New technology, new rules of conduct
During the implementation phase, the conveyor technology control system was updated, floor markings were installed in accordance with 5S standards and turning stations and buffer racks were set up on the central movement rail in order to be able to automatically buffer pallets and map longitudinal and transverse transports. The new technology is rounded off by system interfaces to the warehouse management software, to control the conveyor technology and by the introduction of AGV-specific scanning dialogs. At the beginning of the year, employees in incoming goods, outgoing goods and internal transport were informed about the concept and the corresponding rules of conduct. The six vehicles, which have been named after well-known superheroes such as Hulk, Batman or Superman, drive to all warehouses, incoming and outgoing goods as well as the disposal area for emptying waste containers.

Tracking in real time
The transport orders generated by the warehouse management software are used to generate transport orders for the AGVs. The AGVs navigate independently through the warehouse, open doors and put pallet conveyor systems into operation. "Thanks to the interfaces between the AGV and the warehouse management software as well as the conveyor technology, every pallet movement has an integrated status upgrade. This allows us to track where a pallet is currently located in real time," explains Erich Berg, Senior Project Manager at Arvato.

The system also handles transports for completed outgoing goods pallets. The warehouse management software checks whether a loading row already exists for the carrier or opens a new loading row and specifies this to the control software. "We can also support the system manually at any time. We can use the master computer to block certain areas or sections of the hall in order to keep mixed traffic between the automated and manual halls to a minimum," explains Matthias Anderson from Logistics Engineering. If an obstacle is in the way, the vehicle stops immediately until it has been removed. There is also a connection to the personal protection system, the high-speed doors, the fire protection doors and the fire alarm system.

Up to eight hours at full capacity
Thanks to the lithium-ion batteries, the vehicles can run at full capacity for up to eight hours before they need to be recharged, according to the company. The vehicles return to the charging stations automatically at the end of the working day or as soon as all jobs have been completed. These interim charges allow the system to work around the clock without having to take specific charging breaks.