Taking advantage of the remodeling of the goods receiving area and the simultaneous installation of a palletizer and multiple AGV systems, Pfizer launched a major integration project between the company’s various subsystems, integrating them with the order management and production scheduling levels.

Initially, we provided the role of project manager during the final commissioning, but over the years, various system modifications and expansions were also made to the warehouse management software to meet the customer’s growing production needs.

This project comprises multiple systems, including:

• Supervision system called MHSS
• Warehouse management software system, comprising 5 automatic stacker cranes and a refrigerated aisle with a shuttle
• Conveyor management system, comprising a master PLC and 9 slaves distributed throughout the layout. Three contour control systems, various barcode readers, scales, elevators, unloading and recirculation stations, and shuttles for sorting between the various stacker crane lanes are located along the conveyors.
• AGV management system, comprising 3 different laser-guided systems and radio communication, for a total of 15 AGVs that pick up bins or pallets.

During the project management phase, much emphasis was placed on procedures for detecting non-compliant operations and implementing corrective measures.

Regular meetings with management were held to ensure the system was properly integrated into production and to reallocate resources with reduced workloads as the system’s use increased.

Following this phase, various changes were made to the warehouse management software and AGV system over the years, most of which affected the modules for mission and route control, as well as the modules for order management and warehouse management.

In 1999, the system successfully submitted for millennium certification.

AGV navigation type: Laser.

System controller: IBM RS6000 in maxed configuration and hot backup. Oracle database is used with many store procedures and triggers.

AGV system controller provided by Kollmorgen (former NDC). AGV communitation has been done via radio channel.

Charging concept: charging stations with contacts on top of the AGV, when batteries are low, the vehicle is sent there to stay and charge, as well the AGV goes on charger when there are no transports to execute.

This AGV system is working over two shifts, morning and afternoon.

Number of AGVs: 15

AGV manufacturer: Digitron.

Function: Onsite project leader to complete the commissioning.

Year: 1996