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Despite the impact of Covid-19, Automha, a leader in the automated warehouse sector, has continued to invest in research to develop innovative solutions to meet all market needs.

Our company, despite the impact of Covid-19, has continued its research activity regarding the development of innovative solutions able to satisfy the customer at 360 degrees. Automha is one of the few companies in Italy and Europe that has realized its own Virtual Commissioning service, consisting in the test of the automation code and the warehouse management code on a virtual copy of the warehouse (Digital Twin), before the launch of the system. The Virtual has reduced a lot the commissioning on-site span and the software development times.

Read the article written by Logistica Efficiente to learn more about the topic:

Automha, business leader in the planning, production, and installation of latest-generation automatic warehouses, for over 50 years has invested in the development of technical innovation and engineering with one main goal: the client and their satisfaction.

Even in this difficult year, in which the pandemic has hit the entire world, Automha has continued its research into progressive solutions and diverse automation projects.

Exactly with this perspective, the company from Bergamo identified the potential of advanced simulation within the broad spectrum of industry 4.0 and decided to implement their own Virtual Commissioning service.

“Virtual Commissioning – explains Marco Mazzucchelli, engineer in the R&D Department – is a system that reproduces a system or machine’s physical behavior, thanks to which one can test all the processes and control systems in the same way virtually through software simulation, with the end in mind to make more efficient and innovate the workflow specific to the client company, minimizing risks and reducing costs and time to put the system or machine to work.”

All of this is possible thanks to a packet of three Siemens software of which Automha has used since 2019, indispensable for guaranteeing the service to clients:

• Plant Simulation
• NX MCD
• SIMIT

Planned and created with care by Automha experts, Virtual Commissioning provides numerous advantages. It offers the possibility to reduce software development times and those of work management, as well as allowing to enable numerous tests to verify the efficacy of planned security systems.

To these benefits is added the reduction of system delivery time, since the more traditional on-site commissioning phase requires more time (it was estimated a reduction of 60% of productions times), the optimization of systems for reduced energy consumption, the redefinition of productivity and to modernization of determined company processes.

The virtualization of the system happens through the creation of a Digital Twin of the system, that reveals in advance the development of automation within the digital world, and Automha created internally a vast library with which its able to autogenerate any system.

The real and true Virtual Commissioning consists in the testing of all the planned elements and relative automation, technically controlled by PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), Motional Control and HMI (Human Machine Interface), and to eliminate programming errors that could be found during automation.

“We at Automha are constantly researching innovative and modern solutions for the storage and withdrawal of goods automatically. Virtual Commissioning represents a true turning point, allowing us to speed up production time to the advantage of our clients” continues Marco Mazzucchelli. “For example, during the lockdown period, we can carry on all activities of commissioning virtually for an Indian client in the pneumatic sector, even if there were previously programmed on-site. This allows us to deliver the system before estimated times.”

To see a system or machine before its even physically created, and real relevant aspects, to be able to execute beforehand a debug of the entire system, puts Automha in the position to provide a transparent and efficient service to the client.

A tedious work, rich with satisfaction. Thanks to the Virtual Commissioning service, Automha is today the only company in Italy, and one of few in Europe, to execute Virtual Commissioning tests so elaborate and at advanced automation levels.