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Tag: warehouse automation

Automation strengthens competitiveness of automotive supplier

Posted on by David Priestman

In the wake of global growth and increasingly restrictive customer requirements, MPE Plastics in Turin, Italy, has decided to start its automation journey by implementing a state-of-the-art, holistic semi-automated intralogistics solution by SSI Schaefer. The solution combines a mobile racking system with 5,100 pallet storage locations and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), which were integrated into the existing process. The Italian automotive supplier gains significant space and time, which can be used to accommodate further business growth.

Increased industry-specific requirements

As a supplier of thermoplastic precision parts for the automotive industry, MPE Srl has operated in a demanding market for more than 40 years and has established the company as a top provider on a national and international level. High quality standards for its own products and services, as well as a customer-focused mindset, were crucial for its success and continuous expansion. These values also encompass having to meet increasingly strict just-in-time, just-in-sequence and Kanban specifications, which demand a high level of responsiveness and reliable availability of goods.

“Fast processing times and reliability have always been the focal point of our business and are important for continuous improvement,” says Riccardo Battagliotti, Managing Director at MPE Plastics. “Considering the growing order volume and market requirements, it was a logical decision to assess our internal dynamics and logistical processes in the warehouse and shipping area, and to change from a manual warehouse to a semi-automated warehouse.”

The new solution had to be integrated into two existing halls with limited space and will help MPE reduce operating and personnel costs.

High system availability required

After extensive market research, MPE opted for a combined system solution by SSI Schaefer, consisting of mobile racks and automated guided vehicles. The expected total capacity of 5,100 storage locations and a technical performance of 20 pallets per hour in a single-shift operation can be progressively increased further over time.

“We have evaluated offers with similar ambitious automation projects of different companies in Europe,” reports Battagliotti. “The possible storage density of the SSI Schaefer solution concept was significantly higher than of other companies. This allowed us to generate a maximum number of storage locations for the available storage volume and benefit from faster order processing at the same time.”

The space gained, thanks to the installation of mobile racks, can be used to increase production capacities while also expanding the product range. Moreover, the process quality is improved with the help of AGVs, as the vehicles reliably carry out their work without interruption, even in a 16-hour operation. The AGVs also prevent excessive manual transport of individual parts between the warehouse and production.

“In this way, we work more efficiently and are able to better meet our delivery deadlines,” continues Battagliotti. In addition to the consulting and solution competence, the fact that all performance modules are delivered from a single source and that there is one contact person from integration to after-sales service was convincing when choosing SSI Schaefer. There are no interfaces between sub-systems that need to be maintained and communication problems are eliminated.

Semi-automation for work flow optimisation

In the automotive industry, cost pressure is particularly high and demands suppliers to offer continuously high quality standards at compelling prices. In order to remain competitive in the long run, new participants in this segment have to find ways to reduce operating costs, especially in terms of energy, and to offset ever-increasing labour costs. Furthermore, on-time delivery (OTD) is key. This factor measures the provided services and requires stock management as well as constant work and material flow.

Therefore, investing in semi-automation was for MPE Plastics an appropriate response to low picking performance that was increasingly jeopardising delivery quality and deadlines. Employing more staff was the only way to compensate for this poor picking performance, which in turn contradicted the strategy of cost reduction. Productivity was also impaired by numerous material buffers that took up space and caused long product-picking times and hence hindered order processing. Against this background, a system solution was called for that was able to comprehensively face these challenges. A short payback period was also important for MPE.

Process quality improved

The installation of the mobile racking system with 5,100 pallet storage locations within the existing building structures, and the commissioning of the AGVs, only took seven months. Both buildings are connected by a bridge at a height of six meters. Pallets with goods from production are transferred to a conveyor belt, lifted vertically to the second level and fed into the mobile racking system. AGVs carry out the storage of pallets as well as the retrieval of required load carriers, their transport and provision to the shipping area.

