Precise information is also provided on stock status, system status, performance and statistics. Areas in the warehouse can also be blocked so that maintenance work can be carried out.
It is possible to generate jobs, cancel jobs and assign different priorities to jobs. The system can be accessed here according to their user rights. Operators also have access to the WMS and the AGV job buffer. The interface shows a graphic display of the warehouse, indicating the position and status of the vehicles in real time. The system can be monitored via an operator interface at the control centre. The AGV control system constantly checks the optimum conditions for a transport job, so a job can be transferred from one vehicle to another just before the roll is picked up. Transport jobs can be altered right up until the time they are executed. This interface allows possible changes in production planning to be forwarded directly to the WMS and thus be taken into account when creating the warehouse strategy. A data interface provides the WMS with the master data for the rolls and the production data in order to create a process-related warehouse strategy. There are interfaces to the existing roll conveyor system and the Sappi Mill Execution System (MES). The scope of supply for the entire system at Sappi included the MetRo warehouse management system (WMS) and the AGV system. Transport jobs can be assigned from all operator terminals If another vehicle blocks the optimum route unexpectedly, an alternative route is selected. Transport logic calculates the optimum route for a transport job, taking into account the origin, the destination and the position and status of each individual vehicle in the system. The routes of these driverless transport vehicles are stored on each individual vehicle. When its route is clear again, continues on its journey. With this, he shows how the vehicles recognice their surroundings and detect obstacles promptly: the vehicle comes to a standstill five centimetres away from his foot. "We have had no accidents with the vehicles to date," says Manfred Rohling, standing in front of one of machines to demonstrate. One significant aspect is the safety offered by the AGVs. "Automated Guided Vehicles move more slowly than conventional forklift trucks," says Manfred Rohling, "but because they work constantly, they are generally more efficient than their predecessors." Rocla AGVs are very stable and can carry a load of up to five tonnes. Not one roll has been damaged since they were commissioned, nor have we had to search for one." "The vehicles operate reliably and do not take breaks. Manfred Rohling, departmental manager for this area, is very pleased with the performance and efficiency of the AGV and the MetRo WMS. A rotating laser detects the distances to the reflectors and calculates its position by means of triangulation.
The vehicles find their way around by means of the reflectors secured to the walls and supporting beams in the warehouse. No additional light source is required for operation of the AGVs. The AGV operating area is lit only dimly, thereby saving on additional costs. The dynamic storage strategy is adapted to the needs of customers by means of the production data. The MetRo WMS was developed jointly by Metsys and Rocla, and it is responsible for the management of the storage locations and allocation of transport requests to the AGV control system. This is why Sappi Alfeld decided to go for Rocla's AGVs and the MetRo warehouse management system (WMS). Transporting the paper rolls requires precision and meticulous work as the rolls can easily be damaged. This transport system, with its total of three vehicles, was commissioned in 2011. Rolls of paper weighing up to 5000 kilos are transported using Rocla's Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) at the Sappi Alfeld GmbH paper mill in Alfeld, south of Hanover in Germany in the Niedersachsen region. Investment in Rocla automated guided vehicles pays for itself after two to three years.
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