Elektror Airsystems is a manufacturer of industrial fans (radial and axial) and compressors, focusing on the design of highly customised systems. One of the key elements of logistics is the storage and transport of large metal plates.
For production, Elektror Airsystems uses 3000 x 1500 m metal plates. They arrive at the factory in packages that are difficult to store and transport to the production line. Therefore, the company opted for an automated solution.
TwinTower is to solve the problem of storing sheet metal packages, on the one hand by reducing the storage area of material, on the other, by speeding up access to it and facilitating the day-to-day inventory (the automated TwinTower storage system is designed for storing long elements: bars, profiles, pipes, etc. and sheets: sheet metal, plates, laminates, pallets and many other heavy and large objects).
The TwinTower automated storage system is equipped with 59 trays adapted for storing sheet metal with dimensions of 3000 x 1500 mm. The whole storage system is 6.8 m long and each of the shelves has the following dimensions (length x width): 3100 x 1535 mm. Each of them can be used to store metal plates with a total weight of up to 3 t. TwinTower, as the name suggests, consists of two storage columns and one transporting column with a moving extractor. Trays are located in storage columns at guides leading to storage place mounted every dozen or so centimetres.
The task of the extractor is to move the trays from the loading station and to transport the trays from the storage columns to the loading station.
An Additional motor located at the loading station level moves the trays outside the front storage column allowing for loading and unloading with a gantry or a forklift truck.
Materials are unloaded and loaded using a forklift truck, crane or gantry.
Additionally, the system is equipped with a hydraulic rod table for depalletising sheet metal packages. The modular design makes it possible to expand the existing system (e.g. by changing the height). The control system is integrated with ERP and WMS systems. The storage system can also be installed outdoors.
There are different variants of the location of access points (access windows on different floors, loading stations located on both sides of the system, etc.). Horizontal and vertical transportation with use of Gall chains
Advantages of the TwinTower system according to the user: – saving the storage space – full use of the available height of the warehouse – easy and quick access to stored products – easy and convenient loading of stored products – versatility – possible integration with production process machines and ERP/WMS class storage systems.