Project report IngramMicro Distribution GmbH D-Straubing Replacement of MFC and controls
by Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dieter Klug

Only one year after start-up, Klug have renewed the material flow computer (MFC) and the controls in the new Regional Distribution Center (RDC) of Ingram Micro Distribution in Straubing, the world’s second distributor of computer elements.

Even before the general contractor received the confirmation that the contract was accomplished. As the general contractor did not reveal the source code for the MFC software, Klug decided to create an entirely new MFC software and to concentrate all logical functions on the MFC instead of reparting the logic decentrally to several PLCs. In addition to this, the S5 controls were replaced by the modern S7 system. The system with its very fast conveyor and sorter system and a length of 4.8 km was switched at one weekend without interrupting operation. The system was not only renewed, but Ingram Micro invested at the same time in an increase in performance. This step had become necessary as the enterprise grew over proportionally in comparison to the branch’s average. The renewed system offers a lot of advantages:

• Increase in dispatch and picking performance of up to 30,000 shipments per day
• Remote maintenance of sorters, conveyor technology as well as carton erectors and labelling system with the aid of iVIEW, Klug’s visualisation and diagnosis software
• Increased system availability
• Elimination of weak points by integration of fault management

The conveyor and sorter lanes at IMamount to a total length of 4.8 km

The conveyor system overview on level 0 shows the complexity of the system for which Klug renewed material flow computer and controls

The Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) of the world’s second computer distributor Ingram Micro in Straubing takes in eight soccer pitches. Hardly one year after start-up, Klug replaced material flow computer and PLCs.

Only the components for control technology were purchased, as they did not fit into the new concept or were required because of the system expansion.

The hall of the RDC could take in eight soccer pitches. When an order starts, four automatic carton erectors  (1,200 cartons/hour each) feed the four lines with empty shipping boxes serving at the same time as picking bins. Every three seconds, a cardboard box is labelled with a carton ID by the adjacent automatic labeling system. The pick lists (DIN A5) are shot automatically into the boxes in the same interval, the boxes running on the system at up to 8,2km/h.

Picking is performed manually at several “picking stations”. With the aid of the carton ID, the MFC distributes the boxes only to those stations involved in the order. Laser scanners at all branches - interconnected with the PLCs via an independent bus system - read the barcode
labels (carton ID) stuck on fully automatically at order start. Within some milliseconds, the pop-up sorters (granted performance: 3,600 packages/hour) or the ZIP sorter will be activated, if the package currently passing by has to be directed to a new lane.

When the still open picking boxes have passed through all stations, the shipments are checked once again because of their high goods value. For this purpose, all articles on the pick lists are compared with the positions on the delivery notes. Then, the real weights are compared with the nominal data. If everything is all right, the boxes will pass through four packing machines erecting automatically the lids, putting them on the boxes and gluing them. Then a barcode scanner reads the carton ID again as well as the barcode on the automatically applied shipping label for which the data is called from the host in the U.S.

If the data coincides, a sorter assigns the packages to the telescopic conveyors to load mobile platforms.

Instead of material flow logistics reparted to several conveyor system sections before, Klug centralized them entirely on the MFC to grant a regular flow of cartons.

An independent bus system enables a fast data transfer (some milliseconds) between sensors, MFC, controls and sorters

In order to get to know the system in detail, Klug have taken over the entire fault management

At all branches, laser barcode scanners read the ident code and call the MFC via Profibus for the correct adjustment

At order start, the boxes are erected automatically, labelled with a carton ID, and the pick lists are “shot in”

Klug GmbH integrierte Systeme
Lindenweg 13
D-92552 Teunz

Phone: 96 71/92 16-0
Fax: 96 71/92 16-12

Website: www.klug-is.de
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