Trend to complete systems in material handling

Trend to complete systems
Interview with Helmut Wood, SEW Euro Drive

Interview

The site manufactures SEW in Bruchsal, the big drive solutions that are used for example in container terminals, the sugar cane processing, or mining sites. The IEE spoke to Helmut Wood, head of the Heavy Industrial Solutions business unit, on specific innovations and the transformation from a component supplier to a solutions business in the industrial gears.

Mr. Wood, you are responsible for seven months for the Heavy Industrial Solutions at SEW Euro Drive. What product range includes the division?

It includes responsibility for the gear industry, so large gear, around the world. These include more and more systems solutions, not just the solo gear. The trend in Europe is clearly in the direction of drive systems and system solutions. This means that the customer wants to get delivered next to the gear and brake, clutch, motor, inverter and the controller as a complete system on a steel / welding arm. And we have set ourselves. SEW has, like few others in the industry, the mechanical, electrical, electronic and software expertise in-house. We want to use for the industrial gear business. In China and in the U.S., the trend is towards systems are not as noticeable. Since we sell mostly solo or with standard transmission options.

If you push the Solution business must also be provided consulting expertise.

In Europe, you called in about two-thirds Engineered to Order (ETO) and one third Assembled to Order (ATO) start. This means that the orders for which we do not have a construction component are more likely in the minority. In many cases we have to construct and customize customer-related. Like our competitors in the industrial gear business, we have in certain cases, not all theoretically possible option available in our kit and that leads, among other things, that we have engineered a high-to-order content. And this means that a high level of consulting expertise must be available.

How can I imagine such a project?

You have to differentiate whether we are moving more in the cutthroat competition or whether it is a completely new plant project. During the displacement, we need to critically evaluate what we do as a company and drive more in order to competitors - often while retaining some connection dimensions - can replace. And if there is a new project, then we can interpret more bearings by our standard kit. Since there is often a means to carry out jointly with the customer at an early stage a kind of co-engineering. In addition, such projects are often international in nature, where you have to cross-border (including end-user, etc., EPC) at the beginning of the project intensive coordination activities and advisory services to the customer site and perform with its own sales organization. Our customers are always more active globally and are therefore also relevant requirements.

You must surely also work with several other departments within SEW. How is this cooperation? Do I buy the services, for example, at the Division of servo drives?

Kion Group increases sales by 27%

The Kion Group, one of the world's leading forklift truck and
warehouse equipment manufacturer, has increased its sales in the third
quarter of 2011 increased by 27% to around € 3.5 billion.

WIESBADEN (hi). The company has continued its globalization strategy
in the third quarter of 2011 with a successful rising orders and a
profitable revenue growth, the company said. Three out of ten vehicles
delivered, the Kion Group in the first three quarters of 2011 to
customers in emerging markets.

The global demand for trucks has grown significantly over the first
three quarter of 2011. Here, the pace of growth has slowed in the
third quarter of 2011 as expected. Global demand rose by 30 September
2011 to 740 000 units - an increase of 28% compared to the demand for
the same period.

In Western Europe increased the demand driven mainly by replacement
investments by 32%. So is Western Europe with 212 000 units remained
the world's largest single market for material handling products.

With a driven mainly by expansion of investment growth of 27% of the
Chinese market reached for industrial trucks in the first three
quarters of 2011, a figure of just under 190 000, making it the second
largest single market behind Western Europe. A quarter of all trucks
will be sold worldwide in the People's Republic.

The market in Eastern Europe continued its dynamic recovery is
continuing, and reached after an increase of 46% over the same period
of around 41000 units. Almost half of the demand in Eastern Europe
comes from Russia.

In this market environment, the Kion Group increased its value of
orders in the first three quarters of 2011 to € 3.464 billion -
equivalent to the prior-year period (€ 2.795 billion), an increase of
24%. The order backlog is at 30 derGroup September 2011 more than € 1
billion has increased. The quantity-related orders in the new business
grew by 22% and increased from 88 200 to 107 800 vehicles.

