Volkswagen (PSIwms)

The Volkswagen concern is one of the world's leading producers of cars and the largest car maker in Europe. Since 1995 the independent brand of manufacturing company of the commercial Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge cars is inseparably linked with Hanover. The plant in Hanover constructed in 1956 is the second in value after Volkswagen head enterprise in Wolfsburg from six plants in Germany and also - the largest transport enterprise in Europe. T5 series trucks, vans and multivena and also the heavy LT2 trucks gather on the areas of plant of 1.1 million sq.m. Up to 750 new T5 and 140 of new LT20 daily leave the production pipeline.

Problem definition

For improvement, optimization and visualization of a regular supply of production at the enterprise needed to implement the automated intermediate warehouse and a warehouse for supply with an effective management system for stocks.

Implementation

Separate parts for different types of vehicles are delivered from suppliers or from own production warehouses. It belongs, for example, to side elements and a roof which are made directly in Hanover.

Processes

The big vacuum press stamps side parts of a body from steel sheets. For providing a vacuum press with so-called cartridges and also for collecting of ready parts the special serial drive (LGS) was installed. It serves as an intermediate warehouse for continuous supply and collecting of procurements, for direct supply of production of a roof, delivery of cartridges for production needs and also transportation of parts on the assembly plant to Poznan, Poland.

The cassette warehouse of side parts (K-STL) which is supplied from the serial drive was in parallel created. It serves for storage of all side parts for production of a body. This cassette warehouse consists of two levels where also completing is made. Capacity of both levels is 740 places and 60 delivery places.

Management

During dialog with Volkswagen enterprise information system, the warehouse management system automatically requests an information system and controls processes of the subsequent subsystems. First of all control of optimality of supply and a fence of procurements of big vacuum press and also transportation and storages in the serial drive is made. In parallel with it the warehouse management system saves data for completion of a cassette warehouse of side parts. If the inventory level is lower than minimum admissible, replenishment action from the serial drive is made. Unloading of goods from storage is performed by the principle "by the last came, the first left" (LIFO). Besides, the software of PSI controls transportation of cartridge type units and return of empty cartridges with K-STL in the serial drive and to a vacuum press.
The parts placed on storage it is continuous, according to specifications, are delivered with K-STL to pipeline lines. On the basis of the 16-unit code issued by an enterprise information system, the WMS system defines on what pipeline line what side part is required, in dialog with 20 programmable controllers generates a command about unloading of the corresponding cartridge and will organize transportation of parts directly to a production line.