Caffè Latte: On the monorail to the cold store

Filled and sealed cups of the well-known coffee and milk drink Emmi Caffè Latte are constantly coming off the conveyor belt in several rows. They are stacked in racks of 160 cups each before a vertical conveyor moves the pallets upwards to below the hall ceiling. There, the electric monorail system designed by Eisenmann and installed on the hall roof takes over the packaged goods and transports them to the neighboring cold store. Fully automatic, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, practically maintenance-free and failure-free.

The Emmi Group, headquartered in Lucerne, is the largest milk processor in Switzerland and has made a name for itself worldwide with a wide range of cheese, yogurt, desserts, drinks and other dairy products. Emmi mainly produces fresh products at its largest Swiss site in Ostermundigen. Most of them have to be kept refrigerated on their way to delivery. Every year, 350,000 pallets of chilled goods, 65,000 pallets of non-chilled goods and 30,000 pallets of merchandise are handled here alone, just outside Bern.

Setting the right course

The specialists at Eisenmann Conveyor Systems offer customized solutions for every material flow task. This includes all modern conveyor technology with overhead monorail and electric floor conveyor systems as well as complete solutions for production, assembly, storage and dispatch. Floor-supported conveyor systems, for example, use sophisticated switch technology to realize branches in all directions, each of the individually driven trolleys has its own control system that controls the entire process.

Redesign of the material flow

In 2013, Emmi decided to use a former warehouse in Ostermundigen as a production hall. This involved structural and building conversion measures, the optimization of production processes, a redesign of the internal material flow and distribution logistics. In addition, a building previously used as a high-bay warehouse was to be converted into a refrigerated warehouse, while at the same time increasing storage capacity and storage and retrieval performance. This also involved the construction of a new high-performance conveyor connection, from the staging level at the end of the production line to the new refrigerated warehouse.

Conversion "on the fly"

"The demanding timeframe for planning and implementation was no problem for our experienced team. Emmi benefits sustainably from a safe and low-maintenance conveyor system." - Dominik Jäkle, Eisenmann Project Manager

Emmi's requirement was that the previously predominantly manual removal by lifting and forklift trucks should in future be fully automated and flexible in line with production output. The set-up and installation phase was not allowed to interfere with ongoing production operations. On the day of commissioning, it was necessary to switch from the old to the new system "on the fly". For this reason, as well as for space reasons, the idea arose to run the transport system over the roof of the production hall and over a so-called passerelle (walkway) to the refrigerated warehouse.

Emmi had commissioned W+P Weber und Partner AG in Wil, Switzerland, with the tender. The company solves logistics tasks for customers primarily from the commercial and industrial sectors. The planners focus on practical and economical solutions. "Together with our client Emmi, we opted for Eisenmann. Thanks to its comprehensive expertise, first-class references and proven adherence to deadlines, we were very sure that we had the right partner on board," says Beat Hagen from W+P Weber und Partner.

Material flow first simulated on the computer

Five months after the initial inquiry, in May 2014, the installation was due to begin. "In order to get a clear picture and minimize possible risks in advance, we first simulated the material flows completely on the computer after receiving the approval," recalls Gerrit van der Vlist, Manager at Eisenmann Conveyor Systems.

The production building was connected to the warehouse building via an electric overhead conveyor system with a track length of 350 meters. Once the vertical conveyor has moved the palletized packaged goods upwards, one of a total of 16 trolleys is ready to pick them up. Both sides use sensors to exchange information about the correct pick-up position. A carrier chain conveyor transfers the pallet to the trolley. The pallet is transported safely to the high-bay refrigerated warehouse on the accompanying chain conveyor. The entire transport system is enclosed and air-conditioned so that the cold chain is not interrupted. The capacity of the electric overhead conveyor system is 170 pallets per hour.

Eisenmann's engineers planned the entire system and designed the system elements and running gear. The Böblingen-based company was also responsible for the development of the control system, assembly, ramp-up and production start-up. The system has been running smoothly in continuous operation since August 2014. The system is low-maintenance and work on the individual trolleys is carried out at regular intervals. As only 15 of the 16 trolleys are required for the conveying capacity, the transport capacity of the electric monorail system and Emmi's productivity are fully maintained, even if a vehicle is removed for maintenance work.

Sven Heuer

Contact:

Emmi Management AG 6002 Lucerne, Switzerland Tel. 00 41 / 58 / 227 50 66 E-Mail:

Eisenmann SE 71032 Böblingen Phone: 0 70 31 / 78-0 E-mail: [email protected] www.eisenmann.com