Safe intralogistics with the help of simulation technologies

Large logistics and trading companies have wide-ranging high-bay warehouses that are loaded and operated by manned forklift trucks or even automated with the help of robots. Simulation with the help of the finite element method (FEM) is also increasingly supporting the design and construction of safe facilities here.

Modern high-bay warehouses are operated by robots, industrial trucks, forklifts and lifting platforms. When it comes to lifting and accelerating loads, crossing thresholds, accelerating, braking and cornering, through to tipping scenarios and crash behaviour, FEM simulation offers ever more and extremely reliable options for calculating stability, behaviour and strength. By means of engineering simulation, it can be digitally determined whether all components are sufficiently dimensioned under regular use, but also under foreseeable misuse.

Since, for example, the topic of weight saving and lightweight construction is also becoming increasingly important for aerial work platforms, FEM calculations are increasingly being used here. For high stability, the centre of gravity should be set as low as possible. At the same time, the basket must not sway too much with the employee, which is a question of rigidity. FEM calculations are used for the ideal design.

"Load-bearing components as well as the connecting elements, such as screws and welds, are analysed. Design flaws become visible even before testing. The unbeatable advantage: the digital crash of a plant is far less cost-intensive and the design can be changed digitally more easily and tested at the same time," says Stefan Merkle, Managing Director of Merkle & Partner GbR. FEM simulation is not only used for new plants. Existing faults can be quickly found and eliminated via detailed damage analyses.

Further information at www.merkle-partner.de

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