Logistics sector embraces new technology

So anyone who wants to make work of their e-commerce offerings will have to have their logistics and intralogistics processes completely mastered. But even those who do not have an online shop will benefit from taking a close look at their goods and data flows. Because new technologies can provide a complete new schwung. 

Everyone who produces has to deal with (intralogistics). Whereas logistics includes the transport of goods, for example, along the entire value chain from producer to end user, intralogistics deals specifically with the flow of goods and information within the operating walls of a site. In other words, in and around production, to and from and in the warehouse with the objective of continually optimizing them. "An area for which many companies - including SMEs - still have a lot of potential is mastering the art of organizing these intralogistics processes as efficiently and flexibly as possible in a context that is changing ever more rapidly ", cites Siemens Digital Industries Strategy Manager Jurgen De Wever. "Consumers today want products with a personal touch. Something that naturally also trickles down to typical B2B environments such as industry, even down to the level of single pieces. As a result, manufacturers want to respond more and faster to changing requirements. Not only the machine cells and production lines must then be a lot more flexible, but also the logistics apparatus around them. In addition, we have become accustomed and spoiled to 'instant' delivery times. Ideally, we would like to have our products delivered tomorrow, with a track-and-trace code to follow everything up."

Accelerating automation and digitization

Quality, flexibility, availability, high throughput and transparency are the keywords in modern logistics installations. So it should come as no surprise that we see more and more robots, cobots, AGVs, autonomous forklifts, multifunctional conveyors ... combined in this domain. De Wever: "The (intra-)logistics sector has fully embraced automation and digitalization in recent years. Large industrial players from, for example, the food or automotive industry, but also typical e-commerce companies, are usually at the forefront here. In this way, innovation cycles can be completed quickly, gain application maturity and become affordable. Think of how simulations based on digital twins can help to quickly find the right combination of, say, conveyors, robotized palletizers and AGVs to achieve a certain logistics performance within an existing building. Or how application-specific IoT structures and algorithms can help prevent unplanned downtime. Because when a link in the (intra-)logistics chain breaks down, it can have huge consequences for the entire supply chain. "Cutting edge technologies such as blockchain and 5G will also quickly take hold here. That has everything to do with the added value they have to offer in these processes. 

Systems approach

Siemens therefore resolutely takes a systems approach. "These rely on application-optimized hardware and software in the field of automation and drive technology that you also find in the rest of production. Here we are talking about the Simatic automation portfolio, the engineering framework TIA Portal, Sinamics frequency inverters and Simotics servomotors. We achieve distinctiveness and added value with our digital offering in the form of software platforms and features that we apply at different levels. From the design phase, through the simulation phase to engineering. We do commissioning mainly virtually, then in reality: quickly and accurately. Further management and optimization are also covered. The degree of integration and speed increases here to a special degree. All this in a technological framework that remains recognizable for the existing engineering and maintenance teams," explains De Wever. 

Expertise in (intra-)logistics

Siemens couples its broad portfolio with in-depth application knowledge in intralogistics. "We draw these competencies from the intralogistics experience we have accumulated over the years in the many in-house productions and the intense cooperation with partners in this field, often machine builders and system integrators. The cross-fertilization between this application knowledge, industry-specific know-how and being able to realistically assess and apply digitized automation is essential. It enables our customers to move quickly to value creation that has a direct impact on their competitiveness. It is quite exciting to see how new technologies are further accelerating change in the (intra-)logistics world," De Wever concludes.