Controlling trucks by mobile phone
Automatic approach to the loading points with live camera activation
We were commissioned by ForFarmers with the migration to a new, future-oriented MES/process control technology. The mixed feed producer offers feed solutions for conventional and organic farms. We have been an automation partner since the 1970s. We are currently modernising the plant in Langförden.
“To achieve this, we are bringing the entire automation technology up to date,” sales employee Burkhardt Arends said. In future, the SCHULZ productionstar® will control all processes. The customer will then benefit from many advantages and useful functions, such as convenient batch tracing or the intelligent raw material planning for better order processing.
The “mobile loading” module guides drivers via the web on their own mobile phone to access points on the company premises and shows the exact loading position via live video.Anfahrpunkten auf dem Betriebsgelände und zeigt per Live-Video die genaue Verlade-Position.
The new mobile loading concept is particularly innovative. It is a real help for lorry drivers. Order-controlled and fully automated, the system guides drivers on their own mobile phones to approach points on the company premises and shows the exact position of the loading vehicle via live video. This saves a lot of time. The system works with any smartphone and does not require an app to be installed. “Also this feature is a module of the SCHULZ productionstar® that we have developed especially for ForFarmers,” said Arends.
“The migration of process control technology is a challenge,” added project manager Bernhard Brinkmann. “Not only is it complex but also has to be done quickly during ongoing operations. Through digital engineering and agile development methods, we are however able to prepare everything flawlessly. This allows us to identify and eliminate potential errors in advance.”
Sustainability issues also play a major role for ForFarmers. Our energy management system ensures energy-efficient production. It tracks all processes in real time and makes optimisation potential visible. „The operating personnel can immediately see the need for action on an energy traffic light and react accordingly,” said the project manager.
Overall, the technical modernisation will secure production for many years to come. The many new functions and the intelligent system architecture not only increase the comfort of operation, but also significantly increase efficiency and flexibility.
Sustainability issues also play a major role for ForFarmers. The operating personnel can immediately see the need for action on an energy traffic light and react accordingly.
Burkhardt Arends, Sales Representative SCHULZ Systemtechnik
