Using a Digital Twin in the Modernisation of the Warehouse of a Pharmaceutical Company

Replacement of drives and drive transmission components on the premises of a pharmaceuticals company – achieving the objective by replacing currently installed drives with new SIMOGEAR drive units in cooperation with Siemens Poland.

Using Digital Twin to replace drive for pharmaceutical company

Key issues

A company which is a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry faced the challenge of modernising its automated high-bay warehouse. Key issues it faced:

  • Wear and obsolescence of drive systems: Existing drives in transport and storage equipment required upgrades in order to ensure reliable and efficient operation.
  • Increased risk of failure: Ageing components increased the risk of downtime, which could lead to delays in medicine deliveries.
  • Lack of process optimisation: The systems required integration with modern monitoring and optimisation technologies.

Customer expectations

  • Failure-free systems: The modernisation was supposed to eliminate the risk of unplanned downtime.
  • Operational performance: The improved systems were to speed up storage and transport processes.
  • Implementation of advanced technologies: The use of a digital twin to monitor and optimize warehouse operation in real time.
  • Completion time: The project required the works to be coordinated in such a way that the warehouse could simultaneously continue its operations. 

Solution

In cooperation with Siemens, a comprehensive retrofit project was carried out with the use of a digital twin, allowing for an accurate representation of reality in a virtual environment. Key implementation milestones included:

  • 1. Use of Digital Twin:
  • Modelling of an existing system in a virtual environment.
  • Analysis and simulation of warehouse and transport processes in order to identify areas in need of modernisation.
  • Testing of proposed solutions prior to their implementation in reality.
  • 2. Modernizacja urządzeń magazynowych i transportowych:
  • Transporters: Replacement of geared motors, gears, chains and testing.
  • Stacker cranes Upgrading of X axis travel drives, Y axis lift drives and Z axis pallet extension drives and hydraulic pump motors.
  • Pallet trucks: Replacement of drives and geared motors responsible for driving the trucks, lifting and extending the pallets.
  • Lift: Replacement of geared motor and torque reaction arm assembly.
  • 3. Systems integration:
  • Integration of new components into the monitoring and predictive maintenance system.
  • Implementation of tools enabling ongoing monitoring of equipment operation and prediction of failures.
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Key benefits for customer

Thanks to the use of a digital twin and comprehensive modernisation:

  • Reliability has been increased: Modern drive systems have eliminated the risk of failure.
  • Efficiency has been improved: Streamlined warehouse processes have accelerated logistics operations.
  • Maintenance costs have been optimised: Predictive maintenance allows for maintenance planning, reducing the cost of unplanned repairs.
  • Downtime has been minimised: The short duration of the project ensured the operational continuity of the company.

Summary

The project demonstrated that a digital twin is not just an analytical tool, but a key component supporting modernisation and optimisation in demanding environments such as the pharmaceutical industry.

See also

Oczyszczalnie i osadniki wtórne

Optimisation of geared motor drives

Elektrownie energetyczne

Expert assessment and refurbishment of Flender gear units for a company in the energy sector

Maszyny w zakładzie unieszkodliwiania odpadów

Selection of drives for machines at the Waste Disposal Plant

MRO

Drive care that works to your advantages

Energy efficiency

Reduce your company’s electricity cosumption

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