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Tags:  Storage Partnership Author: Klaus Blumenschein
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PCI Pallet Flow
The conveyor rollers are divided in two and spread out broadly so that an optimal load distribution can be achieved, and thus better running operating characteristics as well.

New design, redesign, expansion, renovation... wherever things are being built, PCI is there. As a market-leader in construction chemistry, PCI Augsburg GmbH manufactures powder and dispersion products for the tile and building materials markets. Its customers are served in 24 hours time.

Since its establishment in 1950, PCI has developed ground-breaking products and is today a BASF subsidiary for innovation and quality. Several development and testing laboratories as well as certifications in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001/14001 and OHSAS 18001 ensure the quality of the diverse product range.

Equally important is the distribution performance, because in the construction industry especially, time is money. The company promises its clients that the time between placing an order and receiving the goods will not be more than 24 hours within Germany, Austria, and most of Switzerland. This is a very ambitious task, given the 300 or so products in different container sizes. It demands an optimized logistical process, which the people in Augsburg are continually working to improve.

Flow storage replaces block storage

Two years ago, PCI Augsburg therefore decided to exchange the existing block storage for shipment preparation in favor of a new solution. Separating the preparing of goods from the loading process would, on the one hand, markedly reduce travel time while increasing the safety of the deployment operations on the other.

In close collaboration with the systems integrator LTA Lagertechnik Detlef Albrecht, with whom the company had already been working for several years, a decision was taken in favor of a modern Interroll flow storage.

Eduard Kirschenmann, head of PCI delivery centers, says:

The demands placed on our goods provision operations change continually. The range of products is becoming more diverse. It was important for us to get a new system that allows for faster handling and at the same time a lower space requirement, while also increasing the safety for our employees. And with the Interroll flow storage, this has been a complete success.

And Jürgen Remitschka, head of the Augsburg delivery center, continues:

We now have markedly more space and forklift travel distances have been sharply reduced, now that the routes are significantly shorter.

PCI Pallet Flow
The flow storage modules, in flow channels at a five percent angle, use gravity and allow the pallets to roll in a way that is energy neutral and directionally stable, independent of the input and removal sides.

Gravitational flow storage solution following FIFO system

One challenge in achieving the project was that the Euro pallets are always transported crosswise and vary greatly in weight from 200 kg to 1200 kg. A two-year function warranty for a three-shift operation was also important for PCI Augsburg in awarding the contract.

LTA Lagertechnik Detlef Albrecht, working in close collaboration with Interroll, developed a gravitational flow storage solution for clients following the FIFO system (First In, First Out), with 21 channels and 189 spaces for pallets, which optimally met the requirements.

The roller conveyors used are divided in two with separate speed controllers. At the same time, the roller conveyors are spread out broadly so that an optimal load distribution and thereby better running operating characteristics can be achieved. This also supports the long lifespan of the elements used. The offset roller axes provide better support for the diagonally arranged pallet racks and thereby guarantee that the pallets are continually restarted. The flow storage modules, in flow channels at a five percent angle, use gravity and allow the pallets to roll in a way that is energy-neutral and directionally stable, independent of the input and removal sides.

Optimal breaking effects via Interroll Magnetic Speed Controller

Regarding the safety of the Interroll flow storage, Detlef Albrecht says:

The Interroll Magnetic Speed Controller is an ingenious piece of speed control technology, with which the functional security of the running pallets can be significantly improved.

Via the Interroll Magnetic Speed Controller, an optimal breaking effect is achieved and the lifespan of the wear-free controller is significantly improved. The speed for transporting the pallets is maintained at 0.3 m/s, independent of the weight. This is the only patented magnetic speed controller on the market. Together with the safety separator (Time Plus Separator), which allows for the secure and problemfree removal of the foremost pallets via a time interval element before the next pallet rolls in this ensures both simple operation and the safety of the employees. When the first pallet is lifted for removal, the next pallet in the channel is released only after a timed delay. Thus the forklift driver has enough time to safely remove the pallet before the second pallet moves up.

In order to ensure long-term, trouble-free operation with the highest safety standards, a selection of pallets that are used by the respective client is subjected to extensive practical testing at Interroll in La Roche-sur-Yon, in France. To achieve the ideal solution, the various loads have been examined under controlled conditions on the roller test tracks, where the inclination, controlled removal speed, separation and resetting of the remaining pallets has been monitored.

Detlef Albrecht is convinced by this project:

I have worked for many years together with Interroll and really value the way in which each project is viewed individually and how tests are carried out in advance of an installation, in order to ensure that the end users receive solutions that fully meet their requirements.

Safe costs in the long run: with flow storage systems

Based in Oy Mittelberg, the company was founded in 1994 by Detlet Albrecht and provides solutions in the field of racking technology. LTA Lagertechnik is often the first-choice for niche solutions because of the individualized supervision it offers its clients. LTA systematically utilizes the entire range of the market in order to keep its clients continually enthusiastic with innovative products and ideas. LTA's client portfolio includes all branches of industry and ranges from tradesmen and trading houses to large industrial companies such as PCI in Augsburg.

The company PCI was founded in 1950 as Poly-Chemie-Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH. Today, PCI Augsburg GmbH is one of the leading companies in the building chemistry sector of BASF SE, and produces powder and dispersion products in the Augsburg plant. The PCI brand stands for innovation and quality in building chemistry. PCI has distinguished itself since its foundation as a pioneer of very diverse technologies and applications, and has developed trailblazing products. The company continually enhances its product range with high-value products that are coordinated with each other in their technical applications.

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