FEATURE WAREHOUSING, HANDLING & STORAGE
MODERN WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS POSE NEW CHALLENGES FOR DRIVES AND AUTOMATION
continued safe operation. The primary focus here is on technical support, based on the application expertise of a knowledgeable support team. The drives and automation systems
by Neil Beaumont, communications manager, Lenze F
or the builders of materials handling equipment, the intensive intralogistics
environment that defines the modern warehouse operation poses a number of challenges. Take a distribution hub as an example. This is likely to be a highly automated system comprising a multitude of closely controlled and co-ordinated elements such as conveyors, robotic pickers, automated guided vehicles and the like. These elements have become ‘smart’, self-monitoring islands of automation, collecting and processing data locally and communicating externally with supply chains and customers. In developing these complex systems,
machine builders and OEMs have also needed to respond to customer demands for shorter development lead-times, simplicity of operation, low maintenance overhead, reliance on standard components to control spare parts inventories, a responsive after-sales support service and, not least, the pressure to keep capital and operating costs under tight control. For both the OEM and the warehouse
operator embarking on new handling equipment developments or facility upgrades, choosing a competent drives and automation provider is crucial. In an effort to deliver its own successful outcomes in this sector, Lenze has developed a five- step partner assessment guide for machine builders and their end-customers: Developing ideas: involving the partner at the earliest stages of a project can
24 APRIL 2019 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
help to identify opportunities to maximise machine performance and minimise costs. The partner should propose implementing the best available technologies to maximise operating performance while cautioning against issues such as ‘over-engineering’. Drafting concepts: as a project moves
into the design phase, the partner should take a holistic view of the individual motion and control functions to ensure consistency and interoperability across the facility. Motion paths should be optimised, and automation needs to be simple, safe and easily interfaced with the warehouse master system. Implementing solutions: here, the
partner should be able to bring their expertise to bear in areas such as energy efficiency, optimised product dimensioning and easy-to-use software. The solution should be the one that best suits the requirements of the application rather than the one that the provider prefers. Commissioning issues: when
automation, visualisation, control, logic and drives are all supplied by a single partner, developers and commissioning engineers will benefit from interfaces that interoperate seamlessly by design. This will help shorten machine development and commissioning times, as well as costs. Ensuring productivity: minimising
problems and downtime for machines in service requires comprehensive after- sales support; Lenze, for example, can offer international service packages for
Lenze has developed a five-step partner assessment guide for machine builders and their end-customers
provider needs to have broad experience of the intralogistics sector plus a deep knowledge of the engineering requirements of each element of a warehouse operation. Conveyor drives requiring adjustable speed and soft start/stop capabilities is an example of where savings can be made without compromising performance. Take Lenze’s Smart Motor, the running speed of which can be preset electronically, as an example. Incorporating motor, drive and gearbox in a single, adaptable package and including numerous integrated materials handling functions, a Smart Motor equipped warehouse automation system has the potential to reduce the number of different drive and motor variants in a facility by as much as 70 per cent. Motion software development accounts
for the major part of the cost of material handling machinery. Machine designers can create it themselves, but that is time consuming, costly and can lead to future compatibility problems. A better option is to use the chosen partner’s motion development tools; Lenze’s FAST application software suite, for example, provides pre-configured and pretested software modules for feeding, discharge, registration and SmartTrack product spacing. Programming tasks then become more like parameterisation, shortening project development timescales. Pre- configured motion software can eliminate up to 80 per cent of the work required compared with developing equipment control applications from scratch. Furthermore, modules can be tested completely independently, which makes machine development quicker, easier and error-free. Even the most complex and
sophisticated warehouse automation systems are built from combinations of simple motion elements. Getting those elements right is the key to efficiency, flexibility and reduced downtime. Choosing the right technology partner can lead to faster machine development, lower purchase costs, and easier integration into the warehouse system.
Lenze
www.lenze.com T: +44 (0) 1234 753 200
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