STOPA tower storage system in a building-supporting structure

Metallbau Wilfinger has invested in a STOPA FLEX sheet metal storage system. The building-supporting tower storage system ensures more efficient production supply with sheet metal panels.

Metallbau Wilfinger GmbH, Schildbach, demonstrates its manufacturing expertise by covering almost the entire range of metal processing. This includes forging work and practically everything from repair locksmithing to steel construction and CNC sheet metal processing. The company also expects expertise from the supplier of its sheet metal storage system. Wilfinger decided in favor of STOPA Anlagenbau GmbH, Achern-Gamshurst (Germany), because STOPA presented the most convincing solution. A particular challenge was the automatic provision of material in several parts of the building. Further advantages include the higher degree of space utilization, faster access to the sheets and the automatic connection of sheet metal processing machines.

Fully automatic

The STOPA FLEX tower storage system stands for a high degree of space utilization, fast access to the sheets and automatic material provision

The transport carriages of the storage system run fully automatically within the safety zones. Outside of these areas, i.e. on the last sections of the route, the employees operate the scissor lift tables in the consent mode, lifting and lowering them, since electronic protection would not be sensible here.
The operator controls the tower storage system via an industrial PC with integrated real-time soft PLC. The sheet metal storage system can be controlled online. Touch PCs are available at all stations so that the operators can initiate the orders. The employees also use these to access the server database.

The warehouse management software ›LVS-Turm‹ offers all the functions required to operate a high-bay warehouse with fixed bin allocation. What’s more, the software can be individually configured for each employee. A weighing device automatically determines the material quantities when goods are put into and taken out of storage. The system also offers other highlights, including batch tracking.

The expectations that Wilfinger had of the change from cantilever racks to the double-sided tower storage system have been met. The company would recommend the manufacturer to others. Wilfinger also emphasizes that the project manager was the point of contact for all topics and questions, which meant that no interface problems could arise. All information, such as plans and documents, was provided on time and agreements were fully adhered to. In addition, STOPA was characterized by its know-how and experience in the field of storage peripherals.

Another challenging task was the calculation of the foundation for the tower and the enclosure. This was a topic that could be solved pragmatically thanks to the timely planning and coordination of all parties involved. The sheet metal storage system was launched in September 2014 after a construction period of about two months. The system ultimately also contributes to the operator’s higher delivery quality. Apart from the advantages mentioned, Wilfinger is also pleased with the very high availability of the STOPA FLEX.