Fachforen LogiMAT 31. Mai - 2. Juni 2022

Moderated by: Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Michael ten Hompel, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute of Material Flow and Logistics (IML), Chair of Materials Handling and Warehousing, TU Dortmund University

The “Silicon Economy” heralds the AI-based platform economy of tomorrow. Digital technology is the name of the game, and intralogistics is the playing field. Even the biggest industry players are beginning to realize that you can’t win this game on your own. You need a secure data environment, user-friendly interfaces, and actual standards that are more than just bits and bytes. If the next phase of the digital revolution is to succeed, there’s no time to reinvent the wheel for the umpteenth time. Logistics must rely more heavily on software. The establishment of the Open Logistics Foundation affords us a unique opportunity to work together toward open-source hardware, software, interfaces, and apps.
Let’s talk.

Moderated by: Matthias Pieringer, editor in chief, LOGISTIK HEUTE, HUSS-VERLAG GmbH

Fires in logistics centers pose a grave risk to supply chains and frequently lead to downstream disruptions. This makes fire safety absolutely essential for warehouses, distribution centers, and the like. But how can fire safety solutions be integrated alongside high-performance intralogistics concepts without losing efficiency? What role does the increasingly important storage of lithium-ion batteries play? Experts working in the fields of logistics and logistics real estate will address these and other questions.

Moderated by: Prof. Dr. Franz Vallée, Managing Director, VuP GmbH, Vallée und Partner, Logistic & IT Consultancy, Münster

The challenge of planning and controlling warehouse processes is growing more daunting. Choosing the right WMS and software vendor is no simple task. There are so many solutions to choose from, and companies don’t usually set aside much time to select the right one. When such solutions are actually implemented, they don’t always bring the hoped-for success. This leads to calls for agile approaches. But is every company ready for this? What exactly does agile mean? Is agile always the right tool? How do you check which approach is appropriate in a specific case?

Moderated by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Fottner, Chair in Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics at the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Munich

One of the core concepts behind Germany’s “Industry 4.0” initiative is the smooth interaction between humans and machines. But the demands placed on logistics systems are constantly growing, driven by an increasing variety of inventory and rising cost and deadline pressures. Modern technologies and intuitive interfaces offer new freedoms as we design the workplaces of tomorrow in a changing society. This forum brings together experts from the business and academic communities to explore how assistance systems can support humans, drive down error rates, and much more.

Moderated by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Schulz, Director, Institute of Mechanical Handling and Logistics (IFT), University of Stuttgart

Manual picking systems offer a high degree of flexibility at low investment costs. Humans are able to adapt quickly to dynamic, heterogeneous processes and can move to other areas of a company when demands on capacity fluctuate. That’s why manual activities dominate picking processes in production and distribution logistics. This expert forum offers both theory and practice for concrete, scientifically based approaches to planning and optimizing manual picking systems.
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Moderated by: Detlef Spee, Deputy Head, VDI Expert Committee 301, Logistics Systems and Management; Department Head, Intralogistics and IT Planning, Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML

The new VDI Guideline 3299 helps in the selection of the right picking system. It supplements the popular VDI 3590, which covers structural design. The new guideline offers a systematic approach to finding the right solution and highlights key principles, system types, and criteria. It provides everyone, not just experienced practitioners, with a common vocabulary and understanding on the journey to choosing the right system. An expert panel of warehouse operators and suppliers introduces the guideline and explores its benefits and applicability.

Moderated by: Michael Lickefett, Head of Department for Factory Planning and Production Management, Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

Shorter lead times for customized products, optimized fulfillment and logistics planning: “DesignChain” delivers an end-to-end, highly automated process flow—from defining customer requirements and setting the price and delivery date to generating the design and CAD model and transferring a validated NC code to production. Digital efficiency is a game-changer for fulfillment and logistics.
Fraunhofer IPA offers a concise illustration of how processes are automated in DesignChain, including real-world examples.

