STILL conneXXt Nr. 01 English

25 configuration, control and monitoring to be performed using an iPad. And further still, the system can be installed independently and adjusted at a later point in time to meet new general conditions. The infrastructure needed by the iGoEasy offers the flexibility of being able to easily integrate the equipment into existing processes. As a result, changes to infra- structure are kept to a minimum. There is no need for any capital expen- ditures on IT equipment or for a connection to outdated stock manage- ment systems which ultimately means that there are no high follow-up costs for changing processes or production. The STILL iGoEasy system can also be integrated at a later time into a complex automation solution. AUTOMATED TRANSPORT The various finished products manufactured using the production equipment leave the production hall on a roller track in the order they were manufactured. There is a loading point for the iGoEasy truck at the end of this track. From here, the automated pallet stacker brings the goods in perfectly sorted groups to the correct conveyor belt. A conveyor belt was installed per piece of production equipment on the lowest levels of the existing buffer storage area for this purpose. The conveyor belts are suitably equipped based on the FIFO system. As a final step, the items are picked up by the MX-X forklift and taken to the shuttle warehouse where the goods are transferred to the STILL PalletShuttles which then in turn automatically transport the goods to the shelves. In total, 10,650 bays are available, spread out over more than 750 rack channels. Thanks to the truck lanes, buffer racks and picking stations only taking up a small amount of space, the space utilisation rate is at an impressive 93%. SIMPLE AND FLEXIBLE AUTOMATION The iGoEasy system equips the EGV-S high lift pallet stacker with all the automation components it needs, i.e. a forklift computer and the sensors for navigation as well as pallet recognition. The reflectors are installed along the routes and are read using an iPad with the iGoEasy app. Personal protective equipment prevents accidents. Front and rear cameras transmit the view of the route to the virtual cockpit in the app and therefore to the logistics planner’s iPad. The iGoEasy system can be installed inde- pendently by any user using the specially designed iGoEasy app and it can be adjusted to meet changing general conditions. With its intuitive user interface, the app guides the user through all of the steps for the automation, i.e. from setting up the system and the execution of transport orders right through to monitoring the truck. The truck uses the reflectors mounted along the route for assistance with navigation. Each individual source and target station is routed out with the truck and can be saved at the touch of the iPad’s screen. All routes which the truck is going to drive following the set-up are recorded during this phase. As a final step, the operator sets the final route using the touchscreen to determine the various coordinates and connects the individual stations to each other by dragging and dropping them. Customisable settings such as speed limits or one-way routes can of course be configured in addition. The live camera displays what is happening on the route on the virtual cockpit. The position of the truck is also shown on an interactive map of the warehouse. Important information, such as the remaining battery life, speed and transport orders, is also clearly displayed in various infographics. Furthermore, all of these funct- ions can be controlled, transport orders edited and an overview ge- nerated using the wireless connection at any location within the reach of the WLAN signal. PARTNERSHIP WITH A FUTURE Heuchemer Verpackung is ideally equipped for further growth with the STILL PalletShuttle narrow-aisle warehouse and has even been able to stop using its cost-intensive outdoor warehouse completely. Yet it’s not just the end result which the packaging specialists are extremely pleased with, it’s the way that the whole project came together, as Plant Manager Thomas Schmidt explains: “The project implementation phase was without a doubt a major highlight. With its vast amount of experience, STILL makes for the perfect partner, even for unexpected and smaller challenges. Working closely together enabled us to always find a rapid solution and to keep on track with the planned project schedule with incredible accuracy.” Thanks to the variable number of shuttles, Heuchemer Verpackung is even ideally prepared for future challenges with its compact and flexible channel warehouse. FIELD REPORT

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