DAMBACH has developed a new shuttle system based on Rexroth's compact control system

DAMBACH has developed a new shuttle system based on the compact control system from Bosch Rexroth

A leap forward in the dynamics and efficiency of high-level compartment warehouses

Tried and tested

Flexible and scalable for greater displacement and degrees of freedom

DAMBACH has developed a new shuttle system based on Rexroth's compact control system

　　The DAMBACH compact shuttle makes pallet handling in high-bay warehouses more efficient. (Image source: DAMBACH Lagersysteme GmbH & Co. KG)

The ever-evolving and evolving intralogistics paves the way for the development of general-purpose factories. In many areas, mobile and flexible auxiliary equipment is replacing rigid transport units or manual processes. DAMBACH is reaping the benefits of this warehouse automation. The DAMBACH compact shuttle makes pallet handling in high-bay warehouses more efficient. Thanks to the space-saving, high-performance control system ctrlX CORE from the ctrlX AUTOMATION portfolio, the shuttles are guaranteed to take advantage of their advantages.

High-bay warehouses have great potential in terms of storage space and handling capacity. These potentials can be fully exploited with flexible and automated material handling systems that are not possible with manual operating systems. For this reason, DAMBACH has developed automated storage systems to meet the current and future needs of the industrial and commercial sector for versatility and speed.

DAMBACH has more than 48 years of experience in the field of universal intralogistics solutions as well as warehouse and conveyor technology for system integrators and general contractors. Automatic stacker cranes and pallet shuttle systems for high-bay warehouses and small parts warehouses work in tandem with material handling systems.

With the help of the DAMBACH compact shuttle, it is possible to access large loaders (e.g. Euro pallets) in the warehouse aisles of the high-compartment warehouse. Each pick or unload of a load takes less than two seconds, which is extremely fast. The pick-up and transport of goods weighing up to 1,500 kg can be carried out reliably and quickly. In combination with a stacker crane or transporter, it enables the storage of particularly compact multi-depth pallets. The storage tunnel is equipped with a running profile on which the shuttle can be moved, precisely to a specific storage area, to complete the picking or unloading of the target pallet. The shuttle can then be transported by a stacker crane or transporter to the relevant loading and unloading point in the warehouse.

A leap forward in the dynamics and efficiency of high-level compartment warehouses

Thorsten Veit, Head of Control Technology at DAMBACH, explains: "Our previous solution had been successfully used for more than a decade, but had reached its limits due to spare parts retention issues and increasing performance and flexibility requirements. Therefore, we decided to upgrade the existing shuttle or develop a new one. In this context, the new DAMBACH Compact Shuttle 2.0 was born. ”

The key requirements when developing the system were to increase the packing density on the shelves and optimize the energy requirements, so there was a need to increase the depth of the aisles and the number of storage positions. "In order to make the warehouse as efficient as possible, it is also important to reduce access times," says Thorsten Veit. Achieving these goals requires a compact design with high power density. Therefore, we decided to integrate ctrlX CORE as a control system into our shuttles. ”

ctrlX CORE is an integral part of the Bosch Rexroth ctrlX AUTOMATION system platform. The control can be used with the help of the Linux Ubuntu Core operating system with the application technology, which also becomes one of its unique selling points. The development and addition of new functions is easy and meets the requirements of almost any automation operation.

In addition to the control system, the shuttle also "runs and lifts" the shaft displacement by means of servo drives controlled by ctrlX CORE. DAMBACH also relies on the IndraDrive Mi motor-integrated servo drive from Bosch Rexroth. The shuttles can be operated completely independently from their own power supply. This feature is provided by PowerCaps for energy storage. In this way, the system can operate independently of the stacker crane in the warehouse aisle and carry out goods handling operations. PowerCaps can be charged on a stacker crane or transporter in just a few seconds, meaning the system can run around the clock without interruption.

Thorsten Veit explains: "We decided to use components from Bosch Rexroth because of their compact design and high performance. Key advantages over other competitors' solutions. It takes up less space in the shuttle, and the extra space can be used to store the shuttle cover. The performance of the new system can be further improved with longer runtimes. ”

Tested and challenged

Regarding the co-creation of the solution with Bosch Rexroth, Veit explains: "The actual development time was about half a year, including electrical planning and software creation. During the trial run, the shuttle was tested in real scenarios and the results exceeded our expectations. ”

Due to the more compact size, the storage density in the new project can be significantly increased. At the same time, the solution is 100% compatible with existing systems. It can be connected via a radio link via Profinet/IO or Ethernet/IP to communicate with higher-level control systems.

Flexible and scalable for greater displacement and degrees of freedom

Commenting on the benefits of the solution, Thorsten Veit said: "The ctrlX CORE control system is an open system with a low weight and small footprint, which makes our integration extremely easy. Engineering and operation are equally simple. No specialist knowledge is required to program the system, and the solution can be extended as needed, e.g. with applications such as NodeRed, which can be easily extended for IoT applications. Thanks to the open platform design, new functions can be added to the shuttle at any time, ensuring that the shuttle is always future-proof. ”

DAMBACH has developed a new shuttle system based on Rexroth's compact control system

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