Logistics concept from manroland is convincing

Alma Manu Oy, Alma Media’s printing and distribution company, recently opted for a COLORMAN autoprint for its new printing center in Tampere, Finland. The company has also ordered leading edge technology from manroland for reel handling and materials logistics with a highly-automated AUROSYS system.

Seamless reel tracking
The AUROSYS logistics concept for Tampere already starts with the truck that delivers the reels. Paper consignments are documented by electronic delivery notes. After they are unloaded from the truck, every reel is identified via the barcode and at the same time checked against the delivery note. The forklift driver receives a transport order via a screen with the destination storage location only for reels that are accepted. The AUROSYS warehouse management system AUROstore is linked with the reel logistics at the press. Stock removal lists at the screen indicate which reels are to be delivered to the two AUROcut reel unpacking stations where the reels are weighed, unpacked, and prepared for automatic splicing. This enables white and brown waste to be optimally recorded and assigned to the respective reel.

Just in time delivery
Furthermore, the AUROlog materials flow control system ensures that the paper reels needed are delivered to the right reel splicer at the right time. AUROport takes care of reel transport, using LGVs (laser-guided, driverless vehicles). They take the reels prepared for splicing from the unpacking station and either deposit them in the AUROrack intermediate store or deliver them directly to the reel splicer. The LGVs also transport the residual reels back to the intermediate store where they are available for later use, generally for press start-ups. The AUROlog system also manages these residual reels and thus provides optimal materials availability. All logistics tasks are controlled by AUROlog and highly automated. This high degree of automation is only possible through close integration of both control systems, AUROlog (reel handling) and PECOM/printnet (press).

An optimal material flow
Umpteen thousand paper reels with a total weight of around 40,000 tons are processed for the newspapers produced in Tampere. The printing system and the logistics system are perfectly coordinated. For example, AUROlog takes over all logistics-relevant data from the production planning system of the press, which ensures optimal production preparation. In addition, AUROlog tracks press production. Even changes to running production are recognized and the paper supply is automatically adapted, which results in ideal utilization of the valuable substrate. The system integration also permits smooth job changeover with the highest possible savings of time and human resources.

Flexible reporting
Paper consumption is one of the most important factors in the environmental balance sheet of print production and also has a decisive influence on a printing company’s profitability. Therefore, strict control and efficient utilization of this valuable raw material is absolutely essential. AUROlog tracks the current location and condition of every paper reel with all relevant data in the entire storage and production process. Production-related paper consumption data is provided by the evaluation and statistics function of printnet Monitor. This also enables a long-term analysis of paper consumption to be made, which is a very useful planning instrument for printing company management. As Klaus Streit, Sales Manager from manroland, says: “The high reliability and economic efficiency of our AUROSYS solution are most convincing. This is why manroland is preferred to all other suppliers.”