With conventional warehouse management systems, only a single – albeit important – aspect of the system is shown: the purely technical situation. Traditional visualization systems are not capable of meeting the current and future requirements of an intralogistics system and are therefore no longer adequate sources of information upon which to operate an installation. Other important aspects, such as the material flow or the comparison of key performance indicators (KPIs), are not usually considered in sufficient detail.
To complicate matters further, it is often the case that an intralogistics system is actually a conglomeration of several systems from different manufacturers all interacting with one other. In order to operate this web of systems as efficiently as possible, it is essential to have an IT tool which can not only read all the data from each of the various system sections, but also to prepare and present this information quickly and in accordance with the role of the decision maker.
Therefore, we decided to provide a "central point of information" for installations, which combines quicker technical troubleshooting with the provision of logistical information. Following market analyses and intensive research activities with the respective user groups, the four key requirements came to the fore: The software should ensure full access to both internal and external interfaces and should allow the use of platform-independent terminal devices. Moreover, users favor role-based display concepts and a modern, modular architecture that can be expanded over time.
The result is called WAMAS Lighthouse which has been designed as an online information platform with an open interface concept. Its modular structure means it can be scaled in line with demand while the role-based information can be displayed in a user-centric manner.
System visualization module
Operators can maintain constant control over their intralogistics solution thanks to the WAMAS Lighthouse visualization module. It provides all the necessary information about the current technical condition of every component in real time. Visualization is based on a topological view of the entire system. The continuously adjustable zoom down to component level brings ever more details into view. When you select a component, comprehensive data is displayed. Depending on its type, information such as the drive as well as congestion state, and loading units are displayed. WAMAS Lighthouse is powerful and grows with the complexity of the system. Features are:
Visualization of all conveying, warehouse, and picking technologies
Immediate notification of system failures
Error statistics and event logs
Component availability
Detailed views and overviews
Material flow representation module
By providing an abstract representation of the entire system, WAMAS Lighthouse can display a clear overview of all processes and bottlenecks. This view forms the basis for decisions to exploit the full potential performance of the intralogistics system. Features are:
Real-time display of material flow indicators
Organization in multiple levels of abstraction (also a summation of material flows)
Detailed information easily accessible at the click of a mouse
Key performance indicators
WAMAS Lighthouse gathers all the relevant KPIs of the material flow system and the order processing. This data can be linked as appropriate and visualized as required. Among the KPIs generated from these data are storage ratio, material flow performance, degree of order completion, and picking performance.
Integration platform for intralogistics systems
WAMAS Lighthouse is an open system that can integrate data from all existing IT and control systems of an intralogistics installation. Using modern technologies and interface concepts, it connects all elements from the automation level to the ERP system. In other words, Industry 4.0 is already the reality.
For the operator this opens up the following key advantages:
Complete integration of control and management systems from SSI SCHAEFER
Standardized and open interfaces for third-party systems
Supports state-of-the-art interfaces such as OPC UA, WebServices, and WebSockets