Thanks to this interlinked whole-site system, MPE Plastics gained space, stabilised material flow on a constantly high level and reduced costs in the long run. “The performance rate per hour guaranteed by SSI Schaefer was achieved immediately after commissioning,” states Battagliotti. “We were also able to gradually achieve the target of 32 pallets per hour, a significant increase in performance compared to the initial situation, which was characterised by manual processes that put high physical strain on our employees.”

Thanks to the automation of the storage and retrieval processes, the error rate also tends to be zero.

Perfect OTD performance

Today, all inbound and outbound operations meet internal and external requirements and are performed with the help of mobile racking systems and AGVs in a two-shift operation. “We are very satisfied with what we have achieved together with SSI Schaefer, especially since they have also reliably offered support during the initial operation of the semi-automated intralogistics solution,” sums up Battagliotti. “For us, it was very helpful to trust in a full-service provider and to have one contact person for all kinds of questions.”

The extensive training of the employees on the new system also contributed to securing the competitiveness of the automotive supplier in a very dynamic market. All requirements were fully met, which enables MPE Plastics to provide their demanding customers from the OEM sector with fast and reliable service thanks to further improved OTD performance.

 

stow Robotics starts new automation campus

Posted on by David Priestman

stow Robotics, part of stow Group, a global leader in industrial storage solutions, will expand its high-end production activity on the WDP site in Lokeren. Early 2023, the specialist in innovative warehouse automation solutions will move into the high-profile location along the E17 in Lokeren, which WDP acquired in 2021 through a sale-and-lease-back operation with DPG Media Services.

The part of the buildings previously set up for the printing activities of DPG Media Services will be converted into a campus for stow Robotics. stow Robotics was founded at the end of 2021, is growing rapidly, and focuses on the development, production and commercialisation of automated and robotic warehouse solutions. The building will be set up as a fully-fledged stow campus with a multi-level production area, an R&D centre, a showroom and offices for sales and after-sales activities. stow Robotics will use a total surface area of approximately 24,000 sq m on this site on the basis of a long-term lease.

“The site is a unique opportunity for the further expansion of our robotics activities. The central location, extensive facilities and excellent visibility of the building are absolute trump cards for stow Robotics. The location also allows us to build a large technology and experience centre for our European customers. Given the rapid growth of stow Robotics, the near-immediate availability of the building and the optimal availability of the various spaces were key in this decision. The evolution in warehouse automation is highly dynamic and the time-to-market of new concepts is essential,” says Jos De Vuyst, CEO of stow Group.

“Today, it is important to act economical when it comes to available land and locations. When acquiring a property, WDP consistently examines its long-term potential and its potential in other functions. The new lease of the site in Lokeren shows that existing buildings can be converted into high-end campuses for companies pursuing future growth based on innovation,” adds Kristof De Witte, General Manager WDP for BELUX and FR.

Lokeren becomes the second major campus in Belgium for stow, which is headquartered in Spiere-Helkijn near Tournai, and has 10 factories and 20 commercial entities across Europe and the US.

stow robotics is recruiting at least 50 additional employees for the production activities on the Lokeren campus. All other stow Robotics activities will also be transferred to Lokeren, so that, over time, 200 people will be active on the site, of which a large number of engineers in R&D and other technical positions. stow estimates to reach the €1bn turnover mark in 2022 and plans further growth over the coming years, in which stow Robotics plays a central role.

Filip Anthuenis – mayor of Lokeren: “We are delighted with the arrival of stow Robotics in our city. The company will provide a new purpose to the former building of DPG Media Services, which for many years has been the landmark of our business park near the E17 highway. Lokeren is a small, but entrepreneurial city, where life is generous and people truly connect with a warm and self-conscious ‘Lokeren feeling’. stow Robotics couldn’t have picked a better home base.”

