Revolutionary technology at the leading automation trade fair Automate: the future-oriented automation and transport system montrac®


Premiere of revolutionary and sensational process automation technology made in Germany: At the automation technology trade fair Automate 2019, from 08 to 11 April in Chicago (Illinois), US-positioned German enterprise montratec is showcasing several new product developments of their future-oriented automation and transport system montrac®. In particular the innovative features of the new transport shuttle-generation ‘MSH5’ are setting the next milestone in the field of intra-logistics and process automation.

Sven Worm, chairman of the board of montratec GmbH informs: “At our first attendance at the Automate show we are directly starting with a premiere. With the development of the new montrac®Shuttle MSH5 generationwe are improving the flexibility and the efficiency of applications of our intelligent automation and transport system montrac®. With montrac® we are offering tailor-made and individually customized solutions for customers, even with extremely limited or difficult installation spaces.”

On the Automate, North America’s broadest exhibition for automation solutions, montratecshowcases their cutting-edge technology solutions on booth#8730. “For the first time, we will present the extended functionalities of the montrac® Shuttle MSH5, the latest innovation of montratec”, Worm describes. “To inform trade visitors about the highly flexible and diverse applications of montrac®, we will install a completely simulated intra-logistics loop on the booth and present all transport shuttle types in action.”

Since 2017 montratec is present in the United States with its own Sales Office headed by John D. Olson. The Sales Office is well connected to distribution and service partners all over the country. With its local presence montratec provides customized solutions for all sorts of intra-logistics designs and works hand in hand with large corporations and integrators on productivity enhancement and efficiency increasing technology for production units of all industrial areas; with particular focus on plastics, medical technology, electronics, automotive, and e-mobility industry as well as on cleanroom production. 

The modular built-up automation and transport system montrac® convinces with extremely low space requirements for the monorail resulting from combining electrical track switches, crossings, very tight radii (of 220 millimeters), overcoming gradient angles of up to 12 degree, and integrated lifting elements. Four different types of autonomously controlled transport shuttles are moving independently with speeds of up to 55 meters/min on the monorail and communicate via infrared with both the route and the track sections.

“Due to the high-tech control system of montrac® each shuttle will be in the right place at the right time and knows exactly where to carry the products”, Sven Worm emphasizes. “Furthermore, the modular structure of montrac® enables individually a continuous adaption to changed processes and future system expansions. In addition, if necessary, each transport shuttle can be manually exchanged or removed from the monorail without stopping the entire system.”

The following types of transport shuttles will be presented at the trade fair:

  • The montrac®Shuttle MSH5 carries any materials or work pieces optionally up to 50 kg and moves up to a speed of 55 m/min.
    The new generation of the montrac® Shuttle MSH5 has an optimized drive concept for increased stability and force transmission on the montrac® rail. With the new five beam sensor module of each shuttle controls and supervises cornering (curve control) as well as driving backwards (direction control). “Due to the optimized sensor module, a larger detection area is seen and the supervision of bigger work pieces is possible”, Worm summarizes. “In addition, we are maximizing the security of employees on the shop floor as the five-beam sensor module detects an approaching person or obstacle and stops the shuttle to prevent collisions.”
  • The montrac®Shuttle MSH4 moves up to a speed of 55 m/min and transports up to 30 kg.
  • The montrac®Cleanroom Shuttle MSH4 CR is especially developed for industrial sectors with extremely high hygiene regulations. It drives up to 30 m/min and allows loads up to 30 kg. Due to low-maintenance components and extremely low particle emissions the montrac® cleanroom shuttle has been certified by the “Fraunhofer Institute” for production in cleanroom classes ISO 5 and 7 (ISO 14644-1).

“Our overall ambition is to convince by developing cutting edge technologies, designed to deliver highly flexible and unique customer-specific solutions for increased efficiency in the process automation of all industrial areas”, Worm concludes. Examples of the broad range of applications montrac® has to offer include e.g.:  production of car headlights with injection molding technology or manufacture of medical products like contact lenses. In a cleanroom environment, montrac® is used in manufacturing of sensitive products in the computer, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and medical industries as well as in the laboratory sector.

Please join us at our fair stand (booth #8730) and see how our new innovations can support your company.