MINDA's history of conveyor technology
Since MINDA was founded in 1979, roller conveyors have been used for intralogistics transports. In the beginning, storage solutions were also implemented, for example, as intermediate storage on roller conveyors. After an interim period with the steel slat-top chain, the change to the plastic chain took place in 1999. In the same year, MINDA revolutionized the intralogistics transport with the development of the plastic chain conveyor for the corrugated cardboard industry.
Thanks to the particularly gentle material transport on the plastic chain, the sheet walk effect was avoided and the operators could benefit from a significantly higher level of safety. Immediately after the introduction of the plastic chain conveyor, MINDA took the Millenium into operation, the first intermediate storage on plastic chains, designed as area storage system.
The requirements for the intralogistics have grown steadily with the further development of production capacities in the corrugated cardboard plants. As a result, storage solutions on several levels became necessary.
The first multi-level intermediate storage (area storage, divided into several levels), designed as multi-level warehouse, was installed by MINDA in 2002.
In order to provide more flexibility for production capacities through storage space, MINDA has expanded its storage solutions to incorporate them into existing factory halls in particular. This was necessary in response to the customer's cost-efficient storage strategies of generating more storage capacity in height on a smaller footprint instead of creating more capacity in the floor space.
With the first in-house warehouse installation (storage solution with rack system, one storage and retrieval machine is used per aisle, integration into existing construction possible) in 2016, more storage capacity was created on a smaller footprint instead of with a classic area storage. MINDA's first in-house warehouse was designed for semi-finished goods without pallets.
Following various high-bay warehouse connections, MINDA commissioned its first complete installation of a high-bay warehouse (storage solution with rack system, one storage and retrieval machine is used per aisle, in silo construction the rack builds the load-bearing substructure for roof and cladding) in 2019. This warehouse was designed for finished goods and auxiliary materials - such as empty pallets and cover pallets. With this first own installation of a high-bay warehouse, MINDA positioned itself as a full-service provider.
The final step of designing an interim storage as an in-house or high-bay warehouse ensures additional process reliability for the customer. These storage solutions allow a highly flexible response to short-term adjustments in production processes.
During this historical development, the focus on the further development of software for automated intralogistics solutions has steadily increased. Whereas in the past the operator had to plan the control of the stacks, MINDA developed the first plant with automated material flow control via Overhead Control (OC) in the early 1990s. With the further development of the OC to the MINDA Control System (MCS), all intralogistics solutions have been equipped with an intelligently automated control system. MINDA's MoveIT software has been adapted version by version to the new stages of development.
As a full-service provider with one face to the customer during all steps of the process, MINDA provides the customer with all components for the entire intralogistics from a single source.
MINDA Control System
With the MINDA Control System (MCS), all intralogistics components in the corrugated cardboard plant are equipped with an intelligent in-house control system.
In 2017, the system, which had already proven its worth in in-house warehouses, was further developed and continuously optimized for high-bay warehouse solutions as the next logical step. This means that the MCS system which has been established on the market now applies to all warehouse solutions from MINDA.
The MCS is the central unit in the software structure for management and ensures smooth communication between all components: The system receives an order from the higher-level host (an ERP or merchandise management system) as the customer's control system, manages it in a database and, after appropriate optimization, forwards it to the control of the connected conveyor technology.
The MCS offers real-time visualization and operation of the respective intralogistics system at all times.
Warehouse Management
The requirements for the automated control of a high-bay warehouse are much more complex than for individual intralogistics components, for example due to stock relocation strategies.
Due to the constantly growing services of and requirements for intralogistics processes, for example in a high-bay warehouse, the demands nowadays are far more challenging and go beyond the pure management and organization of the warehouse. The efficiency of a fully automated solution can only be entirely exploited if the intralogistics system surrounding the high-bay warehouse is also optimally connected.
A high-bay warehouse is a particularly good example for presenting how an efficient increase of performance can be optimized across the entire corrugated cardboard plant. If all intralogistics components come from a single source without an interface, there is consistent visualization and operation and monitoring are simplified. This means that even a high-bay warehouse is no longer a black box.
Focus on interaction between high-bay warehouse and pre-zone
In a fully automated high-bay warehouse system, there is special emphasis on the pre-zone, as only the perfect interplay of infeed and discharge together with the warehouse itself leads to the greatest possible efficiency.
The pre-zone in conjunction with the MINDA Control System of a high-bay warehouse describes the area for the provision of all storage and retrieval operations. This must be planned very carefully, as the performance of the high-bay warehouse is already determined here.
The preparation for the storage in the high-bay warehouse must be optimized considering the individual compartments so that subsequent processes (such as further converting or dispatch) are supplied with sufficient capacity. MINDA reduces stock relocation processes in advance and predicts aisle distribution, storage zones and order sequences at an early stage, thereby continuously optimizing the high-bay warehouse.
When the blocks are fed out of the warehouse, they are optimized and assembled in the pre-zone for the converting machines or dispatch to increase efficiency.
Thus, MINDA plans the optimized storage and retrieval processes much earlier and specially focusses on generating the greatest possible performance for the customer through the complete intralogistics system of a plant.
With a warehouse solution that is decoupled from the rest of the intralogistics system and connected via interfaces, this increase in performance across the entire system is not possible.
Only when the infeed and outfeed areas are in perfect harmony with the high-bay warehouse, the optimum properties such as performance, filling degree and distribution in the rack are achieved, which are crucial for meeting today's requirements for logistics.
Increase efficiency in the entire corrugated board plant
As a full-service provider, MINDA offers you warehouse solutions such as high-bay warehouses, in-house and area warehouses, as well as complete intralogistics in infeed and discharge zones from a single source.
One face to the customer over the entire process provides a lean structure for the customer: starting with the inquiry, through the project planning for interface clarification, the subsequent project management, and the subsequent production – every step with the same contract person.
MINDA always provides a complete overview: From paper reel transport, discharge behind the corrugator, to machine connections and peripherals, as well as to finished goods transport and dispatch planning. MINDA completely optimizes your systems in the interaction of storage space and intralogistics transports to fully exploit the potential.
