INTEGRATED CONDUCTOR RAIL SYSTEMS FOR AS / RS
INTEGRATED CONDUCTOR RAIL SYSTEMS FOR AS / RS
By Rod Griffith, Director of Marketing, Conductix- Wampfler
Whether for pallets, small parts or special applications with high or low inventory turnover, it is hard to imagine a dynamic, highly available“ low cost per pick” fully automated warehouse without automated storage and retrieval units( AS / RS units). The best way to power and control AS / RS equipment is to use reliable and efficient conductor rails to supply electric energy as well as to pass control signals. These systems can also be set up for efficient and ecological energy recovery. Most recently, the best conductor bar systems are packaged in an integrated housing. One type of integrated package is called“ ProShell” made by Conductix-Wampfler. This type of support profile can integrate several conductor rails into a consolidated package while taking into account other needs of planners and installers.
Despite extensive advance planning, structural modifications always crop up during an AS / RS installation. These present the installer with unexpected challenges that require quick solutions while at the same time maintaining the existing schedule and budget. For example, a typical installation situation would be an unexpected offset in the specified positions of the stands or uprights.“ In this case, the installer has an advantage if the connection of conductor rail to AS / RS system is not fixed, but could occur at any point along the profile, even near connectors,” explains Dieter Seidel, Conductix-Wampfler Global Product Manager for conductor rails.
It is real-life problems such as these that encouraged the move to place separate conductor rails into a rigid shell package. Packaged systems like“ Pro- Shell” make the mechanical integration of conductor-rail systems, whether into a new or existing installation, much less complex while at the same time ensuring the correct electrical design. Having this flexibility makes the work of both installers and planners considerably easier. The system allows for connections at virtually any point along the profile so offsetting the connection to the shelf or floor upright presents no problems.“ The maximum nominal suspension interval of 3.2 meters also reduces the number of mounting brackets or floor-mounted uprights needed,” emphasized Seidel. Floor-mounted system brackets that permit fast height adjustments with their economical single-hole grid or elongated hole profiles are also a useful addition.
At the heart of the concept is a sheetsteel support profile into which field-proven conductor rails are installed. This not only protects the power rails but also permits wider suspension intervals and installation directly on the rack uprights using universal system brackets. Optical positioning bar code holders can also be fitted to the support profile with clamping units.“ Systems like‘ ProShell’ provide a complete system that gives the customer the highest degree of flexibility with unchanged mechanical interfaces. It does so in a very compact design that takes into account the trend for four- or five-pole systems with new control concepts,” says Seidel.
By using different conductor rails and different conductor materials, such as steel, copper or aluminum, it is possible to cover a wide range of electrical specifications( 10 A to 400 A) with the same system while maintaining the same installation space and mechanical interfaces. System engineers can select the number of poles and cross sections required. Larger conductor-rail cross sections with low resistance values and thus low voltage drops are important when supplying long storage lanes with only one infeed at rated currents of up to 400 A.
The barcode labels can be mechanically bonded to a stainless steel supporting band clamped to the support shell labels. These can be set in the same relative positions from aisle to aisle with a high degree of repeatability.
Higher ratings and larger cross sections in conductor rail systems are also gaining importance in terms of energy efficiency. More and more suppliers are offering solutions for covering energy from the AS / RS in regenerative mode. This reduces operating costs and also meets future international energy efficiency standards. Large cross section conductor rails can fit into the same standard support profile. Aluminum conductor rails can also be used and these reduce overall energy consumption as compared to equal-cost copper profiles. The voltage drop is less due to the higher cross section.
In accordance with various worldwide specifications for occupational safety( e. g.: BG and SUVA), support profiles can be designed with rolled longitudinal edges and without fixed or upturned edges. Another advantage occurs when the support profiles are optimized to a four meter length suitable for delivery trucks. The four meter profiles are easily and safely handled by one person. Despite a low material thickness and weight, the special design of the profile makes it stronger in comparison to conventional U-profile solutions.
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