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Energy saving technologies in modern storage systems by KNAPP

28.01.2010

KNAPP succeeded in implementing the perfect solution, tailor-made to the customer’s needs, to permanently reduce the running expenses.

The fully-automatic Clarks distribution centre has an impressive size of 28,000 sqm, with a throughput of 200,000 pairs of shoes per hour, 25 stacker cranes handling 480,000 carton storage locations and 1,200 motors. Of course, at this size, a warehouse will also see high energy costs. As energy costs have risen significantly in the last few years and the concept of environmental protection has become increasingly important, KNAPP succeeded in implementing the perfect solution, tailor-made to the customer’s needs, to permanently reduce the running expenses.

The shoe manufacturer Clarks is one of the most successful companies in England. Today, Clarks produces some 41 million pairs of shoes per year, has 13,000 employees and, with a turnover of 1.4 billion euros, is one of the largest companies in the industry. Due to the increased order volume and throughput, a distribution centre with a capacity of 6 million pairs of shoes, designed for a daily throughput of 200,000 pairs, was installed in Somerset, England.

Energy saving through intelligent control systems

An analysis of the customer’s operating processes showed that various areas of the system are not utilized to their full capacity at all times. This is where the energy saving concept starts head on and tries to use only the required components to the extent necessary. Thus KNAPP adapts the energy supply to the current throughput. And to ensure the measures are user-friendly and convenient, all processes are fully-automatic.

The energy requirements for the entire system are minimized through the energy management software. With consistently high throughput, this is achieved by continuously monitoring power input, pre-calculating and optimizing the movement orders of the stacker cranes and by automatically adjusting the performance data. With these measures, the system’s high performance is maintained and no energy is lost. The KNAPP conveyor system transports the shoe cartons between the individual warehouse areas. The intelligent control system ensures that only those partial conveyors actually required to transport the cartons are automatically activated.

Monitoring with KiSoft i-POINT

With KiSoft i-POINT, Clarks can easily monitor and operate the entire warehouse from one control centre. The warehouse is displayed authentically in one or more images visualizing the control units within the facility. To save energy, the in-house technician can deactivate the automatic stop-on-demand system section by section. This function is especially useful, for example, when testing new system components outside of production times.

In addition, with KiSoft i-POINT, specific sub-areas can be taken out of operation temporarily. These areas are adapted to match the logistical flow of materials. In case of a required stop – such as for a scheduled maintenance – the software can divert cartons to an alternative conveyor. This function makes maintenance and ensuring availability of the logistics system a great deal easier.

Optimization through technical know-how

In addition to the various technical components, the expertise of system technicians also plays a significant role. Throughout system startup, the energy consumption of the compressors is optimized by KNAPP’s in-house technicians on site. Infrared cameras, already proven successful in a number of fields, were also used in the analysis.

The intelligent power saving concept, besides cutting energy costs, leads to reduced stress on mechanical elements, and thus, fewer spare parts are required. The improved maintainability during operation also increases system availability. The main goal at Clarks was to reduce energy consumption, with an impressive result of 15% energy reduction to show for.
 



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