Autor: Stephan Oelker

Efficiency in container terminal operations is key for competitiveness. Many large German terminals use the flexible but relatively risk-laden manned straddle carriers (SCs). The research project STRADegy evaluated the reliability and profitability of automated SCs in northern-German container terminals via a combination of a pilot installation and an emulation at the container terminal in Wilhelmshaven. Parallel to that, rollout-guidelines were developed. This paper introduces central results regarding a successful rollout of auto-SC-systems.

German sea and inland ports are of outstanding importance for Germany as a base for manufacturing and logistics. In the last decades, the port sector underwent several structural changes. Currently, the expected autonomation and digitalization of the entire supply chain create entirely new challenges for the port industry. In this context, the present article describes a planning approach for the development of an automated straddle carrier in northern German seaports. To evaluate both the reliability and the profitability of such an automated system, a planning approach, consisting of two fundamental steps, was chosen: (1) At first, in order to perform prototypical experiments, a pilot installation will be established in the area of the container terminal in Wilhelmshaven (CTW). (2) Based on this, the system’s suitability for the operative conditions in a mega container terminal is evaluated using a simulation and emulationbased planning approach.

Wire ropes are used in different applications and human life often depend on their integrity. Therefore, technical personnel checks the tightropes on a regular basis but there are some difficulties in detecting damaged areas. Consequently, wire ropes are exchanged rather too early than too late causing avoidable extra costs. In this paper, the project MOBISTAR is presented that combines a magneto-inductive and an optical sensor to detect damages and a software based on Convolutional Neural Networks to evaluate those defects.

Logistic processes at seaports and inland terminals play an important role for finished vehicle logistics. High flexibility and reactivity are required to cope with frequent deviations from original operational planning. This paper describes a concept for developing tools and systems to optimize planning and control processes. This includes a simulation backed planning system and a control system for order allocation using mobile devices and their GPS as well as sensor data.

Wind energy has become an established technology for the generation of electricity from renewable energies. However, suitable sites for the installation of onshore wind turbines are limited or often already developed. Consequently, offshore wind energy will play a key role in the future of renewable energy production. Especially in implementing the turnaround of energy policy. The installation of offshore wind farms is comparatively complex and expensive due to the harsh weather conditions and the limited availability of resources. Therefore, new concepts for the construction of offshore wind parks have to be developed and evaluated. However, classical planning tools reach their limits due to such complex problems. This gap can be closed by means of a process simulation.

Efficient operation and maintenance (O&M) processes are important success factors to reduce the operating costs in the operation phase of industrial assets. Therefore, companies use different maintenance strategies that are well known from literature. Due to uncertainties in occurrence of faults and the duration of process fulfilment, strategies even supported by new technologies do often not fit to the specific real-world challenges. The focus of this paper is to discuss a new concept where operation data analysis is used to support decisions for logistics maintenance processes.

The challenge for the offshore wind industry is the transition form a “pioneer industry” to a mass-volume industry. Especially if the ambitious goal of the federal government to install offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 6.5 gigawatts by 2020 in North and Baltic Sea is considered. For a reliable and economical generation of electricity, a development of the offshore wind turbines for the entire product life cycle is needed as well as the optimization of processes. At present a lot of data is recorded in the individual life cycle phases which contains valuable information for the optimization and further development of offshore wind turbines. Within this paper an approach for the merging information along the life cycle of offshore wind turbines aiming at product improvement will be presented.

The KWS SAAT AG have implemented and automatic identification system (Auto-ID) for corn. The main reasons for this were the logistic challenges and legal requirements concerning the traceability of seeds. With this system, the aim is to increase the efficiency of logistic processes in the supply chain. Before its implementation, a research project was conducted, in which the requirements that must be met by the Auto-ID system in this specific environment were examined.

The complex and dynamic worldwide logistic systems are marked by the heavy dependence between the participants. Through this, local developments (especially in the economic sector) can entail unforeseeable consequences on the entire network. Furthermore, cyclical fluctuations occur at increasingly brief intervals. In times of an inconstant economic situation, the challenge arises to design processes with such flexibility or to construct the entire system in such a way, that unforeseeable market fluctuations can be reacted to in the best possible manner and that the system does not collapse. Only this can ensure the long term international competitiveness.

The acquisition of technical data throughout the life of a product is of enormous importance in many industrial areas. For example, the maintenance processes can be designed to be more efficient and derived findings from the operational phase can be used for the development of new generations of products. Mobile systems that support the management of complex technical systems allow greater attention to the operational phases of the lifetime utilizing familiar concepts, such as product lifecycle management (PLM). The requirements and challenges of mobile systems are shown and compared with current trends and concepts.