Logistics concepts for high requirements in flexibility, speed and precision

Acceleration and braking of a storage and retrieval machine instigates oscillations in the mast. This reciprocating motion proves costly with regard to time, as the mast must come to a standstill once again before the load suspension device can be directed into the bay. Moreover, this also exerts stress on the mechanics.

We provide two possibilities to suppress these oscillations:

• Sway control drive at the top of the mast
• Sway control package as a pure software solution (VIBX)

A storage and retrieval machine with sway control provides the following advantages:

• Increase of the throughput
• Increase of the warehouse capacity/warehouse height
• Potential reduction of construction costs
• Savings in energy due to the lower weights
• Material preserving
• Demonstration video
• Application example
  
  

Green Logistics is currently a major talking point. The SINAMICS S120 modular frequency converter is generally used for storage and retrieval machines. This enables a particularly energy-efficient method of operation in a variety of ways.

With our products, systems and concepts you can increase the energy efficiency of your storage and retrieval machines:

• Shared DC link:
  Travel gear and hoisting gear essentially exchange regenerative energy via the shared DC link
• Regenerative feedback:
  Excess regenerative energy is fed back into the supply system. Braking resistors are no longer required. The control cabinet air conditioning is less complex
• Energy storage:
  Energy can be buffered with particular efficiency in optional double layer capacitors for the next motor loading case
• Reactive power compensation in the supply system:
  The reactive power required on the line side by other loads (e.g. electric motors) can be compensated by our infeed.

A comprehensive and flexible safety concept is essential for storage and retrieval machines, both as protection for personnel and the machine and for optimization of the overall system. We offer our customers blocks for implementation of their safety concepts free of charge, with optimum coordination between automation engineering and drive technology. These run in a SIMATIC S7-F and are based on the Safety Integrated Functions of the SINAMICS S120.

Advantages of the Safety blocks for storage and retrieval machines include:

• Concepts for storage without buffer/reduced buffer
• Safety even for systems subject to slip
• Covering of monitoring typical for storage and retrieval machines (e.g. detection of slack rope or overload)
• TÜV-certified blocks according to EN 528

On a storage and retrieval machine featuring two independently powered friction wheels, mechanical redundancy and system drift will cause stresses in the mechanics and thus increased slip/wear. The velocity gearing ensures that the friction wheels maintain the same speed in the travel direction, irrespective of their radius. Additionally, the load distribution option distributes the load to both drives as the center of mass of the storage and retrieval machine shifts upon acceleration or braking.

Advantages of velocity gearing and load distribution for storage and retrieval machines featuring two powered friction wheels include:

• Reduced wear to ensure longer service life
• Increase in dynamic response for shorter positioning times