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PSI Technics' ARATEC Positioning Solution System is an innovative solution for industrial positioning applications. In fully automated high-bay warehouses, for example, ARATEC instructs stacker cranes to move to the storage position's target coordinates to ensure that all storage and retrieval operations are carried out with high accuracy in the shortest amount of time.
PSI Technics' motion analysis offering allows, for the first time, a comprehensive evaluation of logistics facilities. In recent years, PSI Technics has been able to reveal significant optimization potential in many of our customers' facilities, in particular with regard to oscillation control. Oscillations are most frequently caused by traditional positioning solutions that do not adequately account for the behavior of industrial vehicles. This leads to increased wear, premature failures and high cycle times, which leads to lower throughput and added costs.
PSI Technics offers a solution for these issues: ARATEC – the intelligent Positioning Solution System, an advanced closed-loop positioning control system specifically tailored for logistics facilities. The ARATEC enables the reliable and accurate positioning of industrial vehicles such as stacker cranes, bridge cranes / overhead cranes, vertical lifting systems, and other rail-guided vehicles under the most demanding conditions.
This is just one of the reasons why many renowned customers from a wide variety of industries have been relying on solutions from PSI Technics for years. (Application Reports).
ARATEC Positioning Solution System – Powerful Modernization for Stacker Cranes
PSI Technics' ARATEC Positioning Solution System is an innovative solution for industrial positioning applications. In fully automated high-bay warehouses, for example, ARATEC instructs stacker cranes to move to the storage position's target coordinates to ensure that all storage and retrieval operations are carried out with high accuracy in the shortest amount of time. In addition, wear and tear can be reduced to a minimum due to an almost 100% compensation of mast oscillations.
Advantages of the ARATEC:
One particular advantage of the ARATEC positioning system lies in process optimization. The system calculates travel profiles for the required travel distance, placing particular emphasis on maximum speed and acceleration. The travel profiles are continuously optimized to ensure that all movements are completed in the shortest possible time. The travel profiles calculated by ARATEC eliminate creeping speed, irrespective of the load, which significantly reduces storage and retrieval times.
Are you looking for a future-ready positioning system or a positioning solution to replace an existing system? Contact us – our application engineers can provide recommendations for your specific environment. Please call +49 (0) 2630 91590-0 or use the contact form to submit your questions or requests or send an e-mail to support@psi-technics.com.
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS for the ARATEC Positioning Solution System:
FLP6000AOC Advanced Oscillation Control decreases mast oscillations of stacker cranes.
FLP6000EOS Energy Optimizing Software saves energy, increases positioning efficiency and the life-span of stacker cranes, crane systems, bridge cranes / overhead cranes, automated industrial vehicles and conveyor systems.
FLP6000ASC Advanced Skew Control Software eliminates skew of long-span bridge cranes / overhead cranes.
Tandem Operation enables two independently driven bridge cranes / overhead cranes (or trolleys) to operate in tandem.
and ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Rack fine positioning: Highly precise rack positioning for stacker cranes – reference points on storage racks are used in combination with vision sensors and automated lighting control to ensure precise positioning – even when warehousing layouts change. For example, reference points change when foundations subside or steel structures in high-bay warehouses can expand due to temperature fluctuations. The vision sensors recognize these changes and the ARATEC Positioning Solution System ensures rack fine positioning even under changing conditions.
ARATEC advantages vs. conventional positioning systems:
Jens Schischke, Conveyor Technology, Planning department (PWG-P/F), Volkswagen AG, Germany:
"With the ARATEC system PSI Technics not only provided us with an efficient long-term solution that helps us to cut costs, but with state-of-the-art positioning technology for our Wolfsburg factory."
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The ARATEC Positioning Solution System has been used with great success for industrial vehicles and conveyor systems positioning in production and logistics facilities. In addition, the system's control features reduce load vibration, preventing or drastically reducing undesired oscillation.
The self-learning characterization software, which determines the ideal travel profile and automatically detects control parameters, is a major advantage of the ARATEC positioning system. It considerably reduces commissioning time for new installations. Instead of several days, commissioning now only takes a few hours. The software automatically performs the time-consuming control loop modeling process and searches for the optimum control parameters, tasks that previously needed to be performed by commissioning staff. Consequently, there is no need for using a specifically-trained commissioning engineer.
The FLP6000MC software, which is controlled by a microcomputer, takes care of positioning and controlling tasks instead. PSI Technics specifically developed this intelligent and easy to use software for use with rail-guided industrial machines and conveyor systems.
