Thinking intralogistics further – with digitalization!
New challenges in a rapidly growing market
The intralogistics sector is facing new challenges, at least because of the rapid growth of e-commerce. Growing inventory turnover rates with ever-shorter storage periods, small order quantities with fast delivery times, increasing return rates, and increased delivery quantities on short notice all require flexible, scalable intralogistics processes with maximum reliability and availability. As your technology partner, Siemens plays a key role in meeting these challenges.
Digitalization – the key competitive edge
We help machine manufacturers and end customers to access the advantages of digitalization with our consistent end-to-end portfolio for all key warehouse technologies. Equipping autonomous guided vehicles, conveyors and automated storage systems with seamlessly integrated automation and drive systems is just one part of our offering. It also includes developing new solutions for challenges of today and tomorrow by means of targeted use of the digital twin and the unique combination of our industry expertise, automation products, PLM software and cloud-based IoT operating systems.The digital twin: real optimization from the virtual world
Digital twin virtual operation warehouse
The digital twin of warehouse operation enables the digital design, simulation, verification and optimization of all intralogistics processes before the start of physical implementation.
Our portfolio
Digital twin virtual operation material handling equipment
The digital twin of material handling equipment can be used to digitally plan, simulate, forecast, and optimize these systems, whether they are manual, automated or a combination of both. This enables verification and optimization of throughput capacity and efficiency in an early concept phase. Mechanical and electrical equipment and the automation of the material transport systems can also be simulated, along with the automatic generation of PLC codes as the starting point for virtual commissioning. This enables significant time savings and quality improvements in the PLM process.
Our portfolio
Digital twin real operation material handling equipment
The digital twin material handling equipment has shown in the virtual world that the designs and planning are ready for transfer to real operation. Material handling equipment can now be efficiently and reliably operated.
Our portfolio
Digital twin real operation warehouse
The operation of material handling equipment generates large amounts of valuable data. This data must be collected and analyzed in order to obtain information from data-generating equipment and application-specific knowledge. Examples:
- Machine status in distributed systems
- Power consumption
- Maintenance information
- Analysis of operating conditions as a trend analysis
- Comparison of real and planned operating conditions to close the feedback loop with the planning phase
To achieve further optimization, systems must be made transparent and data analyzed in distributed, heterogeneous environments. This involves not just obtaining and analyzing data but also linking the data analysis with equipment- and application-specific knowledge. MindSphere, the cloud-based open IoT operating system from Siemens, provides all options for these operations.
Our portfolio
Material handling equipment – safe, reliable and efficient
Material handling equipment needs to do one thing extremely well: It needs to function smoothly and reliably. So much the better if they can achieve that with minimal power consumption and completely automatically, because then they increase throughput and reduce operating costs while improving your plant's environmental balance.
Automated storage systems
Energy efficiency, speed, compactness, and high availability – with these four aspects, we meet all the key needs of our customers. Our integrated automation solutions based on SIMATIC controls and SINAMICS drives offer greater system efficiency and our compact servo motors with high power density enable a lean, high-capacity system design that is viable for the future. We also reduce the energy requirement of automated storage systems with an energy recovery option, multi-axis drives with a common DC link, energy storage options, energy-optimized movements and high-efficiency IE3 and IE4 motors and geared motors. Another benefit: The high speed and positioning accuracy of our speed-controlled drives that use software control to avoid slowdowns due to vibration, thereby optimizing throughput.
Efficient conveyor and sortation systems
We offer our customers central and distributed SINAMICS drive systems with various installation options and functions for the construction and operation of efficient conveyor and sortation systems. The distributed models have motor-mounted and wall-mounted implementations with integrated I/Os for sensors and actuators – optimal for plant manufacturers. To ensure a viable automation that is future-proof, we offer a fully scalable portfolio for all demands on performance and complexity, whether centralized in the control cabinet or distributed in modules in the field. An important factor in the investment phase is ensuring future viability of the automation system. In addition to speed-optimized drives, we also offer energy-optimized operation of the drives, with optional energy recovery for lifting devices as well as high-efficiency IE3 und IE4 motors and geared motors. And with Safety Integrated, we offer a concept with maximum reliability and flexibility for functional safety of your machines or plant with very low expenditure for engineering and commissioning.
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs)
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) play an important role in a scalable and dynamic design for your logistics center. The SIMOVE AGV system platform combines automation and drive components from Siemens with modular, pretested software. It enables machine manufacturers and end customers to automate their AGV application "out of the box". With standardized and open interfaces, SIMOVE supports the integration of applications from third-party suppliers. AGV manufacturers benefit from reduced planning and engineering effort as well as shorter commissioning time. End customers can use SIMOVE to easily configure various AGVs for their specific requirements. Thanks to standardized automation and drive components, SIMOVE can be seamlessly integrated in existing logistics and production environments.
