At SEW-EURODRIVE’s production site in Graben-Neudorf, Germany, a fully automated production buffer warehouse demonstrates how sensing technology can provide the intelligence needed to connect these processes safely and accurately.
The warehouse forms part of the company’s smart factory for the production of shafts and gear parts and acts as a buffer between gear and shaft production, hardening and subsequent machining processes. Designed and implemented by intralogistics specialist SIVAplan, the single-aisle high-bay warehouse incorporates 2,300 storage locations across two racks measuring more than 76 metres in length.
Two automated stacker cranes operate between the racks, transporting special hardening racks weighing up to 510kg. Meanwhile, mobile robots transfer finished components between production and the warehouse via four material transfer stations.
For such an interconnected system to operate safely, accurate detection and positioning are critical.
Safety at the point of transfer
Leuze sensor technology plays a role across multiple stages of the warehouse operation, beginning where mobile robots deliver materials to the storage system.
Two RSL 400 safety laser scanners are installed above each material transfer station. Their vertical protective fields secure access to the system and allow the mobile robot to enter once it has successfully registered. Once the vehicle has passed through, the protective area returns to its closed state.
This approach enables automated material transfer while maintaining a clearly defined safety zone for personnel working around the system.
At the same stations, MLC 530-SPG safety light curtains allow employees to manually unload and inspect racks when required. Their Smart Process Gating technology means that additional muting sensors are not required, helping to achieve a compact installation while maintaining the required safety performance.
Accuracy from detection to storage
Automation is only as effective as the accuracy with which materials can be identified, inspected and positioned. At SEW-EURODRIVE, Leuze sensors support this process throughout the warehouse.
After a rack has been transferred by an automated vehicle, HT25C diffuse sensors detect its presence and control the conveyor system. CML 720i measuring light curtains then check the rack’s external contours as it passes through the inspection station. Industrial IP cameras provide additional images for the inspection process.
Once the rack has been checked, the stacker crane takes over. FBPS 600i safety barcode positioning systems provide precise position detection for the cranes’ travel and lifting axes. Continuous monitoring of position and velocity is particularly important because both cranes operate on the same rail.
The positioning system also contributes to pedestrian safety within the warehouse. Defined safety envelopes can be switched according to the operating situation, allowing the stacker cranes to be safely held in specific sections when personnel need to cross the aisle.
At the final stage, an IPS 200i camera-based sensor provides fine positioning within the individual storage compartment. This enables the rack to be accurately transferred into its designated location without the need for multiple diffuse sensors.
Building flexibility into automation
The SEW-EURODRIVE application illustrates how modern warehouse automation depends on more than automated vehicles and storage equipment. Behind every movement is a network of sensing, safety and positioning technologies that allow machines, materials and people to interact reliably.
For manufacturers, this level of integration can also provide valuable flexibility. The automated buffer warehouse allows production processes to be decoupled, helping to absorb peak loads while supporting continuous material flow. Its modular design also provides scope for future adaptations and expansion.
As warehouses become increasingly connected and automated, sensor technology will remain fundamental to making these systems work safely and efficiently. From safeguarding access and detecting materials to measuring, positioning and monitoring movement, the right sensing infrastructure can turn a collection of automated machines into a coordinated logistics system.
At SEW-EURODRIVE, the combination of SIVAplan’s intralogistics expertise and Leuze’s sensor technology demonstrates what is possible when automation is designed as an integrated system – from the arrival of a rack at the warehouse to its precise placement within the high-bay storage environment.
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