“It is no coincidence that stow Robotics chooses Lokeren as its new home base”, adds Stefan Walgraeve, councillor for industrial development in Lokeren. “Our unique location between Antwerp and Ghent and proximity to Brussels is a major asset. Our city is also at the crossroads of major railway lines and our industrial sites give direct access to one of Europe’s most important motorway connections, the E17. stow Robotics will contribute to the increasing economic dynamism of and employment in our city, through strong employment (top 5 of the largest private employers in our city), of both (lower-skilled) workers and (highly educated) employees.”

NAiSE and Pilz establish partnership

Posted on by David Priestman

Pilz is expanding its range for the safe use of driverless transport systems (DTS): In cooperation with the material flow automation expert NAiSE GmbH, the automation company Pilz is offering the world’s first traffic and order manager for all participants in intralogistics – for people as well as for transport systems. With NAiSE Traffic AGV applications can be implemented safely and efficiently thanks to precise real-time localisation. The goal: higher productivity in intralogistics.

Using sensor infrastructure and intelligent, integrated and cross-manufacturer communication, the traffic and order manager NAiSE Traffic analyses the flow of traffic and goods in intralogistics applications in real time. The software coordinates and controls the traffic of all participants – people and industrial trucks such as AGVs or forklifts. This provides operators with a holistic, manufacturer-independent material flow automation solution. Traffic jams, bottlenecks and accidents are avoided. This increases safety and optimises traffic control – for more transparency, efficiency and productivity.

With the traffic and order manager from the Stuttgart start-up NAiSE, Pilz is further expanding its comprehensive range of solutions in the field of intralogistics.  For safe automation of driverless transport vehicles (AGV) or systems (AGV), Pilz offers an extensive portfolio of safety components with sensors and control technology as well as a security solution.

In addition, Pilz provides support with the right services for vehicles and applications – in accordance with ISO 3691-4 standards and up to CE marking. Manufacturers and operators receive a complete package from Pilz for safe and productive intralogistics applications.

Lödige chosen for JFK airport modernisation

Posted on by David Priestman

Aeroterm, North America’s largest third-party on-airport developer, has selected Lödige Industries, a world-leading provider of cargo terminal solutions, to install a state-of-the-art automated cargo system at John F. Kennedy International Airport‘s new 350,000 sq ft cargo facility. Lödige’s system will be exclusively used by Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), the main cargo handler at JFK.

The new cargo facility, which is being built on a 26-acre site, will include greater ramp capacity to handle three of today’s large modern air cargo freighters (Group VI aircraft) simultaneously. It will also have more than 50 dock doors for the efficient transfer and tracking of goods through the facility.

Lödige’s system will feature two elevating transfer vehicles with a ULD storage rack for 218 ULD positions and three-level ULD racks to ensure high storage density in WFS’s new terminal and free up space for other handling activities, amongst other things. This advanced level of automation guarantees efficient throughput and high safety standards, as well as optimal operational processes, areas that are very important for WFS. The equipment also includes three truck docks, a castor deck area and 14 elevating workstations.

When completed in early 2024, JFK’s new cargo facility is expected to handle an annual throughput of approximately 350,000 tonnes.

“Our new cargo facility, equipped with Lödige’s state-of-the-art systems, is designed for maximum efficiency. Thanks to this market-leading cargo handling technology, we are ideally equipped for future growth and can offer our customers the best possible service at all times,” says Jeffrey Bounds SVP Program Management & Center of Excellence|The Americas from WFS.

“As the first new cargo facility built at JFK in two decades, this project is an essential step in revitalising JFK as a cargo hub,” said Bryan Rosenberger, Vice President Design & Construction at Aeroterm.  “On each development project, Realterm partners with both local and global groups for best-in-class expertise in design, construction and specific air cargo equipment. We are excited to partner with Lödige on this development.”

“The US cargo industry is showing a great sense of optimism this year and we are proud to contribute to JFK’s ambitious modernisation programme. We are confident that our high-efficiency cargo handling solutions and years of local experience will support WFS in achieving its quality, speed, and safety goals and continue to grow through increased efficiency in the new facility,” said Jonathan Hardy, Managing Director USA at Lödige Industries.

