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Intelligent systems save energy

04.10.2013

Automatic frozen storage warehouses from viastore

Consumers are warming more and more to frozen foods. According to the German Frozen Food Federation, the annual per-capita consumption of such products in Germany amounts to over 40 kilograms, which means it has almost doubled over the past 20 years. In total, more than 3.3 million tons of frozen food are sold in Germany every year. This requires ever higher capacities along the entire supply chain, also in terms of storage and transshipment. There is a demand for secure, transparent and energy-saving solutions that ensure high process efficiency.

Frozen storage warehouses are needed not only in the fields of food production and distribution, but also in the medical technology and pharmaceutical industries. All these systems must all ensure an uninterrupted cooling chain, an efficient flow of goods and full product traceability. Manufacturers, dealers and service providers are bound to automate processes involving frozen products in order to create acceptable working conditions, reduce errors, make efficient use of space and save energy. After all, speed and quality are key factors in competition. As a supplier and modernizer of turn-key systems and distribution centers, storage-/retrieval machines (SRM), warehouse management systems (WMS) and SAP logistics solutions, viastore systems GmbH headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany offers its customers extensive expertise in this sector.

Planning and process design determine the level of (energy) efficiency

As a matter of principle, the technical procedures in a frozen storage warehouse must be designed to ensure an uninterrupted process chain and that goods are cooled to the right tempera ture at all times, whilst keeping power consumption as low as possible. For this reason, viastore maintains close cooperation not only with the system operator, but also with specialists in refrigerating technology, architecture and construction. As a first step, the viastore planning specialists determine the basic modules necessary to meet the specific requirements. The decisive factor is that the right goods are transported to the recipient in the required amount, efficiently and in the best possible quality. Basic modules include the process design and workflow management, the building structure, temperature zones and the passages between them, the individual dimensioning of refrigeration technology and methods, conveyor systems and SRM design, the order picking concept as well as the right software that maps all processes, ensuring a high level of transparency and traceability of goods storage including the management of batches, best-before dates and serial numbers. It is crucial to achieve the highest possible utilization rate in a space as small as possible, to keep the number of passageways down to a minimum and to design processes in such a way that the frequency and duration of door openings are diminished. All of these save energy.

Especially due to the high cost of energy it is also vital to minimize the outside radiating area and to insulate the base plate, roof and ceilings in accordance with the latest regulations to prevent loss of cold and damage resulting from thermal bridges or condensation. The connection of the system to existing or new building sections must be taken into consideration right from the planning stage. Ideally all passages between storage areas and areas of normal temperature should be equipped with air curtains or airlocks. Doors and portals must also be designed in compliance with refrigeration regulations and in addition frost heave protection must be ensured.

Not just any old refrigeration technology

Using the most appropriate refrigeration system saves energy too. Ideally each area of the warehouse is refrigerated constantly and this should be done at night when electricity costs are lower. Moreover, the impact of refrigeration on the rack structure and the fire protection system must be considered. It is impor- tant to create sufficient space for and access to evapor ators in the rack zones. As for fire protection, there are two possibilities: fire prevention through inertization (oxygen reduction) or firefighting using a sprinkler system with antifreeze agent.

The cooling system consists of the refrigerant, the compressor for refrigeration, a screw or a reciprocating compressor and the evaporator, which transfers the cooling capacity and distributes the air throughout the space to be cooled. The required performance of the refrigeration system should be achieved within an operating time of 14 to 16 hours.

Machine technology for minus 40 degrees Celsius and below

To ensure that SRMs and the conveyor system can operate smoothly, they must be equipped with freezer-grade technology. The drives must withstand temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius, and this also goes for the controllers, as well as the electronic and mechanical components. For example, photo sensors should be heatable so they do not fog up. Control cabinets must be heated or, if possible, located outside the refrigerated zone. Also, attention must be paid to using freezer-grade, food-grade or pharmaceutically compatible lubricating greases, oils and seals. Special demands regarding the corrosion resistance of metals also need to be taken into account.

