With conventional storage 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 different system sections, but also to prepare and present this information quickly and in accordance with the role of the decision-maker.

SSI SCHAEFER therefore decided to provide a "central point of information" for installations, which combined quicker technical troubleshooting with the provision of logistical information.

This is the challenge that SSI SCHAEFER sought to overcome with the new WAMAS® Lighthouse. Following market analyses and intensive research activities with the respective user groups, the following requirements came to the fore:

1.     The software should ensure full access to both internal and external interfaces

2.     The IT should allow the use of platform-independent terminal devices

3.     Users favor role-based display concepts

4.     A modern, modular architecture that can be expanded over time

Based on these findings, SSI SCHAEFER has designed WAMAS® Lighthouse 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.

WAMAS® Lighthouse – System Visualization Module

Operators can maintain constant control over their intralogistics system thanks to the visualization module in WAMAS Lighthouse. The visualization system provides all the necessary information about the current technical condition of every system section 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, detailed data is displayed. Depending on the type of component, information such as the drive state, congestion state, and loading units are displayed. WAMAS Lighthouse is powerful and grows with the complexity of the system.

Key features include:

·         Visualization of all conveying, warehouse, and picking technologies

·         Immediate notification of system failures

·         Error statistics and event logs

·         Component availability

·         Detailed views and overviews

WAMAS® Lighthouse – Material Flow Representation Module

By providing an abstract representation of the entire system, WAMAS Lighthouse is capable of displaying a clear overview of all material flows and bottlenecks. This view forms the basis for decisions to exploit the full potential performance of the intralogistics system.

Key features include:

·         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

WAMAS® Lighthouse Key Performance Indicators

WAMAS Lighthouse gathers all of the relevant key performance indicators of the material flow system and the order processing. The 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.

WAMAS® Lighthouse is the 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

About the author

Thomas Klingert started out as a project engineer 25 years ago and became the project manager for the automation technology for intralogistics systems. From the development of automated linear motor-driven park houses he switched to the handling for visualization systems in 2007. 2017 he assumed the lead of the development of the new product WAMAS® Lighthouse.