Toyota’s Logiconomi Forum attracts over 500

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Organised and sponsored by Toyota Material Handling Europe, the Logiconomi Forum connected senior logistics managers from across Europe with experts from leading companies to learn about and discuss new concepts and trends in the world of logistics. Taking place recently in Antwerp, the 2022 event included insights from 15 companies including Microsoft, Bosch, Orange, Deloitte, Air Products and EcoVadis.

The event’s theme reflected the extraordinary challenges that logistics professionals in all business sectors are currently facing, including post-pandemic supply chain disruption, labour shortages, emission targets, the energy crisis, inflation and the geopolitical outlook in Europe today. “We are all being tested – more than ever before,” was the opening statement from Ernesto Domínguez, President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling Europe.

The first day of the event was based around the theme ‘Responding to Now’ and was staged at the historic Handelsbeurs in central Antwerp, which was the world’s first stock exchange, originating in the 16th century. As introduced by conference moderator, Flemish TV presenter Anne De Baetzelier: “The Handelsbeurs in Antwerp has been hosting progressive business discussions for over 400 years, so what better place to continue insightful discussions today?”

The Responding to Now theme included focus sessions on digitalisation, automation, energy and sustainability, with expert insights from a number of partnering companies. Microsoft focused on digital ecosystems and cyber security, whilst Bosch presented simple concepts for consignment tracking. Robotics and digital twinning were key topics for Vanderlande and Siemens, whilst Air Products and Toyota Motor Europe set out the prospects for hydrogen as a future energy source.

Other topics included trends in sustainability (EcoVadis), solar power (Alight), 5G networks (Orange) and smart buildings for energy efficiency (Proximus). The first day of the Logiconomi Forum was concluded by a speech from leading European politician and former Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt.

The second day of the 2022 Logiconomi Forum focused on innovation under the theme ‘Planning for Next’ and was principally held at ‘Log!Ville’ – a permanent meeting and exhibition centre dedicated to logistics, located just south of Antwerp.

This allowed delegates to see new concepts in action, and to have progressive discussions about new technologies. A highlight of day two was a ‘start-up parade’ which featured 15 different ideas from new businesses, with concepts for energy analysis, safety management and efficiency improvements from order picking to yard operations.

Logiconomi is an ongoing programme for the development and sharing of concepts and technologies that support efficient and economical logistics. This includes a Logiconomi TV channel which can be explored via the company website.  Extracts from this year’s Logiconomi Forum will be shared over the coming months.

CLICK HERE to view the after event movie.

 

Amazon invests €400m in robotics and technology

Posted on by David Priestman

Amazon has revealed that it has invested more than €400m in new technologies over the last three years, enhancing the company’s fulfilment centres and employee experience.

Amazon says it has a rich history of developing and introducing cutting-edge technology into its logistics network and is continuing to invest in supporting employees in their roles, improving safety at work while providing customers with a wide selection of products and fast, reliable delivery.

Behind this investment is the company’s European Advanced Technology team. Created in 2019, it is specifically focused on hardware and software development and technology testing for industrial robotics, autonomous vehicles, automated packaging and sorting technologies at Amazon’s fulfilment centres.

The team, based at Amazon’s European Innovation Lab in Vercelli, Italy, has been responsible for the introduction of more than 550 new pieces of technology to Amazon fulfilment centres across Europe in three years. These include:

Item sorters – a fully-automated sortation system that reduces muscle strain by removing the need for an employee to rummage through a tote (a large box) to look for items.

Pallet movers – a large robotic arm that eliminates the need to use forklifts to carry pallets, and automatically moves multiple items from one location to another.

Tote retrievers – a machine that lifts totes and places them on conveyors automatically.

Automated guided vehicles – support robots that seamlessly drive around the site carrying items for people, reducing the amount of walking required and alleviating the need from employees to push and pull carts and totes.