Efficient order picking thanks to powerful software

Another major advantage of automatic systems is that the working conditions for warehouse operators are significantly improved. Storage and retrieval processes are performed by the SRMs. This means that order picking of deep-frozen items is based on the goods-to-man principle. It is important that the picking stations are ergonomically designed so that the employees do not have to lift heavy loads repetitively, and are not exposed to the low temperatures for an unnecessarily long period of time. The WMS has a decisive influence in this regard: It allows for picking aids such as pick-by-voice or light displays, and it also provides for a high level of transparency in the warehouse or distribution center through integrated management of batches, best-before dates and serial numbers according to EU Regulation 178/2002.

The WMS provides intelligent precalculations of all processes so they engage with each other smoothly and without loss of time. Moreover it ensures that every product is in the right place at the right time, from goods receipt, storage and order picking to goods issue so that the cooling chain will not be interrupted. Therefore the software quality should comply with international standards such as IFS, and validation according to GAMP should be possible.

The powerful viad@tWMS software package is fully scalable with regard to performance and functions. Every warehouse process is optimally controlled by the system based on flexible adjustable strategies. Operators can view all the information in real time. Operation and control of viad@tWMS is exactly adapted to the workflows in the warehouse. One scan or touch of a button is enough to immediately trigger the next processing steps. viad@t contains all the necessary modules for controlling the storage/ retrieval machines, the conveyor system and other mechanical components. Furthermore it also regulates the control and visualization of the complex material flow systems. viad@tWMS can be connected to third party products, such as freight-forwarding, customs or shipping software via standardized interfaces.

Saving energy the intelligent way

The energy saving potential in frozen storage warehouses and logistics centers is high. Specifically for this purpose, viastore has developed its ‘viastore blue’ energy-saving concept that looks not only at individual consumers, but considers the system as a whole. An intelligent management system avoids unnecessary goods movements and saves energy. To ensure efficient and economical operations, it is also possible to install energy-saving drives, utilize the released energy, design processes even more efficiently, pre-plan suitable packaging sizes and make better use of truck cargo capacity.

Proven in practical applications in the food and medical industries

Many successful international examples demonstrate viastore’s tried and tested expertise in frozen storage warehouses. In Friona in the U.S. state of Texas, viastore built a 20-aisle distribution refrigerated warehouse for Excel Beef Corporation. Included in the scope of delivery for the warehouse with approximately 80,000 cardboard storage locations were 20 IPC-controlled SRMs of the type viaspeed XL with two juxtaposed, single-deep load handling devices, as well as the conveyor system, the rack system and fire protection equipment. The load handling devices (lateral belt transfer), the inbound and outbound lanes and the rack system are designed for three different carton dimensions. Excel Beef is one of the largest meat producers in the U.S. and processes about 3,000 head of cattle daily.

Another automatic frozen storage warehouse was delivered to the Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols. viastore integrated this system into a logistics center in San Marcos (Texas, USA). It is used by Grifols to store blood plasma derivatives. At temperatures of minus 35 degrees Celsius, these derivatives must be stored safely and reliably, carefully labeled and delivered on time. The ware housing solution includes a one-aisle, double deep con tainer system, a 55 meter long roller conveyor, the viad@t warehouse management software and five workstations.

Conclusion

In an automatic frozen storage warehouse from viastore, the stored goods are continuously monitored, ensuring an uninterrupted cooling chain in the system and an optimum flow of material. With a large volume and low costs for staffing and administration, stocks are reduced and products spend less time in storage. The delivery spectrum of viastore includes the process design and workflow management, the building structure including insulation, the passageways between different temperature zones, the design of air conditioning and refrigeration technologies, the design of necessary technological equipment such as storage/retrieval machines and conveyor systems, integrated order picking solutions and the required software.



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