Maximum efficiency achieved through automation: KASTO and SEW-EURODRIVE have developed a complete solution that seamlessly integrates metal saws and storage technology to supply the drive technology specialist's production with semi-finished products from a centralised location. No matter if the batch size is 1 or 10,000, the globally unique system organises each process step fully automatically.

The User – 22,000 employees worldwide, 17 production plants and 92 Drive Technology Centers in 56 countries. With sales of 4.5 billion euros (2023), SEW-EURODRIVE is one of the global market leaders in the drive technology/drive automation sector. The company's headquarters are located in Bruchsal, Baden in Germany.

The Challenge – Demagnetization and separation of 15 tonnes of steel bar stock bundles. This involves transporting three or six-metre-long tubes and bars with diameters ranging from 22 to 260 millimetres to the saw, cutting them to size, and selecting segments for production. The goal is to accomplish all of this fully automatically and with minimal operator intervention. As part of their strategic partnership, SEW and KASTO set an ambitious goal for supplying the new production facility. With this, the sawing and storage technology experts were faced with one of the largest orders in the company's 180-year history.

The Solution – During the planning and implementation of the new 4,000-square-meter warehouse for the north production facility in Graben-Neudorf, KASTO and SEW chose to combine a UNICOMPACT honeycomb storage system with 5,140 storage spaces for cassettes weighing up to three tonnes with a KASTOcenter sawing centre containing 450 spaces for individual bars.

The UNICOMPACT is characterised by its maximum use of space. The two compact overhead gantry cranes (OGC) transport the material to the seven lengthwise installed outfeed stations KASTOpick split, where it is separated by lifting mechanisms and transferred to the infeed roller conveyor of the saw. All 5,140 cassettes are fitted with inclined floor bars to ensure the material is placed in a defined position. Three additional stations can be connected to the system if required.

As steel can be magnetised through transportation and friction, which can cause issues in subsequent production steps, KASTO has implemented a demagnetisation system in the incoming goods department. A crane unloads the entire bundle from the lorry onto a material buffer chain conveyor (MPK). Depending on the barcode specifications, the system stores the goods directly in the cart storage or transports the bundle into the bypass to the demagnetisation coil. The transport cassette moves through an alternating magnetic field, which automatically demagnetises the entire material. The OGC then stores the treated steel in the UNICOMPACT.

KASTO sawing centres are a combination of buffer storage and CNC sawing machines. SEW utilises the fully automated KASTOcenter varioplus 2 cantilever storage system. With this system, a computer-controlled OGC transports individual bars to the integrated saws. To save space, KASTO designed the sawing stations as tunnels directly into the shelf block of the UNICOMPACT storage system.

Eight fully-automated KASTOvariospeed C 18 production circular saws cut through workpieces up to 180 millimetres in diameter. The heavy-duty CNC-controlled production circular sawing machines cut solid material, profiles and tubes in all qualities. The durable components ensure excellent cutting performance and a long service life.

Tubes and bars with larger cross-sections are cut into individual pieces by the fully hydraulic KASTOtec SC 4 high-performance automatic bandsaw machine. The horizontal moving sawband cuts round, rectangular or flat materials as well as tubes and profiles in all qualities, for instance for tool steel and difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium, Hastelloy or Inconel. The cutting speed is infinitely variable; a light push-button can be used to adjust the saw head height.

The sorting area is within the cut-off length. KASTOsort robot handling system sorts and stacks the cut pieces. The innovative AI solution independently selects grippers, containers and stacking patterns. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) then retrieve the boxes and transport them to their destination in production.

The Warehouse Management System (WMS) KASTOlogic ensures seamless material flow. The consistent operating philosophy assists users in their day-to-day tasks in the warehouse. In addition, the software optimises the travel paths of the OBG and checks and evaluates system changes. KASTO integrated the sawing machines and material handling into the WMS to achieve full automation of the entire work process. KASTOlogic communicates with the SAP ERP system through an interface to complete the automation.

Summary – Thanks to its comprehensive design and planning, KASTO impressed the drive specialist by carefully analysing the specific customer requirements and integrating them into the customised end-to-end solution. This practical approach ensures maximum efficiency and optimum customisation to meet individual requirements, which defines KASTO as a dependable partner. "KASTO customised the storage system and saws to meet our specific needs and provides our new production facility at the Graben-Neudorf site with the right processed materials fully automatically - starting with batch size 1.“, explains Max Schmitt, Group Manager Production Systems Project Management at SEW-EURODRIVE and was involved in the planning and implementation of the logistics solution from the very beginning. "Only three to four people are needed to operate the entire system. In a time when there is a shortage of qualified personnel, this is a tremendous advantage," he emphasises.