DC Velocity - November 2016

r o ll o ut s

AUTOMATION FOR E-COMMERCE

For Quick, Seamless Installation Built & Tested In Our Facility

1249 N. Warson Road Saint Louis, MO 63132

Innovative storage solution: As a manufacturer of high-bay automated storage and retrieval cranes and sophisticated pallet conveyors, Dambach has introduced DSE, its new “Dambach Smart Energy” Management technology. This new technology can be applied in all stacker cranes and compact shuttles.

Items such as rail-guided stacker cranes, shuttles, and transfer cars are among the most important elements when it comes to performance in intralogistics. So their energy requirements are correspondingly important. The DSE is an application designed to reduce peak currents from the building power mains, resulting in energy savings, increased efficiency, and lower infrastructure costs.

The stacker cranes of the Dambach Mono, 18m (pallet/unit), and EKT (mini load) series can be fitted with the energy-control system DSE. The stacker cranes are full electric hybrids in this configuration. With only 15 to 20 percent of the power required at any moment by the classic mains supply, the remaining 80 to 85 percent comes from the high-performance power caps mounted on the stacker crane. DSE increases the productivity of an automated warehouse system as well as the rail-guided stacker cranes’ efficiency.

Using the existing mains supply can increase the performance of the rail-guided stacker cranes. The additional energy required for this enhanced performance is drawn from the power caps, which are charged by recovering energy while lowering the load and braking. This recovered energy is then added to the energy from the mains to power the drives.

The power caps also function as energy reserves for brief power peaks—for example, while raising loads or accelerating. If the power caps cannot be fully charged through energy recovery, then DSE ensures that they are recharged from the mains.

Dambach also uses power caps to supply energy for its Dambach Compact Shuttle (DCS). Equipped with robust 400 V drive technology, the DCS is designed to transport the most diverse pallet formats and ensures a high level of system dependability even when used in conjunction with old or damaged storage units.

The power caps replace cables or batteries so that the shuttles can operate autonomously in lanes up to 120 feet ( 40 m) long. Dambach specifies three power capacities depending on the length of the lane—power caps are also available for 45- and 66-foot ( 15 and 22 m) lanes.

There is a seamless connection between the DCS and the control on the rail-guided stacker crane. Up to three DCS units can be assigned to one stacker crane. Storage position allocation in the lane can be fixed or flexible, and a FIFO arrangement for lanes open at both ends is also possible. The energy-saving function permits waiting times in the lane of one hour and even longer. (Dambach Lagersysteme Inc., www.dambach-lagersysteme.com)

Gear motor drive: Siemens has introduced the Sinamics G110M, a motor-integrated drive for Simogear gear motors, offering flexible control, integrated safety, simple installation, and a space-saving design. With a high degree of protection, up to IP66, this new gear motor drive provides the perfect solution to most material handling-related challenges, including conveyors, warehousing, logistics, baggage and cargo handling, and post and parcel shipping, plus numerous industrial applications in the automotive, appliance, and test stand industries.

Simogear gear motors offer high torque density, low noise, and high efficiency. With Sinamics G110M, it becomes easier for designers and system builders to integrate gear motors into a variety of control architectures. Plug connections for onboard I/O ensure fast installation, while optional power connectors deliver even more time savings. The system is delivered preconfigured, and the drive offers simple yet comprehensive onboard diagnostic features. Integrated features such as “Quick Stop” and the limit switch function make this system ideal for conveyor applications, Siemens says.

For uses requiring safety technology, the Sinamics G110M offers integrated safety functions such as “safe torque off,” which can be activated via a fail-safe input or via Profisafe, without needing additional safety monitoring components.