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A.Celli’s ASRS: a complete intralogistic system for paper, tissue and nonwoven reels

Intralogistics | Francesco Furzi, 13 December 2022

A semi-automated warehouse is now synonymous with lower productivity. To overcome this problem, A.Celli offers an ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System) which makes flexibility and efficiency its strengths. 

 

Its ability to interface with the company ERP also allows you to control every single phase of product handling, thus ensuring that the single reel and the bundle obtained at the end of the process comply with the customer’s needs.

The benefits of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)

More and more companies in the paper, tissue and nonwoven industry are implementing new technologies related to Industry 4.0 innovations to digitize production processes.

This implies that practically all production lines are now automated, and the advantages in terms of uptime and quality of the final product are evident. So why not complete the work by automating the entire plant, from production processes to storage and shipping operations?

Implementing an ASRS system results in automatic, real-time inventory management that optimizes the handling, storage and retrieval of reels in the warehouse.

Since the space available in the storage area is always very limited compared to real needs, one of the major advantages of modern ASRS systems is their ability to reorganize the arrangement of products, maximizing warehouse space both on the ground and in height. 

Working in conjunction with a Warehouse Control System (WCS), an ASRS solution optimizes reel storage, picking strategies and overall warehouse productivity.

This is because handling is the prerogative of AGVs, i.e. self-driving vehicles which not only take care of moving the reels in the warehouse by placing them in the optimal position according to the processing and shipping order, but also of transferring the reels themselves from one machine to another during production if necessary, minimizing the transit time in total safety for the product and for the personnel. 

Automation can therefore significantly reduce labor costs for low value-added operations. Order flow optimization and greater ergonomics also improve warehouse safety, limiting the physical impact on the operators both as regards the effort made to move the reels and the possibility of accidents occurring with the vehicles used to transport them.

Efficient and accurate handling based on incoming and outgoing orders from the warehouse is essential today in a plant for the production of paper, tissue and nonwovens. Choosing an efficient ASRS system can lead to a radical increase in productivity and a rapid return on investment.

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A perfect interfacing with the company ERP

In addition to manufacturing all types of machinery required for the end-of-line and reel packaging, A.Celli is also a supplier of equipment for material handling, proposing a complete ASRS to automate and manage the entire intralogistics of a plant. The system can include both the management software and the AGVs most suitable to correctly handle the reels.

The distinguishing element of the A.Celli solution is the system manager, an inventory management software composed of a set of main modules (order management, vehicle management, traffic management and layout management) capable of interfacing with other secondary modules (specific to each individual application) as well as communicating directly with the company ERP.

It is precisely on this aspect that A.Celli has worked hard in order to create a process automation software that could communicate effectively with all the most widespread ERPs. The result is a system which, in addition to allowing simple integration with the information system already present in the company, allows you to improve productivity, carry out accurate quality control, certify the value chain and reduce costs.

In practice, this translates into the ability to quickly provide certification of the successful loading of an order. Indeed, an effective intralogistics automation system allows the company to invoice today what was ordered today, because the warehouse can automatically coordinate with the management area and the time between the administrative event and the movement of the AGV is reduced to the minimum possible.

Since the production process and reel handling are managed digitally, it also becomes possible to obtain real-time information relating to what is happening to the reel itself at any given moment, allowing to trace the aforementioned value chain of the product in a very precise way.

The set of data collected can flow into a virtual label that can be added to the physical ones in order to complete the set of information relating to production of the specific reel. This is certified and inviolable qualitative information, which can therefore represent an important testimony both of the quality of the work carried out and of its conformity with the order received, in the events of customer claims.

Predict the future with historical data

Through the use of artificial intelligence we can carry out precise analysis and act preventively to reduce the problems caused by processes performed incorrectly.

An advanced system works with self-learning logics and continuous remote monitoring. Self-learning allows you to exploit the potential of automations to adapt to changing work scenarios over time, characterizing the system's response to external stresses (environment, operators, lines and products) in such a way as to eliminate errors and inefficiencies recorded in the past.

Continuous remote monitoring, on the other hand, makes it possible to verify the system optimization and intervene on the work parameters to ensure that the system is always maximizing the amount of work carried out while minimizing the resources required to complete all missions requested by the system.

Remote monitoring also has the prerogative of optimizing the system energy cycle, minimizing waste and ensuring the durability of the scarce resources available, such as the storage capacity of the batteries.

The A.Celli offer is designed to be used on a broad spectrum for the automation of intralogistics of any type of plant. However, it is an optimal solution in the specific field of reel production and storage, especially when completing a nonwoven, paper and tissue paper production line.

Contact us to discover the A.Celli solution for intralogistics