Project Report WAGO, D-Sondershausen Warehouse and dispatch handling system
by Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dieter Klug
WAGO Kontakttechnik GmbH, Minden, world’s leader for spring terminal systems for electrical engineering and electronics, hit their limits of growth.
Therefore, the company decided to construct a central distribution centre for up to 25,000 articles in Sondershausen (Germany). The general contractor assigned the general responsibility for integrated warehouse management and dispatch handling system to Klug GmbH integrierte Systeme - including the control technology for the pallet high bay warehouse, the automatic small parts store, the rotary rack, the picking and packing stations as well as the conveyor system.
This method of assignment resulted in substantial advantages for planner, general contractor and operator:
- fast and precise project management
- no interface between supplier of computer and control technology
- defined responsibilities for realisation and start-up
- selection of optimally tuned technical components
- defined responsibility in case of a system disruption
- fast and competent remote service, also after the warranty period – in combination with iVIEW, the system for diagnosis, statistics and visualisation
- optimal system availability
The new subsidiary with distribution centre
I-point Local area control (LAC)
Picking area
Small parts store with rotary rack
A highly integrated system
The distribution centre consists of a building for goods receipt and exit as well as of a pallet store with two aisles served by an automatic crane for curves. Next to this, there is the small parts store with six aisles. This store serves the paperless picking system as well as the “Schienenmontage” (Mounting on rails”). A rotary rack with 1,280 buffer locations on 16 levels situated in front of the small parts store takes over the automatic combination of orders and so the optimal supply of the paperless packing stations.
Goods receipt
Bins from the small parts store with goods from the plant in Minden are itemized by a depalletizing robot and registered at an identification point by a terminal and electronic scales as well as 2D barcode scanners. Automatic conveyor systems take over the entire intra-plant transport of the goods from ramp to ramp.
Pallet store
An automatic crane for curves feeds 1,596 pallet storage locations in two aisles. In combination with a pallet transfer car, this crane provides also the picking area for fast movers with pallets. Performance per day: up to 240 goods in/out as well as a maximum of 500 pick positions directly from pallets.
Automatic small parts store
Automatic small parts store with 90,288 locations in six aisles. Three bins sized 600 x 400 x 220 mm are stored at right angles one after the other in one case. The relocations resulting there of are performed by a multiload load handling device that can carry up to eight bins due to a patent transport technology.
Picking
Picking is performed at six up to ten paperless picking stations with integrated scales for an immediate control of the respective pick position. In case of counting faults, there is no further transport of storage and order bins. Already during the first phase, up to 1,540 picking orders with up to 4,760 order positions are completed per day, having a minimum rate of picking faults.
Dispatch handling
The entire dispatch is managed computer aided by Klug’s dispatch handling system (iDTS). Eight resp. sixteen packing stations are supplied by the rotary rack. Delivery notes and labels are printed directly at the packing stations. A preferred treatment of express orders is possible. Check weightings prevent the delivery of incorrectly packed shipments. After closing and strapping the packages, these are automatically sorted according to up to ten logistical relations. The dispatch handling system supports the printing of postage-saving barcodes for parcel sorting at the post or other logistics services as well as online tracking.
Stocktaking
Permanent stocktaking with nil control as well as spot checks at the picking stations.
Computer technology
Client/server architecture. The warehouse management and the dispatch handling system were implemented on two Unix computers (SNI, RM400, Master). Data communication with the PC-based Slaves at the workstations via TCP/IP via Fast Ethernet at 100 Mbit/s. Remote data transmission between Master and EDP system in Minden.
Control technology
Programmable logic controllers (Siemens S7) also interconnected via Fast Ethernet.
Process visualization and statistics
Comfortable process visualization with the aid of Klug’s iVIEW system. Extensive statistical functions as e.g. system performance, picking performance, picking fault rate.
Remote maintenance
Process control and remote system control from Teunz via ISDN line. This helps to save time and costs for the removal of faults having occurred by incorrect manipulations, lacking load units or dusty sensors.
System configuration
Multiload-load handling device in the small parts store
Klug GmbHintegrierte Systeme
Lindenweg 13
D-92552 Teunz
Phone: 96 71/92 16-0
Fax: 96 71/92 16-12
Email:
Website: www.klug-is.com