SMART KANBAN: Industry 4.0 in storage and assembly

In partnership with ambos.io and its Storage Tower, Ferdinand Gross' smart kanban solutions have been bolstered by another logistics service for customers which aims to support workers, optimise reordering and save space in the warehouse and assembly line...

Ferdinand Gross is one of the largest suppliers of fastening technology in Germany. Priding itself as a reliable partner, the company provides its customers in the industry with tailor-made services.

Recently, Ferdinand Gross has been working with ambos.io GmbH in the Kanban field. Ambos.io offers innovative IoT-technology for the digitisation of intra- and extra-logistics processes. Two systems are offered: the ambos.io Storage Tower and the ambos.io Assembly Station. Both systems automate the entire supply chain - generating realtime data on material consumption from B- and C- parts, supporting workers and commissioners, optimising reordering and quality management. In addition, the round design saves space in the warehouse and in assembly.

The Storage Tower is a round shelving system consisting of six disk modules and has been designed for use in warehouses. The stock of all B- and C-parts is digitalised and clearly displayed in the a mbos.io app for a complete overview of all articles. Automatised stocktaking in self-chosen intervals and the unique chance to capture every change in stock in real time ensure there’s an up-to-date stock overview. As soon as an article falls below its specified minimum stock, the ambos.io app will send a message to make sure that it can be reordered in time to avoid bottlenecks.

The Assembly Station consists of two disk modules and can be integrated directly into a workplace. Via an app, digital assembly instructions can be integrated. The station will check if all necessary articles are in stock before starting assembly and it will go on to guide and assist the worker through the assembly process. The Assembly Station will rotate the box containing the parts necessary for the next step to the sampling point and mark the right box to pick by light. By recording the weight automatically and in real time, the Assembly Station knows exactly how many parts have been used and can send a local message when an article falls below its specified minimum stock.

“The main challenge in the logistics sector is the mapping of an innovative and stable supply chain," says Ferdinand Gross Managing Director Thomas Erb. In view of rapid technological advances, high quality production that saves time, space and cost, guarantees availability and generates secure data as the basis for process and management decisions, is essential.

Ambos.io has developed the intralogistics hotspots as a solution to these challenges. These hotspots are networked with each other and depict the company as a digital factory. The accompanying software solution is ideal for Industry 4.0. It makes  certain the digital connection of the individual storage boxes to the internal supply chain. Furthermore, it digitally links the intralogistics and enables the integration of internal and external suppliers.

Ferdinand Gross and ambos.io integrate the concept of the smart Kanban in close cooperation with customers into their existing processes and systems.

A project begins with an analysis of the actual warehouse, logistics and production situation and discusses how the solution can be strategically integrated to support the company in optimising and digitising its processes.

www.schrauben-gross.com