needed to be considered. From everyday high-volume use through to differing trailer types which will be regularly docking in the bays, the experienced Assa Abloy Entrance Systems team tailored each product specifically to Evri’s requirements.

Reduced window size

On the doors themselves, window sizes were reduced to limit the potential of accidental impact damage; buffers were modified to provide more robust protection to the building fabric and docking equipment; and the levellers and shelters themselves were adapted to accommodate different trailer bed designs and those of varying heights and widths – a crucially important consideration at a time when new trailer types are being introduced to improve vehicle efficiency.

Elsewhere on Evri’s 42-acre site in Barnsley, a dedicated Vehicle Maintenance Unit is regularly servicing and maintaining the fleet which moves parcels between hubs. Here, Assa Abloy Entrance Systems provided the 1042P Sectional Doors in level access arrangement. As well as maximising the opening area for vehicles to drive through, the doors also house larger windows, allowing more natural light inside the building whilst enhancing visibility of the yard. Simple, practical solutions designed to create safer and more comfortable environments for the superhub’s maintenance engineers.

Future-proofing smooth operations

Now Evri’s super hub is fully operational, the next challenge lies in keeping every door system and dock operating smoothly. Afterall, they’re the start and end of each parcel’s journey through the facility and need to remain operational round the clock.

Besides ensuring precisely designed, crafted and installed engineered solutions, Assa Abloy Entrance Systems is delivering a service and maintenance programme. Combined, this approach reduces lifecycle cost over the complete operational life of each door system, cuts the potential for unforeseen downtime and equips Evri with entrance systems they can rely on day after day.

As part of the service and maintenance programme, Assa Abloy Entrance Systems says it takes a two-pronged approach. Firstly, it schedules planned preventative maintenance at set periods and will see every opening asset on site serviced to keep them operating as expected. Secondly, the company provides immediate hands-on support when the unexpected happens, ensuring any system faults are quickly resolved by expert engineers.

Philip Whiteley, of Assa Abloy Entrance Systems, said: “Through our work with Evri, we have helped them to fulfil their ambitions of creating a major element of their nationwide distribution infrastructure which is able to cope with significantly heightened capacity. With the latest entrance systems in place, they can process more parcels more quickly than ever.

“We’re excited to be continuing our work with Evri over the coming years as we provide regular servicing and maintenance which will keep things running smoothly and, ultimately, reduce costs over their entire service life.”

 

Indonesian cement manufacturer installs palletiser

Posted on by David Priestman

PT SemenTonasa ‘s plant on the island of Bali has commissioned BEUMER Group to supply a palletising system for 40 and 50kg bags. This enables the manufacturer to accelerate processes and relieve its personnel of heavy physical work. Installation and commissioning is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022.

PT Semen Tonasa is part of Semen Indonesia Group, the largest cement manufacturer in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia alone, the group has a market share of more than 50%. At its Celukan Bawang plant on the island of Bali, employees stack the 40 and 50kg cement bags on pallets, which are then fed into the packaging system.

Reliable palletiser

A forklift truck takes the palletised and packaged stacks and loads them onto the loading spaces of the trucks. For the personnel, this is not only physically very strenuous, but also takes a lot of time. In order to accelerate this process and relieve the personnel, PT Semen Tonasa has commissioned BEUMER Group to supply a layer palletiser.

The cement manufacturer has opted for the palletiser of the system supplier, because the system exactly complies with the required technical specifications. Very good stack quality and reliability are characteristics of the palletiser. A multi-program interface includes all common packing patterns, and can be individually adjusted to the different requirements of the building materials industries.

Global influences such as delivery bottlenecks, shortages of raw materials and logistics problems continue to massively disrupt the supply chains. Nevertheless, the system provider will be able to send the machine to the customer in seven months. The target is to install and commission the machine in the third quarter of 2022.

www.beumer.com

 

TGW presents new range of robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

Expanding its expertise in robotics, the TGW Logistics Group has revealed a comprehensive range of mobile robots called Quba. Described by TGW as intelligent and versatile, the  robots can transport totes, cartons and pallets autonomously and handle a wide range of tasks, including supplying packing or returns workstations as well as automatic palletising and depalletising stations.

TGW says it looks at mobile robotics from a holistic perspective and, through systematic process automation, provides answers to current challenges such as the increasingly difficult search for new employees, rapidly changing consumer behaviour or the dynamic development of e-commerce.

Family of solutions

The Quba family is made up of AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) and AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles). Intelligent TGW software handles fleet management and controls the robots both individually and as a network.

“Mobile robots are a key technology for high-performance, flexible and future-proof intralogistics,” emphasises Harald Schröpf, Chief Executive Officer of the TGW Logistics Group. “By expanding our range in the area of driverless transport systems, TGW now offers a full package of high-performance door-to-door solutions that can also be integrated seamlessly into existing systems, both on a software and on a mechatronic level.”

TGW and SAFELOG: a strategic partnership

Recently, SAFELOG and TGW signed a strategic partnership agreement to foster their close collaboration. SAFELOG’s AGVs are already in use at many customer locations and have proven their reliability, whether in the automotive industry, machine engineering, production or intralogistics. Users benefit from scalable automation, high availability and short project times.

“We are very happy to have gained TGW, one of the leading general contractors in intralogistics, as a partner,” affirms SAFELOG Managing Director Mathias Behounek. “That shows that mobile robots are no longer an innovation project, but rather a tried and trusted mass market technology.”

Schröpf adds: “Our partnership with SAFELOG, one of the leading AGV specialists, opens up new possibilities for mobile robotics in intralogistics. Our customers will benefit from efficient, reliable and high-performance door-to-door solutions.”

Customer references

The advantages afforded by the Quba family have won over not only the Swiss coffee machine manufacturer Thermoplan, but also the workwear specialist Engelbert Strauss. For over a year now, mobile robots have been supplying the workstations at its CI Factory in Schlüchtern with goods.

The fashion company put its trust in TGW once again for its dispatch centre system in Biebergemünd: 26 Quba robots handle the autonomous transport of totes to the returns workstations there.

www.tgw-group.com

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