Project Report Huber + Suhner CH-Herisau Small parts store with PPS interface
by Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dieter Klug

Klug as general contractor have realized an automated small parts store to feed continuously the new electroplating lines of Huber + Suhner, the Swiss high-tech company. It is possible to maintain this store’s warehouse management system and controls remotely from every spot in the world via the web.

The new system grants the full use of the modern electroplating lines by an optimal availability of the parts. The automated small parts store with two aisles for 27,000 bins is 14.5 metres high and 35 metres long. The containers are stored double-deep. Although the bins stored in the rack one behind the other do not always contain the same articles, all goods can be held available with almost no deference in time, as the capacity of the fast automatic cranes is sufficient to relocate required stocks without long distances. This strategy helped to renounce on a third automatic crane. This system offers the following advantages for Huber+Suhner:

• Because of its modern system architecture, iWACS, Klug’s warehouse management system, can take over data online from the PPS system resp. the electroplating control post.
  
  
• Goods receipt documents with pictures prevent assignment faults and galvanizing of wrong articles.
  
  
• iVIEW by Klug, the web-based software for diagnosis and remote maintenance also grants the required highest availability.
  
  
• Due to double-deep storage, Huber +Suhner could renounce on a third automatic crane.

An automated small parts store feeds the electroplating lines continuously with parts

An elaborated strategy and the double-deep storage of bins helped to renounce on a third automatic crane without any loss in performance

A decisive factor to allocate the works to Klug were three technical features that have a high priority for H+S:

• First, there was the requirement that the warehouse management system takes over data from an application programmed by H+S themselves. During this process, the database orientated software “Foxpro” creates data for a control post application. The WMS has to support the system architecture necessary for this process. Not every warehouse management system can fulfill this demand, but iWACS, Klug’s modularly structured warehouse management system comes up to these expectations.
  
  
• Second, Huber + Suhner attach much importance to a fast support by their general contractor. Therefore, Klug has to ensure that, in case of a system standstill, they recognize reasons early and initiate their removal. iVIEW, Klug’s web-based remote diagnosis software, disposes of all these required functions. This software enables the service specialists to log on to the system from every spot in the world and to re-establish its availability in cooperation with the operator.
  
  
• Third, Huber + Suhner attach much importance to the realisation of their specific organisational requirements. For this purpose, Huber + Suhner liked Klug’s procedure to create a detailed specification granting the realisation of such requirements.

The goods receipt documents with photos are a special solution. These are printed automatically and then “shot” into the containers identified by barcodes before. After releasing the goods, the entire goods receipt runs automatically on the control posts.

At the three picking stations equipped with electronic counting scales - especially for counting smallest parts -, the quantities needed for electroplating are taken out and prepared for the electrochemical process.

Closely in accordance with the demands of the “electroplating control post” that has already been used for several years, iWACS - the WMS by Klug – holds available the raw material on ten sorter lanes ending right in front of the electroplating lines where the parts are entered. Two separate goods receipt stations represent another special feature of this project. For stocktaking, parts from own production are differentiated from such plated for other enterprises in waged labour. This causes no problem for iWACS, as this warehouse management system is able to administrate several clients.

Apart from identifying the goods at goods receipt,
they are also controlled for their quality

Printers “put” the goods receipt documents automatically
into the bins. Photos of the parts reduce mistakes.

The paperless picking stations have been
equipped with counting as well as precision scales

The lots for both electroplating lines
are combined on a line sorter.

KlugGmbHintegrierteSysteme
Lindenweg 13
D-92552 Teunz

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

Email:
Web: www.klug-is.com