 Seeberger chose the compact Rocla ATX12 trucks for transportation tasks. |
Leading German dried fruits and nuts producer Seeberger GmbH has built up its transportation automation using Rocla's Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs).
Seeberger found AGVs to be the best logistics system for the manufacturer's transportation tasks. Five Rocla AGVs were selected to transport raw materials from the Seeberger factory warehouse to the production halls.
The company's new raw materials hall in Ulm was opened during the northern summer of 2013. The new hall with high shelves is connected with a bridge to the production halls.
A large number of products is transported daily and an automated transportation system was chosen for cost-effectiveness. Automation was not only needed for the transportation of the finished goods, but also for the delivery of raw materials to the packing machines.
Fruit and nut trundles are not very heavy and Seeberger chose the compact Rocla ATX12 trucks for the transportation tasks. The automation system is built up on the MetRo warehouse management system from Rocla Solutions Oy.
Project engineer Marc Eberhardt is satisfied with the Rocla AGVs. "Here in Ulm, we have a warehouse automation system with high shelves. This, in combination with the transport efficiency of the Rocla AGV trucks, guarantees that the right things are always in the right place on time. This way, we also have a constant, real-time overview of the warehouse and the material flow."
Eberhardt is one of Seeberger's four project engineers and was involved in the deployment of the AGV system.
"We had a profound planning phase, which was followed by a testing phase. Then we took the AGVs into use gradually. We invested enough time in all the phases, so that the result would be the best possible. The system has been working perfectly, and we have needed hardly any corrections," Eberhardt explains.
The AGVs move quite slowly around the warehouse, but constant movement makes them effective. The automatic transport vehicles do not need "coffee breaks or holidays", says Marc Eberhardt, who estimates that the trucks pay themselves back in three to four years.
The Seeberger production facility has a ramp with a 9% angle, and the AGVs use the ramp to move goods. The ramp floor is covered with a special coating for more effective friction and for optimal braking power.
Rocla and Seeberger developed a special detection system for the AGVs to help them to move on the ramp. The system, which slows the trucks down on the ramp, uses a magnetic switch, which works through magnetic molding built in the floor. This system also ensures that the AGVs don't drive too fast on the ramp.
The Seeberger GmbH factory in Ulm employs about 500 workers. The Seeberger family business will soon celebrate its 170th anniversary. The corporation has grown rapidly over the past few decades. It claims to be the leading producer of dried fruits and nuts in Germany, and is also known for its quality coffee products.