Leading sensor manufacturer, SICK has expanded production capacity and streamlined intralogistics at its factory in Hungary with automation from KNAPP.
SICK recently expanded its plant in Kunsziget, where 800 of its 10,000 employees work. To handle increasing order volumes, the company added three new halls – one for goods-in, one for small parts storage and picking, and a fourth manufacturing hall.
In partnership with KNAPP, the company has automated its production logistics with a fleet of automated mobile robots (AMRs), an automated small parts warehouse, goods-to-person picking stations and SAP® EWM software. The end-to-end automation solution enables just-in-time deliveries to the production areas, optimises material flows and maximises transparency for stock management.
Efficient internal transport
KNAPP supplied 27 of its Open Shuttle AMRs to form the backbone of the plant’s internal transport. They connect the new warehouse directly with the manufacturing halls by dropping off containers at 30 flow racks in the production area and taking the finished parts back for storage. The just-in-time solution means SICK can minimise stock levels while maximising the availability of parts.
The Open Shuttles do not rely on physical infrastructure for their navigation. The technology provides a dynamic solution, with KNAPP’s KiSoft Fleet Control System (FCS) enabling reconfiguration of the layout and processes of the AMRs with just a few clicks of a mouse. The intelligent Open Shuttles undertake path planning, as well as obstacle detection and avoidance to ensure safety. The solution uses swarm intelligence to evenly distribute tasks among the AMRs and optimise their routes.
Automated warehouse
The automated small parts warehouse, which supplies all the production areas from a central point, features a stacker crane that serves four aisles and 28 levels. Unfinished and part-finished goods are stored in three different types of container at the 52,000 storage locations. Directly connected to the automated store are two of KNAPP’s ergonomically designed Pick-it-Easy workstations, which enable efficient goods-to-person picking, guided by screens. The solution allows SICK to store and retrieve goods, supply parts to production just in time and optimise use of space – all fully automatically.
Seamless control
The decentralised SAP® EWM solution serves as a warehouse management system (WMS) and warehouse control system (WCS). The SAP® EWM MFS (Material Flow System) by KNAPP controls the automation directly, orchestrating all the movements in the warehouse without any external middleware or additional control levels.
Scalable solution
The entire logistics system and SAP® EWM landscape at the Kunsziget factory have been designed to allow the addition of further manufacturing halls in the future, allowing SICK to expand production rapidly and efficiently when required.
KNAPP UK
Tel: 01865 965 000
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