iFD GmbH – The specialist in battery warehouse automation

The boom in the electric vehicle sector is nothing new in Germany. Rising fuel prices and the tense situation surrounding oil availability are causing demand to skyrocket once again.

To ensure that the production of electric vehicles in Germany can be carried out in a future-oriented and highly productive manner, the storage and handling of batteries for these vehicles is an essential component of the entire production chain. A number of German car factories are being converted into electric vehicle plants. A prerequisite for this is the optimisation of logistics processes, which is achieved through digitalisation and process optimisation.

IT-supported battery logistics begins as soon as the ready-to-install batteries arrive at the plants – by train or lorry – with the help of the iFD MFCS software. Once the batteries have been unloaded, they are stored in highly automated high-bay racking systems – in some cases with six levels of depth – and subsequently supplied in the sequence required for assembly. The iFD solution enables efficient and rapid storage and retrieval throughout the entire process chain.

The special containers for handling the batteries are kept in empty container buffers. The MFCS empty container management module manages the empty containers by type, supplier and location within the E-plant; furthermore, the full-to-empty container exchange process is managed and carried out.

Using a reliable visualisation system, the plant elements and components are displayed graphically and assigned user-friendly names. The visualisation is based on data from the PLC as well as order and inventory data from the MFCS.

With the highly efficient, modular ‘Material Flow and Control System’ (MFCS), the warehouse is controlled effortlessly in autopilot mode. Thermal imaging cameras integrated into the system provide continuous temperature monitoring, as fire safety is of paramount importance, particularly when handling batteries.

The system includes the following standard modules, among others, which can be adapted to customer requirements simply through configuration:

• Master data and user management
• Inventory management and control
• Goods receipt
• Goods issue
• Empties management
• Sequencing (including pre-sequencing)

In 2021 alone, three battery warehouses for well-known OEMs in Germany were commissioned using the iFD MFCS system.