At their headquarters in Austria, B&R Industrial Automation GmbH, a global specialist in automation systems and a member of the ABB Group, once more collaborates with KNAPP to develop a cutting-edge warehouse solution. An automated small parts warehouse, comfortable workstations for picking, and autonomous mobile robots for transportation are all aspects of the recently opened smart factory.
The solution has been tailored to suit B&R’s requirements, delivering efficiency, ergonomics and maximum use of space all at the same time. With this project, B&R and KNAPP have achieved another milestone in their long-standing partnership.
Automation beefs up efficiency
B&R’s logistics processes are highly dynamic and characterized by changing requirements. Thanks to the comprehensive automation solution by KNAPP, B&R is now able to flexibly respond to customer demands, reduce the physical strain on employees and boost efficiency all at the same time, turning B&R’s warehouse in Eggelsberg into a true smart factory. At the heart of the new solution is the Evo Shuttle by KNAPP, an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) that offers high storage density with 91,622 storage locations across four floors. For ergonomic picking, the connected Pick-it-Easy work stations allow goods-to-person picking and feature Pick-to-Light technology. The decanting work stations in the goods-in area are also connected to the Evo Shuttle as well as the goods-out area via KNAPP’s conveyor system. KNAPP’s autonomous Open Shuttles and tugger trains complement the system, flexibly transporting items to the production areas as needed.
“From the warehouse to production, from goods-in to outbound delivery – automation makes it possible to respond to changes faster and more flexibly while simultaneously becoming more efficient and productive,” says a convinced Michael Humer, Country Managing Director Sales Austria at B&R Industrial Automation. The numbers speak for themselves: Thanks to the higher storage density and faster access times, warehouse throughput was increased by 35 % and picking throughput by as much as 50%.
Part of the package: intelligent software and comprehensive service
The logistics system is controlled by KNAPP’s KiSoft One software solution that covers all warehouse processes in a single, end-to-end system. KiSoft SCADA provides accurate visualizations of the components, while KiSoft FCS coordinates and controls the Open Shuttles. The whole software solution is seamlessly connected to B&R’s SAP® system, providing smooth processes and maximal transparency. Finally, the comprehensive service package by KNAPP includes continuous software monitoring by the Service Desk, which is available 24/7, and preventive maintenance for maximum system availability.
New dimension of strategic partnership
What began as a classic customer-supplier relationship developed into the strategic partnership between two Austrian companies. KNAPP has relied on the control and safety technologies from B&R for many years for building their autonomous mobile robots, the Open Shuttles. The X20 control system executes all mechatronic processes and ensures that the Open Shuttles are functionally safe. It also makes it very easy to integrate new functions into the Open Shuttles based on customers’ requirements.
The implementation of the intralogistics solution at the Eggelsberg location has now raised the partnership to a whole new level. “The KNAPP solution was particularly convincing because it wasn’t a standard solution, but one that was tailored to our specific logistics processes,” says Roman Seitweger, Head of Production Austria at B&R. But the partnership with KNAPP does not end here, there are more plans for the future: “Automating our intralogistics has made our internal processes a lot more efficient. Now we’re working to seamlessly integrate adjacent processes, such as manufacturing control, production planning, replenishment processes and packing,” adds Michael Humer, Country Managing Director Sales Austria at B&R Industrial Automation. Their goal: To better mesh the logistics solutions with the operational process.
The solution at a glance
- Automatic small parts warehouse (AS/RS)
- Evo Shuttle with 91,622 storage locations and 80 shuttles across 40 levels, 1,600 storage and retrieval operations per hour
- Picking:
- 4 Pick-it-Easy work stations across 2 floors, up to 6,000 order lines per day
- 4 decanting work stations in goods-in
- Autonomous mobile robots:
- 3 Open Shuttles for supplying the production areas with goods directly from the Evo Shuttle
- Conveyors:
- A conveyor suspended from the ceiling connects goods-in with the Evo Shuttle
- Conveyors interconnect the picking area, Evo Shuttle, goods retrieval area and transfer station for the AMRs
- Software:
- KiSoft One with an interface to the customer’s SAP® system, KiSoft SCADA warehouse visualization, KiSoft FCS for controlling the AMR fleet
