Completed WMS projects

Kasto Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

Intelligent Stacking Cradle Systems offer utilization potentials for different applications - ESWE Versorgungs-AG

Customers

ESWE Versorgungs-AG Wiesbaden

Completion

22.07.2003

Branch

  • Metal- and plasticsworking industry

Description

Task description

In metal distribution, in the metal processing industry, in public service companies or in job shops, the responsible parties for material flow and production are recognizing the rationalization potentials that lie dormant in the area of internal material logistics. The process chain starts with the unloading of material, affects the economic space-saving storage and ends with the shipment of semi-finished or finished products. Most of the heavy and bulky bar stock, cut-pieces, remnants, sheet metals or other bulky goods have to be stored and moved in a way that they can be moved in and out at short notice and that they are available for on time shipment. Access to these goods has to be quick and easy without too much effort.

A common storage system for bar stock, flat or bulky goods - for small to medium access frequencies - is the storage in stacking cradles, where a large number of the previously mentioned items can be stored on a small footprint and commissioned. The so far used conventional systems only allowed a single lift, which means the restacking of one cradle layer, resulting in slow restacking cycles. Therefore, the system was only used where it made undisputed economic sense or where the stacking heights could be kept low.

To avoid these disadvantages, KASTO analyzed the stacking cradle storage some years ago and has worked out an new concept giving all companies with material flow problems when storing bar stock, flat and bulky goods an interesting alternative. The advantages of the patented intelligent Stacking Cradle System UNIBLOC are, besides others, the new possibility of multiple lifts and easy handling. To lift or deposit the cradles – either individual cradle layers or multiple layers at the same time - the locking and unlocking of the grippers is done by lowering or lifting the spreader beam . A large selection of spreader beams allows KASTO to find a solution for each application: For single or multiple lifts, combined with magnetic operation or as an automated system.

If different lengths need to be stored, telescopic spreader beams are available. For special applications, special versions can be easily designed. From the beginning, KASTO paid attention to the ability to automate the stacking cradle systems to make a solution for economic commissioning with automated material provision available.

Repair material storage at an energy utility company
Not only bar stock but also bulky goods can be stored in the KASTO Stacking Cradle System UNIBLOC. For example, ESWE Versorgungs-AG Wiesbaden took a new path when planning a new building to store repair material for their networks of power, gas and water and district heating to store raw material and cable drums. In order to utilize the available space optimally, PE tubes or cast tubes as well as wooden poles were stored and stacked in cradles. With the intention to utilize the available room height to a maximum, the typical floor storage for the very bulky cable drums was a thing of the past. They are now stored on top of each other in appropriate fixtures. In this project, KASTO Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG was again able to win the bidding and delivered 152 cradles for bar stock, 52 cradles for cable drums and two spreader beams – one for bar stock and one for cable drums.One of the several reasons for this decision was the far better and cleaner access to the load carriers than with the conventional technology. The decisive factor for the chosen storage technology inside the building was the needed quality of the storage, for example, to avoid rotting of the PE-tubes due to sun damage. An optimization of space resources was anyhow absolutely necessary. The Managers at ESWE mention that the handling of the different materials has improved considerably. Due to the improved ergonomics, everything can be moved by crane where previously outside help was necessary. And all this was accompanied by cost savings due to more available space and better handling ergonomics. To be able to react effectively around the clock in case of repair deployment, all 40 employees were trained on how to use the crane together with the cradle spreader beam. According to the employees, this new way of storage has proven itself extremely well.

This examples shows that intelligent stacking cradle systems offer users in the steel distribution, distribution, supply companies, in industry and job shops improvement potentials by using only little space, having high access speeds and better handling. For each individual task the appropriate cradles or cradle fixtures as well as the appropriate transport spreader beams, are available. For an increased turnover requirement, a fully automatic computer controlled stacking cradle solution is available. It offers a further increase in productivity, is more economic and is a competition force. For a task-oriented stacking cradle system that is properly designed according to the required task, amortization is only a question of time: The quantifiable rationalization success -compared to conventional technology – is immediately obvious.

Contact person

Lieselotte Kamateh

Telephone: +49 (7841) 61 - 180

lieselotte.kamateh@kasto.de