Just do it

Contract logistics must also respond to digitalization. Today more than ever, logistics companies are required to offer intelligent solutions for customer-oriented logistics. BLG Logistics is working intensively on these topics in a number of projects. A BLG innovation team bundles all progressive ideas and organizes innovations, technical innovations as well as digitalization and automation. BLG's interpretation of Industry 4.0 focuses on the optimal cooperation of people with logistics objects and their networking.

BLG began this process back in 2014 at its retail logistics location in Frankfurt with the introduction of a robot-supported logistics concept called "Treffpunkt Stargate - Logistik an der Schnittstelle von Mensch und Roboter". G-Com is the name of the technology that has revolutionized intralogistics at BLG's Frankfurt logistics center and with the help of which the company processes returns for its customer engelbert strauss on 4,500 square metres of warehouse space in Frankfurt. The system, for which BLG and its customer received the German Logistics Award in 2015 and the European Logistics Award in 2016, is based on the basic idea of a mobile picking warehouse: the shelves are brought to a multifunctional picking station fully automatically. This means that the employees in the picking area no longer have to go to the shelves; the shelves come to them with the goods. The robust transport vehicles (carries) used for this have a low overall height. They drive under the mobile goods carriers, lift them up and transport them to the Stargates. At these, the employees are guided through the picking process using pick-by-light and put-to-light techniques. There are currently 75 Carrys in use, which transport goods from 800 shelves to the five Stargates. These are used for storage and retrieval.

Drones take stock

Monitoring using sensors helps to detect damage at an early stage. Photo: Virtenio

BLG is currently testing further innovative technologies in order to design its logistics processes in line with the changing requirements of digitalization. One example of this is the use of drones to support operational processes such as stocktaking during the year and weekly shelf checks at BLG's logistics center in Emmerich. Previously, in the block storage area on site, where there is constant movement, a forklift had to move the boxes apart and place the pallets on the floor. An employee then drove up with a pallet truck to check a specific box - an effort that BLG has recently been able to minimize significantly by using a drone.

Since then, four employees, who have been specially trained as drone pilots by the company, have been taking stock with the help of their "flying camera". Not only does this save working time, but the new perspective provided by the drone camera also improves the view of the cartons in areas that are not directly visible and therefore the quality of the count. BLG Logistics received the 2017 elogistics Tool Award from AKJ Automotive for its "Drone support in logistics" solution, implemented with the startup sitebots GmbH.

Smart glove makes scanners superfluous

In addition to drone technology, BLG Logistics is also testing the use of a smart glove with integrated operating elements to improve order picking at two locations. The smart glove is suitable for scanning processes from a short distance and enables faster and more efficient picking, as it makes conventional scanners superfluous. In addition, the pickers receive immediate feedback on their part selection via vibration, acoustics or LED light.

Wireless monitoring of sensitive products

In addition to using the smart glove, BLG Logistics is also testing the use of a cloud-based sensor solution to monitor the transportation of goods, for example when transporting body shell components by train within Germany. This form of mobile and wireless monitoring is particularly suitable for sensitive products such as electronic components and serves to detect damage at an early stage during transportation. A sensor installed in the respective transport unit transmits data on temperature, vibration or humidity via a browser, app or alert - around the clock. The sensor solution can be implemented with minimal effort, especially as no special infrastructure is required. Initial tests at BLG have been successful, so the logistics expert has decided to continue the test series in order to gather empirical values and test the application potential. Innovative projects such as these are driven forward by the BLG innovation team, who are encouraged to think outside the box and dare to do something with an entrepreneurial spirit.

www.blg-logistics.com/de