SUCCESS STORIES - Hansa-Flex
Networked End-of-Line in one year
HANSA-FLEX AG, a leading provider of hydraulic solutions from Bremen, has brought the future to the end of its packaging line. Together with the strapping specialists at Mosca GmbH , networked End-of-Line were created within a year that go far beyond mere transport security. Intelligent strapping systems with a fully automated parcel distribution system combine state-of-the-art conveyor and strapping technology with automated data processing and Industry 4.0, virtually eliminating errors in the last few meters of the packaging process - and ensuring that the goods are reliably transported to the customer.
The product: hydraulic solutions of all kinds - from hoses and sealing technology to complex hydraulic components. Around 1,000 parcels pass over the Strap every day at hydraulics expert HANSA-FLEX's headquarters in Bremen and need to be made ready for dispatch. These generally vary in size and weight and are delivered to end customers and branches via three different CEP service providers.
Previously, a lot of manual work was therefore required in the last few meters of the packaging process. Employees picked up every single parcel from the individual picking stations and took them to the shipping department, where they were weighed, labeled and strapped one by one to secure them for transport. Finally, they placed each finished parcel by hand onto the stack of the relevant shipping service provider.
From the first sketch to commissioning
And so they ended up sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper: the Mosca with its End-of-Line and the HANSA-FLEX team with its wishes and requirements. "We knew exactly what we needed and drew up initial sketches together with Mosca ," says Frank Oetting. Around a year later, he is standing in front of a fully automatic strapping machine with a package distribution system that reliably and flawlessly takes care of all the final packaging steps that previously had to be laboriously carried out by hand.
At the heart of the new system is the SoniXs TR-6 Pro, the Industry 4.0 flagship model from Mosca. The fully automatic strapping machine with network interface was integrated into a specially developed conveyor system for HANSA-FLEX. The packages now only need to be placed there with an order label - the system takes care of the rest. The driven inclined roller conveyor first aligns the package and then transports it to the SoniXs TR-6 Pro. This automatically recognizes different carton sizes and secures them with double strapping. Here too, Mosca offers its customers a customized solution: Mosca Bandproduktion supplies the strapping in white with the HANSA-FLEX logo. The ends of the strap are then sealed using Mosca 's SoniXs ultrasonic technology. This does not require a warm-up phase and therefore saves energy.
Final packaging like clockwork
Further processing also takes place without human intervention: a scanner reads the order label, a calibrated scale weighs the parcel and a printer creates the shipping label with all the relevant information for the parcel services. The label is applied directly to the parcel by the system. All the data relating to the shipment is then transferred to the HANSA-FLEX merchandise management system so that the order can be automatically settled with the respective CEP service providers. Finally, the system assigns the parcels to the relevant service providers via three different conveyor belts. If a label is faulty or illegible, the parcel is sorted out onto a fourth Strap and checked by an employee.
"As the system does not run continuously at the current capacity, we have integrated an automatic start-stop system. This guarantees optimum energy utilization for our customer," adds Wolfgang Dürkoop, Area Sales Manager at Mosca , who oversaw the collaboration with HANSA-FLEX.
Close cooperation and open exchange
The fact that this major project was implemented so quickly is primarily due to the close cooperation between HANSA-FLEX and Mosca. "We have a lot in common in our working methods. We roll up our sleeves, get stuck in and exchange ideas openly," says Frank Oetting. With this hands-on mentality, even the more difficult challenges of the project were overcome without any major problems. "The interface to the SAP system, which ensures the further processing of shipping data and automatic billing, was crucial," explains Oetting. This had to function reliably and be designed in such a way that it could also be mapped to other applications with similar requirements. "We called in support with the relevant system expertise and found a suitable solution together," says Wolfgang Dürkoop.
Similar application with pallet strapping
In fact, a similar application was not long in coming: at the HANSA-FLEX site in Geisenfeld, goods were to be strapped onto pallets fully automatically and assigned to dispatch or the warehouse. "Here too, we worked with HANSA-FLEX to create and implement an overall concept comprising a strapping machine, conveyor technology and data processing," says Michael Zimmermann, Head of Sales Systems D-A-CH at Mosca. Here, the conveyor system was set up in an H-shape so that goods can be loaded from two sides. The system then aligns the pallets independently, identifies the required strapping program via the order label and transports them to a SoniXs KZV-111 from the Mosca. This connects parcels and pallets with vertical strapping. Weighing, labeling and assignment to the shipping service provider or warehouse are then also carried out fully automatically by the conveyor system.
Satisfied customer
Concept, production and maintenance from a single source
Both in Geisenfeld and in Bremen, there is great satisfaction with the forward-looking solutions. "It was important to us to get the entire system from a single source. Mosca was able to offer us that," says Frank Oetting. With the exception of a few individual components, both the system in Bremen and the Geisenfeld solution are manufactured in-house by Mosca. "We guarantee the entire maintenance and provide support for conversion or expansion measures," explains Wolfgang Dürkoop.
In particular, the systems can be expanded at any time thanks to their modular design. "This flexibility makes the model even more attractive for us," says Frank Oetting. Concrete steps are already planned. For example, the individual picking stations are to be connected to the system via conveyor technology in the near future. This will eliminate another manual work step with the placement of the parcels.
In contrast, the capacity utilization of the system can be significantly increased even in the status quo. "The EVOLUTION SoniXs TR-6 Pro can strap up to 900 packages per hour. This means that HANSA-FLEX is well equipped with our solution, even with large increases in productivity in the future," says Wolfgang Dürkoop.
"It was time for a new solution that was not only contemporary, but also an investment in the future."