A new automatic vertical warehouse for managing moulds

Encapsulated coil and industrial connector specialist ATAM has invested in a new vertical warehouse for managing moulds, interfacing with the company’s management software to make its internal logistics even more efficient, whilst also offering widespread customer benefits. The development is a direct result of the company’s ongoing investments in research, human resources and new facilities, enabling ATAM to bring production and systems into early compliance with the requirements of “Industry 4.0” and “Full Traceability” concepts. Now ATAM has invested in an automatic vertical warehouse for the management of moulds which is capable of providing real time information to operators regarding the location and availability of individual moulds. Maintenance can also be scheduled, thereby reducing downtime to a minimum. The system’s management software makes it possible to know the precise location of a mould at any moment – whether it is in the warehouse or in the workshop undergoing maintenance – and act so that it arrives in the right configuration exactly when the production line requires it. The warehouse is capable of handling heavy loads and can interface with the company management system thanks to a customized software. With a maximum capacity of 60 t, ATAM’s vertical warehouse can store hundreds of moulds, in multiple-versions, designed to fit together like puzzle pieces, enabling the company to produce 3000 versions of coils and 3000 connector types for hundreds of different customers. From the time it is created in ATAM’s R&D department, each mould is stored in the warehouse in all its versions, together with any templates and remains available until an order is placed requiring its use. When a new order arrives the system automatically assesses the availability of the mould in the warehouse or identifies it mounted on a machine if already in use for production. Its use is assessed by the system applying a production logic of “on time delivery” to optimize machine downtime.
The new vertical warehouse forms part of a production ethic which embraces fully integrated automation. State-of-the-art machinery networked for manufacturing management applies the same quality logic across all products, adopting the most demanding procedural standards and adhering to the requirements of international type approvals.