Jürgen Bastek, Manager of Maintenance, Volkswagen AG, Germany:
"The retrofitting was well-organized and well-prepared. As a result, the new positioning systems were commissioned even prior to the completion date. PSI Technics' positioning solution was most convincing as a replacement for the ICS5000L system. ARATEC is technically sophisticated and can therefore readily be used in production environments. The new positioning solution ARATEC completely fulfilled Volkswagen AG's expectations. The occasional downtimes that occurred with the previous positioning system are no longer an issue. The precision and the performance of the new positioning system were other convincing factors. ARATEC guarantees a reliable warehouse operation with retrofitted stacker cranes for years to come."
The ARATEC Positioning Solution System is an autonomous digital control system. It connects with controllers, process control computers or warehouse management systems to execute the required chain of command. For example, the system communicates via serial protocols or Fieldbus systems, thus eliminating dependencies between process control and positioning systems. ARATEC controls the motor drive by transmitting set point values to the converter via Fieldbus, analog voltage or analog power (0..20 mA, 4..20 mA).
Unlike other positioning systems, ARATEC is compatible with all types of motor drives. Measurement values for set point control are obtained by means of distance meters, encoders or bar code systems (See also System Components).
ARATEC is an ideal solution for new installations and for modernizing existing PLC- or drive-based installations or those using Trimble ICS5000 / TCS4000 / ASC, SICK, Leuze, TR Electronic, Pepperl & Fuchs systems.
In addition to installing ARATEC positioning systems in new facilities, PSI Technics offers the following services for industrial positioning and conveyor systems used in the production and logistics industries:
To meet the increasing demands of dynamic modern logistics systems, PSI Technics continues to enhance the closed-loop control models of the ARATEC.
The ARATEC Positioning Solution System includes a self-learning algorithm that automatically adapts to the behavior of the controlled vehicle. PSI Technics developed the ARATEC Positioning Solution System to adapt to changing industrial requirements and to provide better control for highly dynamic systems while simultaneously reducing commissioning times in highly complex logistics facilities.
The ARATEC's automatic machine model identification capability is a core feature of the self-learning algorithm. It automatically calculates a machine model that best describes the vehicle's behavior based on the system's response.
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The example illustrates the behavior of a highly oscillating axis of a industrial vehicle – a common disturbance that presents a challenge for all types of positioning systems.
The blue graph depicts the actual machine behavior. It represents the values measured during an automatic characterization performed by the ARATEC. The red graph represents ARATEC's previous machine modeling approach for calculating the machine behavior. The green graph represents ARATEC's new and improved machine modeling approach.
The deviation of the simulated models (red and green graphs) from the actual machine behavior (blue) is an important measure of the quality of the positioning system's machine model identification. The red graph represents the calculated machine model based on ARATEC's previously used machine modeling. Although the red graph provides a fairly good approximation of the industrial vehicle's behavior, the green graph representing the new automatic machine modeling approach matches the system behavior (including the actually occurring oscillations) noticeably better.
Four ultrasonic distance sensors record the current position of the wheels at their point of contact. The ARATEC ATC uses this data to calculate both the angle and the position of the crane bridge.PSI Technics' ARATEC ATC (Advanced Track Control System) is a straight-run control system for bridge cranes. The ARATEC ATC ensures that the wheels of a bridge crane are continually centered on the crane rails, thus effectively preventing wheel flange and lateral guide roller wear.
How the ARATEC ATC works:
The ARATEC ATC controls the drives on both sides of the bridge and ensures that the crane wheels are centrally positioned on the rails. To accomplish this, the ARATEC ATC employs 4 ultrasonic sensors that are permanently affixed to the crane wheel assembly (2 on each side) which measure the distance from the wheel or flange to the center of the rail.
The controller monitors the angle and float of the crane and based on this information a speed offset value is calculated and any required velocity correction is sent to the right or left side drive to ensure the crane wheels remain centered on the rails. Thus, if the wheels or rollers deviate from the rail’s centerline the ARATEC ATC corrects the skew or float while the crane is moving. Since the wheel positions on both sides of the rails are corrected, the crane's traveling speed remains unaffected.
The ARATEC ATC has no effect on existing or additional crane controls, such as anti-collision, automated or semi-automated positioning, or sway control, allowing simultaneous use of these features, where required.
YOUR BENEFITS:
The ARATEC ATC is a worthy investment – even for older cranes and cranes with long spans. Contact us to learn more. Please call +49 (0) 2630 91590-0 or use the contact form to submit your questions or requests or send an e-mail to support@psi-technics.com.
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The Challenge:
Bridge cranes play a vital role in production and warehouse logistics and are relied upon to transport heavy loads in interim storage or shipping facilities. The continuous day-to-day operation of these cranes, however, puts particular strain on a crane's mechanical components. A bridge crane has to be in safe operating condition at all times, and there is often little to no room for costly maintenance and associated downtimes.
Varying driving forces on either side of the rails, sloping or worn rails or swinging loads can cause the crane to skew or float which, in turn, wears heavily on wheel flanges, guide rollers, and crane rails. Damaged or worn wheels frequently lead to unplanned repairs, long downtimes and high maintenance costs.
