Transfer systems in comparison
©montratec
In intralogistics, there are now various forms of transport systems that can be used depending on the area of application. We provide a brief overview of the different systems and their features.
Belt conveyors enable reliable transport of units from one place to another. Thanks to a continuous transport stream, transport can take place without interruptions.
A great advantage of the belt conveyor is the almost noiseless transport of goods
If, on the other hand, they are transported on rollers, the noise level is significantly higher. In addition, belt conveyors are cheaper to purchase than chain or roller conveyors - this is particularly true when transporting goods over longer distances. One disadvantage, however, is that belt conveyors cannot accumulate the goods in the meantime in order to bring other goods forward, as is the case with comparable transfer systems.
The roller conveyor is an automatic transport system in intralogistics, which ensures the transport, distribution, and accumulation of goods from one place to another within a production facility. Roller conveyors can conveniently connect several warehouses, two locations in the same warehouse or even different production sites. Basically, roller conveyors are a very versatile transfer system that allows the creation of several transport circuits - depending on the needs of the corresponding plant
Unlike conventional treadmills, roller conveyors have a powerful electric motor that moves containers or pallets safely forward
The roller conveyor is equipped with rollers that safely carry the goods, move them forward and thus bring them to their destination in the shortest possible time.
If the cycle is more complex, where the origin and destination points are different and where the roller conveyor also cooperates with other automated transfer systems - such as a shuttle or a lift - the operator also needs warehouse management software in addition to the controller in order to coordinate all processes correctly and as efficiently as possible. Warehouse management software not only manages all movements but also simultaneously optimizes the transport of goods and also takes over inventory control in real-time.
A shuttle is a vehicle that can be used for automatic warehouse service and is also known as a satellite or channel vehicle in intralogistics. It is a flexibly usable storage device with which load units can be stored and retrieved
There are differences in terms of design: a shuttle is either an autonomous vehicle with a built-in battery or it is electrically coupled to the transposition device to ensure a constant power supply.
Shuttles can be guided along a rack in rails, for example. Pallets, boxes or containers can be placed on the side of the tramline in a rack storage area. In this way, all load units can be accessed without any problems. Shuttles are used in particular in warehouses with an automatic storage system - these can be, for example, so-called satellite or channel racking warehouses.
montrac® from the manufacturer montratec is both an innovative and individually configurable shuttle system for companies in a wide range of industries. Thereby montrac® acts as an interface between different production places and robots.
A driverless transport system - abbreviated to AGV - is a special means of transport with an autonomous drive. The control is fully automatic and does not require any human guidance. AGVs can move along rails or through magnets to cover the appropriate distance. They make the transport of goods and production materials particularly convenient.
In general, automated guided vehicles are considered a very flexible form of automated transport system.
Thanks to their flexibility, they can be easily integrated into existing processes and used to transport a wide variety of goods.
In the meantime, AGVs can also be used more and more in the context of order picking, such as in wholesale and retail. Here, it is not uncommon for large quantities of different goods to be picked separately from various storage locations for individual customers and then loaded safely. In addition, different designs ensure the individual adaptation of AGVs to the requirements in the warehouse.
Long transport routes, which would have to be carried out independently by employees to pick or load goods, can be replaced by AGVs. This not only relieves the employees who would be needed for loading the goods, but also sustainably increases productivity.
The exact question of cost cannot, of course, be answered in a blanket manner, as the exact price of a transport system depends on both the tasks to be performed and the application, as well as other factors. These include the equipment and the complexity of the process, and the type of transport system required.
Basically, the planning costs, the component costs, and the implementation costs have to be considered in advance when calculating the cost of a transport system.
montrac®offers the great advantage that control elements can already be projected ex-works. This is not the case with numerous competitor products, which is why prices can hardly be compared exclusively on a component level.
Planning costs can be planned in advance with montrac® with the help of the configurator
In terms of component costs, montrac® is also ahead of products from conventional manufacturers, as the control system is already included in the basic package and does not incur any additional costs. Last but not least, the implementation costs must also be taken into account: The installation of montrac® requires only a few individual parts and can be carried out relatively quickly and easily.
Different transport requirements demand different transfer systems in intralogistics. For this reason, it is, of course important for every company to consider their efficiency and productivity as well as the costs. montrac® offers a maximum of flexibility and efficiency compared to numerous conventional transfer systems from other manufacturers, as well as the linking of different production processes between workstations and robots
The innovative transfer and automation system was developed by montratec to link industrial logistics and production processes efficiently. The fields of application are manifold - montrac® can be optimally adapted to the individual requirements of each company without having to accept excessively high investments.
