The end-to-end game

WE ARE firmly convinced that automation offers great opportunities for intralogistics. At present, the main obstacles to its expansion are persistent myths about major initial obstacles, high costs, complex handling and a lack of support. These often prevent smaller companies in particular from engaging with automation as an innovation topic. This is despite the fact that – given the right conditions and the right partner – any company can automate today.

Automation is the game changer that companies need to operate their internal processes successfully in the long term in the face of challenges such as staff shortages, efficiency and cost pressures. This makes it all the more important that all companies – regardless of industry, size, financial strength and technology level – have low-threshold access to automation. 

We want to make this even easier in the future and increasingly offer simple and scalable solutions alongside large and medium-sized ones. We focus on standardised and highly available products, coupled with personal advice and customised service packages.

Successful, long-term, fail-safe process automation requires established technologies as well as scalable and standardised solutions that also work efficiently and reliably in existing warehouse layouts. Not only do they reduce the risk of failure, but standardised components and interfaces make them quick and easy to service. Scalable solutions also make it easy for small companies to get started with automation and grow with the customer’s needs and level of automation. Equally important, both suppliers and customers need to understand that automation is a long-term process that often involves significant change within the company. It is therefore important to have sound planning and advice from an experienced partner right from the start, starting with the tender and the definition of the specifications, including all requirements and actual conditions – because this is the basis of the entire project.

A major source of error in today’s automation projects is the human factor. When automation projects fail or are riddled with errors today, it is almost always due to inadequate preparation, planning and communication – and not the technology.

The technological basis for scalable automation is our innovative software. The modular system is based on standardised components and is available in two versions that build on each other. For small projects with only a few trucks and moderate requirements for the activities performed, STILL uses the entry-level variant iGo easy. It allows quick and easy implementation as well as intuitive handling even without automation experience. For complex automation projects where a large number of different vehicles and systems need to be orchestrated to automatically map complete material flows, iGo systems is used. The compatibility of both solutions ensures that customers can seamlessly scale their automation at any time. The integration of partner products, the control of STILL trucks via third-party software or the connection to higher-level systems is also easy – thanks to the flexible STILL iGo flow and the standardised VDA 5050 interface, which STILL is gradually integrating into all automated trucks.

We are also investing heavily in the expansion of our own consulting and service expertise. We will continue to be there for our customers locally, reliable and available. Speaking their language, taking their needs seriously and offering them tailor-made solutions.

Dr Florian Heydenreich, managing director, STILL

For more information, visit www.still.co.uk