Fully linked material flow processes

The overall structural renovation of the USZ is a key factor for the hospital. At its heart are two buildings - designed by architects Christ & Gantenbein - for the medical focus on cardiovascular medicine and emergencies. They are due to go into operation in 2028. State-of-the-art infrastructure and the latest generation of medical technology will be installed here. All processes and material flows have to be completely redesigned and implemented. Fully linked across all floors, the new intralogistics system will be the link between all service units and medical processes. The aim is to provide all the material required for all treatments in the right form, at the right time and in the right place in a fully automated process.

In future, for example, all medication will be delivered to all departments from a central medication distribution platform. The materials required in the operating theater will be put together in modular form in the warehouse and delivered directly to their destination. Food will be taken directly from the central kitchen in the basement to the hotel outlets. A fully automated warehouse delivers the required spare parts precisely to the defective medical equipment - exactly where they are needed, without stopping and at the right place.

In addition to logistical supply, the international tender called for demanding criteria: cross-system compatibility, networking and transparency, scalability, space efficiency and low operating costs. To master such challenges, Servus begins every project with a workshop. Together with the customer, the ideal situation is first precisely defined. On this basis, a tailor-made concept is created for all processes in order to automate them in a sensible, value-adding and cost-efficient manner. Servus can respond to individual customer needs with its versatile modular logistics system; thanks to its flexibility, it covers all logistics areas.

Transport robots as a pick-up and delivery service

Servus has developed the intelligent Medarc transport robot especially for the specific requirements of hospitals. All stations supply the robot fully automatically with materials in a wide variety of containers - just-in-time according to the pull principle. The Servus system can be used flexibly both horizontally and vertically. In the USZ, lifting stations up to 46 meters high are used in places. The Servus system is characterized by ease of use, fast access to all goods and full transparency of all processes and stocks. This allows the medical staff to concentrate on their actual tasks - while Servus takes care of the storage, provision and transportation of all required materials.

Medical logistics is a future-oriented business field with huge potential. Hardly any other industry places such high quality demands on its partners as hospital and medical technology. This is because the slightest deviation can make the difference between life and death. For this reason, all specifications must also be adhered to in logistics along the entire process chain. Servus' expertise stems primarily from decades of experience with customized industrial solutions, but the company has also had customers in the medical technology sector for many years. Hospital logistics opens up a further growth segment. Servus is currently expanding its main site in Dornbirn.

"The development of an innovative, cleanroom-compatible logistics system was not only associated with very high investments for us, but also with enormous commitment and a lot of passion," says Christian Beer, Managing Director of Servus Intralogistics. "We are therefore all the more pleased that our pioneering work in the medical logistics and hospital management segment has paid off and that we were able to win the order for the complete intralogistics system from one of the most important hospitals in Europe. In addition to the economic interest, it means a great deal to us that our solutions can make a contribution to increasing efficiency and quality in the healthcare sector."

The article appeared in materialfluss 6/22.