The development and introduction of this technology is part of over €100bn invested in Europe by Amazon since 2010. Amazon has continued to create jobs at the same time, now employing more than 200,000 people in permanent roles across Europe. In 2021 alone, Amazon created more than 65,000 new permanent positions across its European businesses.

Stefano La Rovere, Director, Worldwide Robotics Advanced Technology at Amazon, said: “Throughout its history, Amazon has invested in technology and innovation to support our employees in their daily roles, improving safety at work and providing customers with fast and reliable delivery.

“In just three years, we’ve invested more than €400m in research and development and introducing more than 550 new pieces of new technology into Amazon’s fulfilment centres across Europe. What’s exciting is we’ve only just begun, with more cutting-edge technologies being invented that will be deployed over the coming years.”

Technology supports the creation of new roles

The investment in technology has made it possible for people to develop new skills or take on new roles. To support skills development, Amazon’s Career Choice program provides funding of up to €8,000 over four years for nationally recognised courses, including in IT and robotics. New roles created as a result of this technology investment include:

AR Tech: Engineers who use Kindles showing a virtual map of the Amazon Robotics floor to identify safe entry/exit paths so they can collect robotic drive units carrying products for maintenance.

Amnesty Floor Monitor: These employees use the same Kindle systems to plan paths onto the robotics floor to retrieve items that have fallen from shelves.

Quarterback: These roles manage a team of Amnesty Floor Monitors (above) using a live map of all live Amazon Robotics floors in the building to coordinate their movements and provide guidance on the quickest route to fallen items.

 

Four key factors shaping the future of warehouse automation

Posted on by David Priestman

Available and emerging, high-performance warehouse technology will determine the future productivity of fulfilment operations. Nick Hughes, Sales Manager at independent systems integrator, Invar Group, shares his insights into the key influences and technologies shaping the modern warehouse.

1. What’s driving warehousing strategies? Ultimately, it’s customer service levels. Customers have ever-higher expectations regarding service levels and this is driving huge change in the warehouse. Along with the rapid growth of ecommerce, there is a strong desire to develop faster fulfilment strategies and importantly, equally efficient returns processes.

A key SLA for any ecommerce business keen on growing and retaining a healthy customer base is the speed with which customers are credited back on returned items – and that requires fast processing of returns. Likewise, multi-channel businesses will need to progress to develop slick omni-channel operations capable of offering the diversity of service options that customers now demand. And a key enabler will be automation.

A lack of available labour is another factor influencing thinking within the four walls of the warehouse. But it’s not just a shortage of labour per se, the key thing is there’s far more volume going through piece picking warehouses in the last few years, so the number of people required is not able to keep pace with the increased demand. It’s stretching the labour pool that is there, and this, combined with a growing requirement for increased capacity, is a big driver for automation.

2. What technologies are emerging? With the cost of labour rising and availability falling, businesses will have little option but to adopt higher levels of automation, and in many instances that means robotics. Their low-cost, excellent flexibility and great scalability makes them the ‘must have’ warehouse technology of today.

However, with robots gaining critical momentum within the warehouse, protocols supporting them will need to become more standardised, so that various types of robots can be deployed to perform different tasks under one controller. Customers will demand flexibility to use the best robots suited to individual tasks and the industry will need to move in this direction. This will significantly simplify the deployment of robots.

Augmented Reality (AR) is also likely to start appearing in warehouses in the near future. Trials are in progress at the moment for AR glasses that can be used to guide an individual to picking locations. In a way, it’s like a SatNav for the warehouse, but offering a head-up display with information, so no need for a hand-held terminal. The issue at present is cost, but hopefully, prices will come down as the technology takes off.

Cobots too will soon become more commonplace, working alongside pickers and warehouse staff. And once the technology around grippers is improved, they will be seen travelling around doing the picking too. The vision systems and AI are there, it really just needs a breakthrough in gripper design to offer the dexterity needed for a broad product portfolio.

