How to Consolidate and Improve the Operation of a TIER-1 Logistics Warehouse

In the process of outsourcing functions from automobile manufacturers to their TIER-1s, the responsibility of providing the necessary materials according to the times set by their JIT production method has also been extended. This means that the TIER-1 must manage the pressure of stock flexibility.

One of the maxims of JIT is to minimize stock. Therefore, a TIER-1 company always has a facility close to the manufacturer’s facilities, as it requires short replenishment times. This facility may or may not have production functions for the product to be supplied, but it certainly has the function of a logistics warehouse.

Any company in the Automotive Auxiliary sector must provide excellent service to its customers, since, worldwide, it only has just over a dozen potential customers. Failures cannot be allowed. The logistics warehouse is of critical importance, since in the eyes of the customer it is the point of supply, so a failure in this facility is difficult to resolve.

For some time now, automation has proven to be a great help for warehouse management, reducing response times with smaller productions, minimizing efforts and traceability failures. However, this evolution also entails its risks; having machinery and devices implies that, in the event of any unforeseen behavior, it must be possible to investigate what is happening and how to return to the previous state.

This lack of knowledge of the state of the facility has a special risk in a TIER-1 for the reasons mentioned above. If the appropriate tools are not available, any problems in devices or systems that are not resolved with a replacement may lead to discoordinations or delays that lead to non-compliance with the customer. Therefore, in order to ensure an excellent level of automated service, it is always advisable to have:

• Knowledge of communications

Communications are a part of the system that is linked to all devices in general and to none in particular, so if they cause problems it is always difficult to trace where they come from. Currently, the most used communications at warehouse level are the Profibus and Profinet field buses.

Paradoxically, although its use is massive, knowledge about them in case of problems is scarce. Having continuous analysis and rapid diagnosis tools, together with knowledge about the technology, is considered essential to ensure its correct use and anticipate possible problems that may arise in these networks.

• Possibility of Fast Recovery of controllers

A high level of automation implies having many controllers or PLCs throughout the warehouse that manage operations and coordinate the other devices.

In the same way as communications, a failure of these is not recovered with a replacement. Usually, in a logistics warehouse there are two types of failures in PLCs. :

1. The first is that ‘someone’ has modified the program and it has faults or errors, at that moment you must return to the previous programming and either it is not saved or it has not been documented what changes have been made.
2. The second classic problem is that the PLC breaks down and another needs to be installed with the program that was running on the broken one.

In both cases, the solution involves having a backup management system with the ability to detect changes in the programs themselves.

• Having an HMI with the current possibilities

Not all areas of a warehouse (loading and unloading docks, picking, storage, orders, handling, shipping, …) have the same degree of automation, but part of the work needs to be manual. However, the entire process must be perfectly coordinated. Therefore, in manual work areas, tools that allow integrating information from these with the integral management system of the warehouse and in turn allow an agile and intuitive method of interaction between the panel and the operator should be used.

This function has been traditionally covered by HMIs, but these have already ceased to be an isolated screen where data can only be displayed with hardly any logic capacity. Today there are powerful tools that perfectly fit the needs of a logistics warehouse.

A local HMI, a TIER-1 must demand:

• Be standard.
• With the ability to integrate with a multitude of PLCs and also management systems and databases.
• Visually powerful
• with logic capacity to send alarms or react to an event
• if possible, that allows it to be as reusable as possible to be able to install it in the different warehouses of the company.

Having this type of solution not only avoids incidents, but also consolidates the automation of the warehouse in such a way that, as the incidents are less, the internal stock itself can also be reduced, with the economic advantages that this entails. Going one step further, all the information will be well stored to be able to incorporate BigData tools and anticipate customer needs or possible internal problems that may arise.

If you would like more information about us or our solutions focused on how to improve the automation and digitization of a warehouse, do not hesitate to visit us at the matcongress or ask us for more information.