Dematic has helped to optimise a Siemens small parts warehouse – boosting capacity while saving on space.
The Siemens plant for Combination Technology, Siemens WKC, is a leader in switchgear construction for machine tools and production machines in Europe. At the facility in Chemnitz, Germany, Siemens manufactures advanced electrical equipment as well as assemblies and devices for machine and plant manufacturers worldwide, including projects in the logistics and automotive industries.
The factory plans more than 1,270,000 material items per year for the production of its applications. However, its previous manual shelf storage system for small parts had reached its capacity limits, so Siemens WKC was looking for a more efficient solution, deciding to switch to a goods-to-person small item picking solution featuring an AutoStore™ system provided by Dematic.
The compact piece picking solution improves the use of warehouse space while automating picking and material flow for production. It features an AutoStore™ system with more than 45,000 bins for storing parts. In addition to time and cost savings, the Dematic solution provide Siemens with increased capacity, higher storage density and a reduced error rate for assembling components.
“Previously, our warehouse operated with a manual modular racking storage system,” says Carsten Sambo, Head of Inbound-Logistics at Siemens WKC. “This now automates the entire material flow to always ensure a very good production supply that flexibly fits into the work processes at Siemens.”
Around 46,000 switchgears and customised electronic components for the global market are manufactured annually at Siemens WKC. Over the years, the volume and throughput in the warehouse have increased significantly. This made it necessary to reorganise the entire warehouse management: “Until then, we were still working with a manual modular rack warehouse,” reports Carsten. “However, the former manual warehouse was no longer meeting current requirements.”
AUTOMATION OF THE PRODUCTION WAREHOUSE WITH AUTOSTORE
Siemens initiated the search for a new solution: “Our goal was to make planning and production as efficient as possible. At the same time, the lead time was to be reduced and, of course, the costs were to be lowered,” explains Carsten. The new storage systems, including the conveyor technology, needed to be installed on the same floor space in the existing building and during ongoing operations.
“We already had very good experience with an AutoStore storage system at a Siemens plant in Bad Neustadt (EWN),” says Carsten. It accommodates up to four times more stock than the previous manual system. After only a short introductory phase, the Siemens WKC also achieved improved picking performance with 75 retrievals per hour (previously only 30 retrievals per hour). With the help of the system, this performance will increase by at least another 15 per cent.
As a global distribution partner for AutoStore, Dematic was brought in for its extensive experience and expertise. Siemens commissioned Dematic as a system integrator to implement the AutoStore solution and connect it using Dematic conveyor technology for automation that optimises the material flow for production supply. A major advantage of this unit load picking solution is that it requires very little space. Siemens can now use the space it has reclaimed for storing larger material items, such as enclosures for switchgears.
CAPACITY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED
The conveyor system implemented by Dematic has two levels. In the goods receiving area, incoming parcels are first scanned and transported to the upper level via a lift to decant stations, where inventory totes are loaded with product and conveyed to the automatic small parts store. The totes move into the AutoStore system where the mobile robots can then take the inventory and store it. The compact AutoStore system itself occupies an area of only 760 square metres. It contains a total of more than 45,000 bins, which are divided into different compartments to hold several different products on one container.
When a request comes from production, the picking process starts — the product for the order is collected by one of 34 mobile robots which travel on top of the AutoStore system. They pick the boxes from the grid and bring them to the port, where operators carry out their picking activities without interruption. Previously, operators had to travel long distances to pick the individual items. With the new picking system, the same number of employees can now handle more orders in less time. “The system is highly efficient and with significantly fewer errors in the picking process,” says Carsten.
EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE
The AutoStore system can store up to four times more stock in the same footprint than conventional storage systems. “The cube-storage system is a self-supporting aluminium grid whose modular structure allows containers to be stacked closely next to and on top of each other. Furthermore, it is organised in a decentralised manner — if a robot breaks down, the system continues to run,” explains Carsten, adding, “We have daily call-offs of more than 7,000 different picking positions. To be able to access the required goods quickly in the morning, we have programmed a forecast function for stock removal or night shift transfer.” Overnight, the demand for the next day is checked. The determined materials are transferred from the lowest levels of the AutoStore system to the upper area of the grid. “This ensures that the required containers can be accessed quickly with the start of the early shift.”
In the end, as Carsten sums up the project, “We are now well prepared for the future, with scalability already taken into account during the planning stage. We’ve been able to increase the storage and picking capacities as well as make the entire warehouse management more efficient.” The fact that the production supply was maintained without interruptions during installation was a personal highlight for the Siemens project manager.
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