3. What technologies and applications are currently seeing most interest? At the moment there is huge interest in flexible tote handling systems using Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). When combined with pick-to-light technology, phenomenal pick-rates can be achieved with exceptionally high levels of accuracy.

Importantly, SMEs have a great opportunity to steal a march on larger retailers that may have committed to inflexible, fixed automated systems. By adopting intelligent software and advanced mobile robot technology, SMEs can leverage the flexibility, speed and performance of goods-to-person automation as a low-CapEx project.

AMRs offer tremendous flexibility and, importantly, scalability in traditional labour-intensive tasks such as order picking and put-away. AMR systems combined with pick-to-light technology can boost order picking performance from under 100 units per hour using traditional methods, to up to 600 picks per hour, with an ROI that can be as little as 12 months.

4. A new approach to automation from 3PLS. Interestingly, 3pls are beginning to explore a new approach to winning business. They are looking at putting automation in first and then approaching customers with a solution in place. The driving factor is, end customers want to see sites that offer automation as a ready-to-go solution.

This emerging trend requires service providers to speculatively invest in automation on the assumption that appropriate customers can be found. Their task will be to target industries that have a profile that matches the automation on site.

Robotic systems are becoming easier to deploy and can be simply expanded as required. A low-level, high SKU or high volume storage system may be adopted with a few robots and added to as more customers come on-stream – perfect for a multi-user facility.

Importantly, the modus operandi of logistics service providers will need to change from acquiring a customer and running a manual operation for a few months, before taking in robots, to adopting automation in advance and then finding appropriate customers. At present, a number of 3pls are investigating this approach.

With all the productivity gains that can be achieved through the judicious application of robotics and AI, the future of warehouse automation looks bright.

 

Dexterity and Sumitomo partner in Japan

Posted on by David Priestman

Dexterity, the creator of full capability robot solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with the Sumitomo Corporation to deploy 1,500 Dexterity-powered robots in warehouses across Japan.

Sumitomo Corporation, a Japan-based Fortune 500 multinational, signed an exclusive distributorship agreement in Japan with Dexterity to push into the Robots as a Service (RaaS) business in Japanese warehouses. Prior to signing this distribution agreement, Sumitomo invested in Dexterity in 2020 through Presidio Ventures Inc., Sumitomo’s US-based corporate venture capital arm.

Using Dexterity’s SaaS-based robotic intelligence platform, will help customer benefit from full task robots – standard industrial robot arms equipped with Dexterity’s intelligence software that helps them solve the toughest to automate jobs in the warehouse. Dexterity’s full-stack robotic platform provides robots machine learning-enforced capabilities to help them build multi-SKU pallets on the fly, singulate and induct messy flows of parcels and bags, as well as picking and packing easily damaged items like bread and cake.

To date, Dexterity’s engineers have developed, tested, and overseen the installation of all its robots, resulting in more than 40 million goods picked in production at warehouses across the US.

Working together with Sumitomo will expand access to full task robots in Japan and ensure these systems will fit within existing Japanese warehouse workflows.

“The full task robots we have deployed have only increased demand for flexible automation that can operate in existing workflows and infrastructure,” said Dexterity CEO Samir Menon. “Partnering with Sumitomo will accelerate Dexterity’s customers in getting FTE robot systems up and running in their facilities.”

In addition to working with Dexterity to deploy robots with Japanese customers, Sumitomo will also work with Dexterity to open a demo facility in Japan. Opening in October 2022, the facility will demonstrate to Japanese supply chain leaders how inbound and outbound materials at a warehouse can be connected with intelligent robots.

Sumitomo plans to deploy Dexterity’s parcel singulation and induction solution with its first Japanese customer by Q1 2023.

The announcement follows news that Dematic, one of the premier providers of supply chain solutions, has partnered with Dexterity to expand deployments in North America and Europe.

Fives aims to revolutionise the way people shop

Posted on by David Priestman

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.

Safe with only one sensor

Posted on by David Priestman

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.

 

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