Tech fit for purpose
As customer demands rapidly evolve, Lenze argues OEMs must carefully consider the right technology partner for drives and automation.
Today’s warehouse operations must deliver unprecedented levels of speed, flexibility and efficiency. As companies gear up to meet demands of e-commerce fulfilment, for example, they need to handle high, and variable, volumes of diverse products with ever shorter end-to-end cycle times. Responding to those challenges requires smart choices about the components and technology.
The challenges
And if day-to-day operations weren’t challenging enough, warehouse systems must be able to cope with steep seasonal peaks and a rapidly changing product mix. They must do all that while keeping demand for space, energy, labour and capital equipment under tight control. For many warehouse operators, this environment is driving a dramatic rise in the degree of automation within their intralogistics facilities. As such, today’s automation systems need to be fast, agile and, above all, available.
For the builders of warehouse handling equipment, this environment creates conflicting challenges. Distribution centres are becoming more complex, with many more automation elements from conveyor systems to robots and automated guided vehicles. These all need to be tightly coordinated. Systems are smarter too following the influence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). There are more sensors, capable of collecting and processing more data and able to communicate with a greater number and variety of external systems.
The need to maximise storage capacity places tight constraints on the space available to install equipment. Pressure to control costs and reduce the environmental footprint of distribution operations places extra emphasis on energy efficiency.
At the same time, machine builders find their customers are pushing for shorter development lead-times so they can quickly follow new market trends. They want simplicity in operation, minimal maintenance; standard components to control spare parts inventories, and responsive service and support. Finally, pressure to keep capital and operating expenses under tight control means costs are always under scrutiny.
Responding to those challenges requires OEMs to make smart choices about the components and technology platforms they use. Here are some key areas to consider when selecting an automation technology partner.
Support from concept to production
Whether it is an OEM developing new handling equipment or the warehouse operator setting out on a major refurbishment project, the choice of provider for drives and automation is crucial. The chosen provider should have the capabilities and willingness to work alongside you through the complete project, from initial concept to long-term service.
Lenze has developed and refined a five step process that has been designed around the needs of the machine builder and their end-customers:
1. Developing ideas. Involving the partner at the earliest stages of a project can help to identify opportunities to maximise machine performance and minimise costs. The partner should bring in the latest drive and automation concepts to make a decisive difference to operating performance.
2. Drafting concepts. As a project moves into the design phase, the partner should take a holistic view of the individual motion and control functions and draw up a consistent drive and automation solution. Motion paths should be optimised. Automation needs to be simple, safe and easily interfaced with the warehouse master system.
3. Implementing solutions. Here, the partner should be able to bring in expertise in areas such as energy efficiency, optimised product dimensioning and easy- to-use software. The solution should be the one that best suits the requirements of the application rather than the one that the provider prefers.
4. Manufacturing machines. When automation, visualisation, control, logic and the drives all come from one partner, developers and commissioning engineers benefit from interfaces that fit together by design. This reduces machine development times and costs.
5. Ensuring productivity. Minimising problems and downtime for machines in service requires after-sales support. Here, Lenze offers international service packages for continued safe operation. The primary focus is on technical support, based on the application expertise of a knowledgeable support team.
The right technology
The provider of drives and automation needs to have the resources to support through the project lifetime. Experience in intralogistics is important, leading to the ability to choose the right technology. Servo motor systems are an example. They work brilliantly in highly dynamic, accurate high speed motion applications, such as those found on packaging and wrapping machinery. However, in material handling the requirements for precision are usually not so high; therefore, simpler solutions are better. The increasing capability of conventional motors with modern inverter drives means that they can often become the right choice, reducing costs.
Another example is the drives for conveyors, the ubiquitous element in materials handling, requiring a fixed but adjustable speed and soft start/stop ramps. The Lenze Smart Motor provides a motor, drive and gearbox in single, adaptable package that includes numerous integrated functions for materials handling applications. Specifying Smart Motors in a warehouse automation system can reduce the number of different drive and motor variants in a facility by up to 70 percent as the running speed can be easily pre-set electronically. Thus, identical stocked drives can be set to run at different speeds. This greatly simplifies maintenance and spare parts inventories. Wiring is simplified too, as the motor incorporates the electronic contactor, the ramp settings and thermal protection. Providing such a product specifically designed for conveyors saves cost in many areas.
The right development tools
Industry 4.0 readiness
Industry 4.0, or the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), is already reshaping logistics and distribution operations. Advanced communication and analytical technologies create opportunities for end users and machine builders alike. But for maximum effectiveness, those technologies need to be built into machines, not bolted on. The provider needs to offer a choice of communication from all the major fieldbus systems and utilise standards such as CoDeSys and PackML.
Data security has become an item of the highest importance. Providers such as Lenze can offer secure cloud data communication technologies that allow machine information to be shared across wider networks without risk of compromise or misuse. That enables seamless integration with customer systems and helps machine builders offer a range of added-value services, such as remote support and monitoring or predictive maintenance.
The components you need, when you need them
With the pressure to respond to market trends and deliver machines on ever-shorter lead times, component availability is critical. You need to be sure the provider has the manufacturing and distribution capabilities to meet tight timescales. And because companies increasingly want to replicate standard technology platforms and approaches across their global networks, an international capability for service and technical support across all the important global manufacturing locations is important.
Even the most complex and sophisticated warehouse automation systems are built from combinations of simple motion elements. Getting those elements right is the key to efficiency, flexibility and reduced downtime. Choosing the right technology partner can lead to faster machine development, lower purchase costs, easier integration into the warehouse system and optimal performance.