Group sales rose to 3.157 billion euros and thus taking the
prior-year period (€ 2.492 billion) up 27%. Revenues for the business
grew with new vehicles by 40% compared to same period last year. In
the service business, which includes after-sales service also offers
regarding rental and used equipment, in the first three quarters of
the current calendar year accounted for more than 40% of sales volume.

Kardex Remstar to build U.S. business - efficiency

gains of 2 to 2.5 million EUR 22.11.2011 18:35

Zurich - The maker of storage systems Kardex Remstar to build the
business in the United States. With the closing of the production in
Lewistown until the end of the first half of 2012 and the expansion of
the distribution facility in Westbrook to the logistics center wants
this to Kardex Group, the company streamline structures in the United
States, it is stated on Tuesday in a statement.

The conversion should fall victim to some 50 points. Was still in the
current year with reorganization costs in the amount of EUR 1.5
million expected to continue with Kardex announced. The efficiency
gains of 2 to 2.5 million EUR from 2013 should be fully in income.

Thanks to local assembly capacity at its Westbrook, could the delivery
dates and response times continue to be held shortly in the American
market, it is added. Meanwhile, the Kardex in sales in the U.S. has
separate processing of customer segments will be merged and Material
Handling Office & Government. Thus, the possibility of a qualitative
optimize the dealer network is apparent in this market.

Floor conveyor with fuel-cell hybrid drive presented

Research Project E-LOG Biofleet

The alternative drive systems are designed to improve the energy
efficiency of industrial trucks. A solution developed a project group
with DB Schenker, Fronius International, Linde Material Handling,
HyCentA Research, OMV and Joanneum Research. She presented the
research project "E-LOG Biofleet 'to improve operational performance
and environmental sustainability, using a fork-lift truck fleet with
fuel-cell hybrid solution, called a range extender.

The alternative drive systems are designed to improve the energy
efficiency of industrial trucks. A solution developed a project group
with DB Schenker, Fronius International, Linde Material Handling,
HyCentA Research, OMV and Joanneum Research.

From the archive
AVL presented in Shanghai Fuel Cell Car
Joanneum Research awarded with National Award
New Managing Director for Joanneum Research
OMV, Borealis and Agru develop high-performance linings for oil pipes
Fronius: Strong expansion in fiscal 2010

In the intralogistics industry, the world's largest market for
electric drives, the productivity of using pure battery-electric
forklift trucks and warehouse equipment is particularly important in
multi-shift operation is often limited. Decisive are the costs for
changing batteries, but also the limited life span and the relatively
high costs of maintenance of the batteries.

As a solution approach developed Fronius energy cell HyLOG Fleet, by a
traditional battery is replaced. In collaboration with the Linde
Material Handling Storage Systems unit has been adapted accordingly.
The energy cell consists of a PEM fuel cell, a lithium battery and a
350-bar high-pressure tanks for hydrogen. The continuous power is 2.6
kW, the short-term peak power at 11 kW. A special feature is fueling
the first time in Austria but also unique in Europe is an "indoor"
Hall conditioning for refueling hydrogen at 350 bar approved and
built. The hydrogen supply is an integral part of Logistikösung and is
ensured by the development and installation of a distributed hydrogen
production plant. It is biomethane, a CO2-neutral energy source is
converted to hydrogen.
Fronius develops and builds the energy cell, Linde materials handling
rüstet a fleet of initially 10 industrial trucks, DB Schenker is
these vehicles in a field long one from the end of 2012, a year, OMV,
the hydrogen infrastructure to grouting, Joanneum Research evaluated
with life cycle assessment of environmental impact. In life cycle
analysis for the calculation of the environmental effects of material
and energy flow all over the life cycle of a product or service be
investigated and evaluated comparing with other systems. HyCentA
supported the project through technical, economic and environmental
analysis and project management.
With the certification and approval of the overall system is expected
in mid-2012. Then will begin the use of the vehicle fleet. A year long
process then moves to provide the expected benefits and the
technological maturity of the system in a practical test to the test.
The project is funded by the Climate and Energy Fund and is part of
the program "Technological beacon of electric mobility."

how to implement it.

How to implement lean material handling in your business.