move-e-star increases efficiency of inhouse logistics

HIT Hafen- und Industrietechnik delivers hightech transport system

Wardenburg 8.12.2016

The automation technology and the control systems provided by HIT Hafen- und Industrietechnik GmbH are used all over the world. Soon a leading company in the field of metal processing will apply the hightech developed, build and delivered by HIT. At the customer’s plant in northern Germany, two move-e-star low-floor transport vehicles will be used to carry metal blocks and panels between the processing stations and the warehouses.

„We will deliver the first of the two move-e-stars at the beginning of May 2016. The second system unit will follow a few weeks later”, announced the CEO of HIT, Dr. Peter Schinzing, after the completion of the order.

HIT Hafen- und Industrietechnik will not only supply the transport unit move-e-star, but will also design and program the automatic guidance system. This ensures that the vehicle moves inside the halls just as along a road network. The engineering company from Wardenburg will also provide the interface by which the guidance system of the move-e-stars will be able to receive driving instructions and directions from the customer’s resource planning and warehouse system.

The transport platforms move fully independently across the halls. This is possible because of the RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology. For this purpose, small chips are placed inside the hall floors. These will be read and recognized by the sensors integrated in the move-e-stars. “Hence our AGV´s know their position exactly at any time“, said Andreas Thölke, technical director at HIT. The guidance system also recognises when the move-e-star should drive to the charging station. The drive unit is purely electric powered by a rechargeable lithium battery.

Heavy loads between five and 120 tons can be transported in very tight spaces or narrow aisles due to the modular design of the system. The system designed for this customer carries up to five tons. Moreover, the transport platform can be positioned and lifted with millimeter precision. This means that the move-e-star is able to autonomously pick up the loads laid on transport jigs.

The drive axles, in which the traction drive, the steering and the lifting system are integrated, are the centerpiece of the move-e-star. The transport platform is equipped according to the individual needs of the operator. The supports are designed to be rotatable. „Thereby, the customer can carry with the same unit both unprocessed materials and finished, processed products“, explained Andreas Thölke.

A major benefit for the customer is the high flexibility. The warehouses can be restacked during the night. Until now these tasks were carried out by forklifts commanded by human drivers. Having the appropriate programming, the move-e-stars can handle the transports needs of the customer completely independently.