Sterile supply with AGVs

THE GOAL is a consistently safe, efficiently timed material flow along the entire process chain – from sterilisation to storage. The company has been relying on automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for years and decided to strategically expand and replace outdated systems in 2023. Three existing systems from a competitor were replaced by high-performance transport robots from the Heavy Move series from ek robotics. These now handle storage and retrieval in a total of six sterilisation chambers, where sensitive medical devices are treated with gaseous sterilants. Thanks to four fork arms, the vehicles can transport two pallets at the same time – a decisive advantage for maintaining the tight cycle times in the sterilisation process. In addition, a new system has been put into operation that intelligently links the interfaces between sterilisation, post-conditioning, and automated storage.

12 Vario Move CB vehicles with fork adjustment and counterweights ensure the automated transportation of the reprocessed medical products – on two levels and in 24/7 operation. The route, which is around 500 metres long, runs through particularly narrow structural conditions and requires the utmost precision in navigation. The time-critical transfer takes place at a total of 20 post-conditioning chambers, each with three buffer lanes: a maximum of 60 minutes is available for each batch. A material flow simulation carried out in advance ensured the cycle accuracy of the processes. Three additional vehicles organise the transfer to the storage area. The semi-automated system significantly increases operational efficiency, reduces staff workload and creates the conditions for further growth – with maximum process reliability and economic scalability.

For more information, visit www.ek-robotics.com