Refreshing efficiency: Retrofit of the warehouse management system and conveyor technology at riha WeserGold
Riha WeserGold Getränke GmbH & Co. KG is an international beverage company and one of the largest producers of non-alcoholic beverages in Europe. With a daily production capacity of up to 5 million units and 1,600 employees worldwide, the Rinteln-based company is one of the most important players in the industry. However, even successful companies face the challenge of continuously modernising their technological infrastructure. The existing warehouse management system was technically outdated and support had been discontinued - technical and logistical challenges were increasing. At the same time, the existing SIMATIC S5 system architecture of the conveyor technology no longer met the current requirements for spare parts supply, machine safety, energy efficiency and stability. A comprehensive modernisation was unavoidable.
Realisation
In close collaboration with riha WeserGold, Artschwager + Kohl and HEITEC developed a holistic modernisation plan that addressed all critical areas - with minimal disruption to ongoing production. A special operating mode for the transition phase ensured that the beverages produced were reliably dispatched during the entire conversion. A+K replaced the outdated warehouse management system with the ultra-modern LOMAS system, which could be seamlessly integrated into the existing IT landscape thanks to its modular design and flexible interfaces. HEITEC undertook the comprehensive retrofit of the conveyor technology: 22 new control cabinets, seven sub-distributors and the replacement of critical drives transformed the outdated technology into a state-of-the-art SIMATIC solution. The safety technology was brought up to date with personnel light barriers and the entire system visualisation was redesigned on a WinCC Unified basis. Modern mobile wireless panels now enable safe control directly at the system, while web-based displays provide a complete overview from any workstation. Pallet identification has also been upgraded: camera-based scanners from Keyence have replaced the old line scanners and deliver significantly higher recognition accuracy. Thanks to comprehensive simulation on the virtual model and close cooperation between all project partners, the go-live was realised on schedule.
Customer benefits
The modernisation pays off for riha WeserGold in many respects: Maximum process reliability thanks to state-of-the-art technology minimises downtimes and ensures trouble-free operation. The complete transparency of all logistical processes enables continuous monitoring and documentation - from warehouse management and material flow control to production logistics. The new system is scalable and future-proof: if necessary, expansions can be realised without costly interventions and the supply of spare parts is guaranteed in the long term. Significantly improved user-friendliness thanks to intuitive visualisation and modern operating concepts reduces the amount of training required and enables faults to be rectified quickly. The higher detection accuracy of the new scanners identifies even the smallest defects immediately and enables immediate corrective action. Optimised processes and reduced downtimes measurably increase efficiency and improve the ROI. The state-of-the-art safety technology fulfils all current requirements for occupational safety and risk management. And last but not least: With HEITEC and Artschwager + Kohl, riha WeserGold has reliable, competent partners for all future intralogistics requirements.
With the help of Artschwager + Kohl and HEITEC, we were able to master our logistical and technical challenges perfectly. The co-operation was open and trusting at all times. All steps were planned transparently. Today, we have a state-of-the-art, scalable and efficient system and consider ourselves well equipped for the future and further growth.Stefan Kordes | Head of Logistics at riha WeserGold
