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With a fully automated warehouse concept, Siemens aims to increase productivity by 40 percent at the , which was founded in 1937. This should enable just-in-time supply to production in the production cycle. The new logistics system, in which Siemens has invested four million euros, underlines the plant’s position as a pioneer of .

According to the company, it used its own in-house technology throughout the planning and implementation of the project—from the digital twin of the system to the automation components and electric motors on the storage and retrieval machines. The project is also a further step towards the “” with the convergence of IT and OT.

Digital twin saves costs

As part of the planning, a digital twin of the warehouse, the adjacent main motor production and the entire material flow between production and the warehouse was created. This made it possible to optimize the warehouse, production and material flow processes even before construction. According to Siemens, the digital twin not only saved costs and avoided planning errors, but also increased planning reliability and accelerated commissioning.

In addition, the simulation via Digital Twin will enable data-based decisions to be made in future, for example on the optimum storage strategy, the integration of just-in-sequence supplies and the optimum production and picking sequence. The digital twin will thus become a strategic tool for future-proof, flexible and efficient intralogistics, the electronics group announced.

Warehouse as a decoupling buffer

Siemens AG

The warehouse serves as a decoupling buffer between the customer-anonymous prefabrication of the and and the order-specific assembly. According to Siemens, this decoupling enables greater flexibility and responsiveness in production. By buffering the stator and rotor, fluctuations in demand or disruptions in the upstream processes can be better absorbed without affecting the final assembly.

In addition, throughput times in final assembly are shortened as the required parts are provided from the warehouse just-in-time in the production cycle via a fast-picking zone with 21 picking ports. According to the company, around 3,100 pallets and more than 3,800 transport containers can be moved every day in three-shift operation.

This is based on the principle of “goods to people” instead of “people to goods” and reduces the error rate during order picking by 99 percent while simultaneously increasing productivity by 40 percent. Material circulation is also reduced by 40 percent.

This article originally appeared on .

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