Intralogistics as a pillar of next-generation healthcare
In Kemnath in the Upper Palatinate, Siemens Healthineers is investing around €13 million in a partially automated production supply centre. By doing so, Siemens Healthineers will be automating intralogistics at the Kemnath site for the first time. The new production supply centre is based on concept studies and planning results from IGZ in Falkenberg. As an SAP EWM general contractor, IGZ impressed one of the leading manufacturers of medical technology, in particular with technology neutrality and responsibility for end-to-end integration. As a result, IGZ was awarded the contract for overall implementation. After going live, starting in 2022, the Falkenberg-based company will also assume full maintenance and support services for the SAP logistics IT, plant and control technology.
Siemens Healthineers has been doing pioneering work in the healthcare sector for around 120 years. With the construction of the production supply centre at the Kemnath site, the company is responding in particular to the growing demand for its imaging products. “The primary goal of the production supply centre project is to significantly increase the flexibility and efficiency of internal logistics processes at the Kemnath site. This has a very positive effect on the entire manufacturing process,” emphasises Michael Braunreuther, Site Manager of the Kemnath plant.
Processes synchronised in SAP EWM/MFS
The new logistics building will complement and relieve the existing structures and capacities for production and spare parts supply. The gradual ramp-up is planned to start in early 2022. Starting in April 2020, a fully automated small-parts warehouse with almost 20,000 storage locations including connected container conveyor technology and integrated workstations was built. IGZ ensured a high level of usability in the design of the picking stations. The facility also has a 100 per cent redundant dolly conveyor system to transport loads of up to 1.5 tonnes in varying trolley sizes on heavy-load supply trolleys. In addition, the production supply centre also consists of a forklift-operated wide-aisle warehouse. “IGZ equipped all processes within the warehouse with the SAP EWM/MFS warehouse management and material flow control system and implemented the entire automation technology and mechatronics system directly connected to SAP with the required steel structures,” explains IGZ Managing Director Christian Mattes, responsible for planning and general contracting projects.
Proven project methodology keeps the promise of high performance
In this project, IGZ is both a planning partner for Siemens Healthineers from the first concept studies onwards, as well as an SAP IT specialist for integrated “plant intelligence” and a general contractor and service partner for the entire warehouse logistics – in other words, a centralised one-stop shop. “By involving IGZ at an early stage, the rough planning phase including the definition of target process requirements, we were able to build up a broad knowledge base at Siemens Healthineers very early on. Especially with regard to the conversion of the logistics processes to SAP EWM/MFS, this paid off with smooth project implementation,” says Christian Mattes. SAP EWM/MFS enables a wide range of expansion scenarios, because a wide variety of warehouse technology, regardless of the manufacturer, can be directly integrated. Thanks to IGZ’s own emulation tools, all quality gates were easily achieved, starting with the functional and integrative test phase.
Logistical sustainability of the site secured in the long term
Flexibility is achieved through the scalability of the system, which also offers expansion options for automated production supply, and thanks to the mobile, tablet-based operating concept. Dialogue is intuitive, meaning that new employees can become productive after a short training phase. “Logistically, the Kemnath site is now even better equipped for the future. IGZ was an excellent partner who was able to provide us with targeted assistance as a general contractor throughout all phases of the project, from planning and implementation to later support,” Michael Braunreuther summarises.
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