Case Study, Brose Group, Kopřivnice (CZ)

INNOVATIVE TUGGER TRAIN SOLUTION ELIMINATES NEED FOR FORKLIFTS

Brose’s new five-aisle high-bay warehouse has 9,750 pallet positions, and is used to store reserve stock

SAP EWM calculates where the tugger train needs to stop on its journey, plans the routes and locations of trains, trailers and storage positions, and organises and controls all underlying processes

Innovative Tugger Train Solution Eliminates Need for Forklifts Brose, the world’s fifth largest family-owned automotive supplier, called on SSI Schaefer’s proven expertise when constructing its new distribution center in the Czech city of Ostrava. The one-stop solutions provider created inno-vative material flows for the highly dynamic supply of parts to Brose’s production line, managed using an SAP EWM solution tailored precisely to the customer’s needs.

By consolidating storage capacity inside the plant, the Brose Group aimed to cut shipment and external storage costs, streamline material flows, optimise production line supply processes and boost throughput. To achieve these goals, SSI Schaefer deployed a highly automated logistics solution.

Brose, Kopřivnice (CZ)

Project Objectives

� Consolidate storage capacity at production facility

� Reduce shipment costs

� Design material flows to ensure a dynamic supply of parts to the production line

� Enhance ergonomics

� Fully automate train loading process, managed using SAP EWM

� Ensure direct, optimised supply of materials

Our Scope of Supply and Services

� Compilation of logistics concept

� Simulation and design planning

� Turn-key installation (roof/wall/building technology, sprinklers, base plate)

� High-bay warehouse with storage and retrieval machines

� Automated small parts warehouse with storage and retrieval machines

� Pallet conveying system

� Tote conveying system

� Tugger train system

� Automated robotic depalletising

� Visualisation

� SAP EWM logistics software

Automatic depalletising takes place using an articulated arm robot that accepts the totes individually from unevenly loaded pallets and then moves them to the tote conveying system

The Project

First, SSI Schaefer constructed a five-aisle high-bay warehouse, with the goal of increasing capacity and streamlining intra- logistics. The warehouse provides storage for reserve stock, and is connected to an existing building via a bridge. It houses the goods-in area, the conveyor systems and processing points, plus an automated small parts warehouse.

Brose opted to pursue the goal of a forklift-free logistics facility. Totes supplying parts to the production line are loaded at four tugger train stations, located on the front end of the small parts warehouse. A train with four trailers arrives at the station where loading is due to take place. Once the train has reached the correct position, the totes are released, the locking roller lowers, and the totes roll onto the trailer positions.

Material flow at the distribution center is also highly innovative. SSI Schaefer has integrated a customised SAP EWM solution into the existing SAP infrastructure. This software manages warehouse and inventory tasks, and performs process and plant control. The pallet conveying system, vertical conveyors and robots that fully automate the depalletising process combine to ensure high material-flow efficiency.

The small parts warehouse totes are retrieved and transported to four tugger train stations. Once the train has reached the correct position, the user releases the totes, which then roll onto the trailer positions

The seven-aisle automated small parts warehouse can store up to 23,520 totes in three different sizes. Both

single-deep and double-deep storage are possible

Brose, Kopřivnice (CZ)

High-Bay Warehouse (HBW)L x W x H 23 x 87 x 22 m

Load carriers Euro pallets, mesh boxes, steel pallets

Storage positions 9,750

Weight Max. 1,000 kg

Type of storage Single deep

Ambient air temperature +5 to +20 °C

HBW – Storage and Retrieval Machines (SRM)SRM/aisles 5

Load handling device Telescopic fork

Traveling speed 180 m/min.

Lifting speed 48 m/min.

Throughput 200 pallets/h

Automated Small Parts System (Miniload)L x W x H 38 x 21 x 11 m

Load carriers Totes

Storage positions 23,520

Weight Max. 15 kg

Type of storage Double deep

Miniload – Storage and Retrieval Machines (SRM)SRM/aisles 7

Load handling device C-Gripp

Traveling speed 300 m/min.

Lifting speed 240 m/min.

Throughput 840 totes/h

Pallet Conveying System Components: roller conveyor, chain conveyor, in-feed/out-feed station, vertical conveyor, pallet turntable, 90° rotary conveyor, shuttle vehicles, pallet stacker/destacker, pallet stacking station

Tote Conveying System Components: belt and roller conveyors, turning station, scales, repacking tables, curved roller conveyor, belt diverter, console lift, S-shaped conveyor

Fully Automated Loading of Tugger Train and Supply of Parts to Production Line 4 tugger train stations

Warehouse Management System Logistics software SAP

Functionality - Warehouse management - Goods-in/shipping - Order picking - Material flow control - Visualisation - Radio data transmission system

www.ssi-schaefer.com

“The new solution allows for minimal manual handling, direct, optimized material provision, reduced effort by staff and enhanced ergonomics. By increasing plant automation, redefining our material flows and deploying an end-to-end SAP solution, we have simplified, streamlined and increased visibility into our processes, and have boosted our throughput, too. We are extremely pleased with this intelligent solution, which has fully automated the supply of parts to the production line.”

Claudia Vogel-Daniel, Project Coordinator, Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Coburg

No. 09102015en, © SSI Schäfer Noell GmbH. Printed in Germany. No liability for misprint.