Two questions for Mario Reif, Strategic Industry Manager Retail, Global Industry Center Logistics Automation, Intralogistics, Sick AG:

materiafluss: Which products do you want to score points with in the autumn and what makes them stand out?
Mario Reif: We have expanded our product portfolio in order to offer our customers in the warehouse and conveyor technology sector additional added value and thus strengthen them against their competitors. In doing so, we focused primarily on the flexibility and scalability of fulfillment methods (omnichannel logistics). Our identification solutions, consisting of camera-based code readers, barcode scanners, vision sensors, RFID and handheld scanners, are constantly being developed further. They are 4Dpro labeled and include standardized connection technology, a standardized user interface and a standardized accessory concept.

One promising application is the automatic recognition of dangerous goods labels. The standards and regulations for the transportation and inspection of packages containing dangerous goods (e.g. lithium batteries) are becoming stricter every year. At the same time, the CEP industry is under increasing pressure to speed up the unloading and sorting process. One solution is the automatic identification of certain parcels, such as those marked as dangerous goods. The identification line scan camera recognizes dangerous goods labels and can simultaneously identify 1D and 2D codes. This allows our customers to separate dangerous goods so that they can be checked at a manual station. Such a solution will replace the time-consuming and cost-intensive manual sorting during unloading.

The master data recording of objects in goods receipt is particularly important for the optimal utilization of existing storage capacities. The determined volume and weight data can be used to allocate storage locations depending on the object. In e-commerce, the optimum packaging size of the picked order can be achieved by recording the volume and weight data of the smallest packaging unit that can be ordered.

3D solutions for flexible automation in intralogistics also enable efficiency gains, as real shape data of objects can be generated with millimetre accuracy, independent of color and contrast. With the new TriSpectorP1000, 3D, 2D and profile inspections of moving parts - such as packages on a conveyor belt - are possible. With the SICK AppSpace, the 3D camera can be individually programmed according to customer requirements. The microScan3 Core is the safety laser scanner from SICK for safeguarding hazardous areas, access points and danger zones. The safeHDDM scanning technology increases the reliability of the microScan3 and is resistant to dust and ambient light.

mfl: Is the impression deceptive or are sensors the key to even greater efficiency, speed or precision in modern intralogistics?
Reif: The impression is not misleading: the pressure for intelligent rationalization and increased efficiency is still great. The "smart factory" envisaged in connection with Industry 4.0 in particular offers development opportunities. This is because networking can only be implemented if robust and intelligent sensor technology captures reality in the form of data and provides this data in the quality required for Industry 4.0. For a long time, internal logistics was neglected. Sensor technology and sensor intelligence are becoming drivers, as they can identify potential for improvement more quickly and solutions can be implemented immediately.

Two questions for Andreas Schenk, Product Manager Wireless, steute Technologies GmbH & Co. KG:

materiafluss : Which products do you particularly want to score points with in the autumn and what makes them stand out?
Andreas Schenk: Intralogistics is the core target market for our sWave.NET wireless network, which we have used to implement applications in AGV fleets, mobile e-kanban racking and picking stations, for example. In the coming months, we will be focusing on the presentation of a new wireless sensor that we have developed specifically for a defined area of application in intralogistics. This sensor detects whether a small parts container is on the roller conveyor of a Kanban rack, for example, and sends a signal to the higher-level control system via the access points of the wireless network. A large rocker is used as the actuating element, the position of which is detected by an integrated position sensor without contact.

The angle of inclination and the switching hysteresis at which a signal is triggered can be set. With this sensor, which can be mounted universally and without tools, we are very specifically addressing the manufacturers and users of E-Kanban systems. In practice, users utilize these wireless position sensors for replenishment control in shelving systems: When the last container is removed, the sensor sends a signal to the wireless receiver. Alternatively, staggered signals can also be emitted. Several wireless sensors in a row of shelves then also report the removal of the third or penultimate container.

mfl: Is the impression deceptive or are sensors the key to even greater efficiency, speed or precision?

Schenk: The impression is not misleading. In automated intralogistics systems, the sensors are effectively the "sensory organs" of the control loops. However, the current progress in sensor technology is achieved more through their networking and their integration into higher-level communication systems than through major leaps in the development of the sensors themselves. This is why we are also focusing heavily on expanding and extending the functionalities of our wireless network for intralogistics. A current example is the Sensor Bridge as a new central software interface. As classic middleware, this software interface processes all messages received from the wireless switching devices and sensors in the field and bundled by the access points, and passes them on to the applications registered for this purpose. The Sensor Bridge thus closes the gap between the high safety requirements in the warehouse or in order picking and the networked world of digital services. Here - in the infrastructure of wireless networks for intralogistics - there is still potential for improvement, which we will tap into and thus open up new fields of application for wireless sensor technology.