The best optimization approach is to prevent heavy wear on all components that are critical for the crane's operational safety.
ARATEC ATC – System Components:
The ARATEC ATC consists of a compact controller that fits into any crane-mounted electrical cabinet. Four ultrasonic distance sensors are installed on the front and back of the bridge on both sides of the crane rails and are aligned to the rail flanks. The measured distance values are transmitted via a 4-20 mA interface and are processed by the controller. To correct for skew or for the crane position on the rails, drives on both sides of the crane bridge need to be controlled separately. The ARATEC ATC controller transmits the corrections via any modern industry standard interface to the drive controller to correct the skew or float. Both AC and DC drives are supported by the ARATEC ATC.
As the need for managing information has evolved customers are demanding better and instant insight into operations. As companies continue to invest in automation to compete better in a now global marketplace, their demands for relevant information that provides insight into all aspects of their operation has grown. In the past, companies often had no way of knowing how their equipment was performing. And not knowing meant not understanding how operational bottlenecks were affecting throughput or which maintenance costs could be eliminated, or which systems would need to be replaced first.
Today's customer is rightfully demanding this insight. Critical vendors are being selected, in part because of their ability to prove their worth in real time. PSI Technics' new ARATEC Dashboard is one such game changer.
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Would you like to see the current status of your machines that are equipped with ARATEC systems?
The Dashboard's timeline provides a quick overview over the latest status messages.
Would you like to access additional status information?
Simply click a particular status message to display the relevant data.
How about an in-depth analysis of a particular system?
By clicking a system you can display an in-depth analysis of a single system and hide other systems in the timeline.
Does the system behavior change over time?
Statistics show current trends in system behavior. The Dashboard enables you to display potential interference that may have occurred as well as the frequency. Your service department has access to the "inner workings" of your machine and can use the statistics to evaluate your system.
When was the last scheduled maintenance and when is the next one?
Use the ARATEC Dashboard to easily keep track of maintenance. You can create maintenance appointments for your machines and display the information for operators across all shifts. The Dashboard allows you to create different users and display important messages in the timeline. It also reminds you of important service or maintenance appointments.
Does your system have optimization potential?
A variety of statistics can determine the optimization potential of your warehouse management system. For example, you can create a matrix that shows how frequently a machine services the storage and retrieval positions in your warehouse. This enables you to quickly determine time-savings potentials for achieving an increased throughput, which has a secondary benefit of reducing system wear and tear.
Would you like to receive status reports automatically?
The status intervals and the status information are customizable. The reports will be sent to you in Excel or PDF format.
Would you like to know how much energy can be saved within your application without affect throughput or positioning?
The ARATEC Positioning Solution System can be equipped to automatically measure the system's energy consumption for defined periods of time. The results will be shown in the Dashboard. The average hourly or daily energy consumption can be recorded to determine periods with peak consumption. You can even record a combined diagram that includes the energy consumption and the motion profile of your system.
ARATEC® TPCC® - Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Understand. Challenge the status quo. Consistently move forward: This is our vision of progress. We are advancing digitalization and we are leveraging existing data to create added value for our customers.
AUTOMATE. OPTIMIZE. INCREASE QUALITY. SAVE ENERGY.
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As image processing experts, we develop custom system solutions for challenging processes, e. g. for the Food Industry - Watch movie for Railway Transport and Logistics - Watch movie for the Automotive Industry - Watch movie for the Raw Materials / Commodities Industry - Watch movie
Designed for the continuous monitoring and visual quality control of production processes.
PSI Technics offers easy-to-use, application-specific digital image processing solutions that are designed for the continuous monitoring and quality control of production processes. Nearly all monitoring and measuring tasks can be automated by means of industrial image processing. Watch movie
PSI Technics' ARATEC Positioning Solution System is an innovative solution for industrial positioning applications.Watch movie
We invite you to experience a completely new type of control technology – in an entertaining short story. A clear and straightforward presentation will show you why the ARATEC is the best positioning solution on the market: For STACKER CRANE applicationsFor BRIDGE CRANE applications
PSI Technics' ARATEC Positioning Solution System is an innovative and advanced solution for industrial positioning applications. Watch movie
The ARATEC's FLP6000AOC software reduces mast oscillations – even of highly dynamic stacker cranes – to a minimum. The test setup shows that the ARATEC Positioning Solution System with enabled FLP6000AOC compensates for mast oscillations in near-real time, even when the oscillations are caused by external disturbances.
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PSI Technics GmbH
An der Steinkaul 6a
56333 Winningen | Germany
PHONE +49 (0) 2630 91590-0
FAX +49 (0) 2630 91590-99
info@psi-technics.com
