Autor: Jens Ehm

The increasing customization of products, which leads to higher numbers of product variants with smaller lot sizes, requires a high flexibility of manufacturing systems. These systems are subject to dynamic influences and need increasing effort for the generation of the production schedules and for the control of the processes. This paper presents an approach that addresses these challenges. First, scheduling is done by coupling an optimization heuristic with a simulation model to handle complex and stochastic manufacturing systems. Second, the simulation model is continuously adapted by real-time data from the shop floor. If, e.g., a machine goes down or a rush order appears, the simulation model and consequently the scheduling model is updated and the optimization heuristic adjusts an existing schedule or generates a new one. This approach uses real-time data provided by future cyber-physical systems to integrate scheduling and control and to manage the dynamics of highly flexible ...

The use of forklift trucks implies a high risk of accidents in intra-logistics. Due to the demographic change and the forthcoming skilled worker shortage, it becomes more and more important for logistics companies to preserve the health of their workers, since the loss of know-how can often not be compensated especially in small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, the development of new technologies, that raise safety and efficiency and that support cognitive ability in working environments, will become increasingly important in the future. This article presents the concept of an assistance system for forklift trucks that is developed in the scope of the research project “IntraSafe”. It is based on a linkage of workers and forklifts via infrared technology that enables a combination of collision avoidance and intelligent routing of forklift trucks for increasing safety and efficiency of logistics processes.