Moderated by: Prof. Dr. Michael Krupp, Director, Research Group for Optimizing Added Value at the University of Augsburg (HSA_ops)

The need to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life in urban centers has led to intense efforts to reinvent mobility.
Changes in individual mobility typically also have a major impact on the conditions for last-mile transport in city centers. Urban logistics concepts to address these trends have been designed and tested in city centers since the 1990s. New concepts in rural areas are less common, but are also being tested.
In most cases, this will require new transshipment centers with innovations in areas such as last-mile modes of transport. But what will these hubs look like? Tight spaces, limited hours, extremely high demands on flexibility?
Can they be automated, and which IT systems are needed? We look forward to sharing our experience and solutions and talking with you.

Moderated by: Dr.-Ing. Günter Ullrich, Director, Forum-FTS GmbH, Head of VDI expert committee AGV

In the old days, people just talked about AGVs. Now we have AMRs, MRs, aAGVs, IGVs, and more—terms that are largely the brainchild of marketing departments. But what exactly is autonomy, and what do autonomous functions mean for AGVs?

The VDI expert committee on AGVs has developed a comprehensive definition of autonomy: Clearly delineating automatic and autonomous functions and applying an evaluation matrix of all 11 autonomous functions makes it possible for the first time to calculate an autonomy index. Each function is also compared against the use case, yielding a custom evaluation of an autonomous solution.

Moderated by: Jan Kaulfuhs-Berger, editor in chief, Technische Logistik, HUSS-Medien GmbH

The list of technical innovations around AGVs/AMRs is long, ranging from new sensors and innovative vehicle and guidance control systems to numerous autonomous functions. Standardized data interfaces between the master controller and the vehicles open up new possibilities for implementing AGV projects.

This results in a number of challenges around plant safety. All players in the AGV project—and not least the operator—must be aware of their responsibilities. This expert forum addresses key questions about AGV safety.

Moderated by: Christian Menden, Head of Analytics, Supply Chain Services working group, Fraunhofer IIS

Logistics processes generate huge volumes of data. Businesses that seek to leverage this treasure trove with data analytics often run into problems: The data lacks the necessary quality, contains errors, is incomplete, or exists in various formats. Or the data needed for a specific application is simply not available. We present real-world examples illustrating how to overcome these hurdles and generate real added value to optimize processes or develop new services. The Supply Chain Services working group at Fraunhofer IIS and its partners deliver an AI reality check.

Moderated by: Peter Altes, Director, AIM-D e. V with Thorsten Aha, editor in chief ident, Ident Verlag & Service GmbH

Production and logistics, including the supply chain, are undergoing a digital transformation and becoming more closely integrated. Systems of automatic identification (auto ID) are the foundation of this process and of the communication between people, machines, and objects. The key challenges here are integration with software systems and cloud connectivity (IoT/IIoT). Our experts will illustrate and explain how auto ID is facilitating this digital transformation toward the more efficient management and optimization of business processes.

Moderated by: Prof. Michael Hauth, Managing Director in the Intralogistics Network in Baden-Württemberg e. V.

New technologies and processes are shaping the future of intralogistics. The Intralogistics Radar offers an expert overview of the emerging technologies that, together with people and processes, will be critical for future business success. The experts at this Intralogistics Network forum will look at how to take the bull by the horns in a change management process.
Key questions:
How will this impact our business processes and workforce? What structural changes need to happen simultaneously? How can we create the right conditions for success?

Moderated by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Schulz, Director, Institute of Mechanical Handling and Logistics (IFT), University of Stuttgart

How can the floor help your intralogistics? A new “smart floor” concept supports intralogistics processes and helps make them more flexible and dynamic. Integrating sensors and display elements into the floor, for example, can not only make life easier for your workers, it can also guide and provide inductive charging for transport equipment. The Institute of Mechanical Handling and Logistics (IFT) has developed an innovative omnidirectional material transport AGV to highlight the opportunities for flexible lane designations for pedestrians and vehicles.