26.October 2014
LEEUWERIK invested in a fully automated picking system for wood-based panels
Leeuwerik has built a completey new warehouse in Eindhoven with an automatic high bay warehouse in order to offer their customers a better service and to have the possibility to grow in the next future.
Leeuwerik has a large number of different constructive and decoratice panels. For each application they offer a suitable product and an endless variety of sizes, thicknesses, qualities and colours.Economic solution for picking panels
Since the deliveries should be faster and the number of panels was still growing, it was necessary to find an economic way to pick panels.In order to plan the new building according to the needs of the new logistic, Leeuwerik contacted the experts from SYSTRAPLAN in a very early stage of the project. SYSTRAPLAN has many years of experience in the automatic handling of panels and can show a large number of similar references.
Soon it became obvious, that SYSTRAPLAN ist the right partner for this project.
Picking of panels directly on the rack serve carrier
More than 20 years ago SYSTRAPLAN has developed a rack serve carrier with a vacuum frame, which can pick single panels and build a commission stack directly on the lifting platform. This concept saves time, space and energy, because it does not need a special picking area. There is no transport of remaining stacks necessary, because they remain in the shelve.“ For designing and installing such a picking system for so many different types of panels, it is necessary to have years of experience in automatic handlig of panels” refers Hartmut Bruenger, export-manager at SYSTRAPLAN. “Only with this concept it was possible, to reach the required performance for picking”.
Combined lifting platform
Picking of panels is done in different ways. Panels, which can be separated by vacuum are picked by the vacuum frame. Raw panels can be picked by a clamp system. It is also possible to work with vacuum parameters, which are adapted to the different types of materials.To be in the position to achive a high performance the infeed of the panels is done in stacks. The installed combined lifting platform can handle stacks as well as single panels.
The panels are picked directly from the shelves. This a very gentle process as the panels are picked by means of vacuum and therefore no extra transport is needed. The number of damaged panels will decrease enourmously.
The sensitve panels are very quickly picked and prepared for shipping.
The retrieved commission stacks are directly transported to a packaging line. The operators can complete the customer orders and strap the stacks with a semi-automated machine. For the further transport it is also possible to put a cardboard on top of the stacks. The cardboard is prepared by a semi automated machine.
Energy-saving technology
The SYSTRAPLAN-control is based on a modern concept for saving energy. It is environment-friendly, and the owner saves money. The machines are working with a Siemens-PLC, type S7. For the movement of the rack serve carrier the SYSTRAPLAN standard is working with energy-recovery modules. When the rack serve carriers are lowering the platforms or are slowing down, energy is created. This is energy does not get lost, but can be used by other drives. Warehouse management always with current inventory
The warehouse management system is easy to use and works on standard Windows-PCs. The data is stored in a SQL data-base.Via interface we have a direct connection between the warehouse management and the customers’ merchandise management system.
The stock is transparent in every system and can already be taken into account when Leeuwerik receives the customers’ orders
More about high bay storage systems and automatic panel picking systems >>>
