Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The combination of optical vehicle navigation and the long-term, proven technology of mobile racking systems unite to completely lead to automation in a cold chain environment.
A fully automated mobile racking system offers many benefits including the reduction in labor cost, leading to maximum economic efficiency. Maximum storage capacity or minimum use of space in a given area are both possible through integration of the mobile racking system. The system enables direct access to all pallet storage locations, making re-storage operations unnecessary, and eighty percent utilization of areas is possible
Through increasing the Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) vehicle fleet, the mobile racking systems are also modularly expandable. These systems are also flexibly adaptable to currently required throughput, and apply in ambient, refrigerated, and deep-freeze warehouses.
A mobile racking system, which consists of one to several racking blocks and usually between four and eight moveable rack units per block, forms the central storage location. One to two VNA trucks facilitate the movements of the stored goods in the individual racking blocks, which move automatically in the rack aisles and the aisle-changing zone using laser sensors.
Transfer positions for the pick-up/discharge of goods (pallets or skeleton containers) from/onto the VNA vehicles are located at the front end of each possible rack aisle. Consequently, the VNA vehicles leave the rack only for aisle changes. Supply to and away from the transfer positions is facilitated using an adapted conveying system, or in case of minimal solutions, using manually operated forklifts.
A main computer coordinates all elements, and completes project specific operations, which depend on the functional scope of the customer’s warehouse management system.
Laser navigated Very Narrow Aisle vehicles form the core of the automated mobile racking system. Thanks to reference points (reflectors) in the rack aisles and aisle changing zones, the unmanned vehicles orient themselves in the area of the mobile racking system.
Scanning the environment, in real time enables an orientation of the vehicle on the actual position of the mobile racks. Based on the same principle, the pallet shape is optically recognized during retrieval operations.
The extension length of the load-carrying device (telescope fork or swivel fork) is precisely adjusted to the geometry of the rack. The number of VNA vehicles used is determined depending on the required performance of the overall system.
The performance of an individual vehicle is basically determined by means of the rack geometry itself and the number of aisle changes. Due to the implementation of intelligent storage strategies, the number of aisle changes is minimized and thus the capacity of the overall system is optimized.
SSI Schaefer ranks among the leading suppliers of warehousing and logistics systems worldwide. The services offered include concept determination, equipment of the warehouse with products of their own manufacture, as well as the completion of complex logistics projects as a general contractor. The grouping of the competencies under the family brand SSI SCHAEFER generates the basis for developing market-driven, inter-branch warehousing systems and for designing integrated solutions of the intra-logistics.
Being a specialist for complex logistics systems, SSI Schaefer Noell GmbH in Giebelstadt, Germany, completes the service portfolio. As a general contractor the company already completed more than 300 logistics systems worldwide. The spectrum ranges from system planning and consultation, realization of turn-key systems to tailor after sales services.
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For more information please contact:
Travis A. Baker
704.73.1613
travis.baker@ssi-schaefer.us
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