A
s the enabler behind rapid customer fulfilment for Ocado and Morrisons in the UK, Kroger in the U.S., Sobeys in Canada and other leading retailers worldwide, Ocado’s platform combines
cutting-edge engineering with intelligent data systems to deliver faster, more accurate and more sustainable grocery deliveries.
ew
SMARTER LOADING The AFL automates the final stage of grocery dispatch, loading up to 350 totes per hour onto van frames with zero human touch. This innovation not only eliminates one of the most physically demanding and injury prone roles in the warehouse but also ensures consistent accuracy and speed, vital for Ocado’s on-time delivery promise. The machine operates continuously, up to 20
hours a day, and dynamically scales throughput in response to order volumes. “The AFL helps us on our ongoing journey to improve site productivity,” adds Bailey. “It is a scalable, flexible solution that responds in real time to the demands of the operation.” Ocado turned to Beckhoff’s integrated
automation and control platform to power the AFL. Each AFL is equipped with a Beckhoff C6017 Industrial PC. Compact and powerful, the IPC coordinates all AFL motion, handling both control and functional safety within a single system. Mounted directly on a DIN rail inside the control
cabinet, the C6017 communicates with Beckhoff TwinSAFE I/O terminals, safety-rated components that centralise safety control from multiple sensors and devices across the AFL. This ensures that every movement operates with absolute precision and reliability. “Ocado needed a compact, high-performance
control system that could handle motion, safety and communication in one,” explains Bradley
26
By Doug Schuchart, Global Intralogistics Manager, Beckhoff
As a specialist in online grocery technology, Ocado has long been at the forefront of grocery automation by providing the advanced automation, robotics and software that power some of the most efficient and responsive fulfilment operations globally
McEwan, Business Development Manager at Beckhoff UK. “The C6017 IPC combined with TwinSAFE I/O provides exactly that, integrated functional safety, deterministic control and the ability to expand easily as new features are added.” The IPC and EtherCAT-based I/O architecture
allows for seamless integration of vision systems, which can help locate tote positions on imperfect frames. This precision ensures that even if a frame is slightly misaligned, the AFL can still place totes accurately, maintaining the integrity of every load. When designing the AFL, Ocado evaluated
several automation platforms but ultimately selected Beckhoff for the flexibility, scalability and openness of the system architecture. “The
application required us to control multiple motors precisely and integrate a vision system within tight space and cost constraints,” Aquiles Calderon Santana, Engineering Manager at Ocado said. “Beckhoff’s platform allowed us to do that. EtherCAT gives us the speed we need for motion control, and TwinCAT provides flexibility in software. It’s also cost-effective, we can scale, add I/O easily and deploy software remotely across global sites.” “Beckhoff ensures supply chain resilience
through seamless connectivity with virtually any open fieldbus or IT protocol,” said Doug Schuchart, Global Intralogistics Manager at Beckhoff. “This openness minimises engineering effort over the system’s lifecycle while enabling straightforward system expansion as facilities evolve.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
