Control software for stacker cranes and conveyors
Intralogix develops, programs and commissions control systems for stacker cranes, shuttle systems and roller conveyor systems. We do this independently of the original manufacturer, on installations from Lalesse, Dematic, Swisslog, Dambach, LTW, MIAS and TGW, for customers in the Benelux, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Asia.
A control system determines whether an installation runs the way it should. Not the mechanics — those last for decades — but the software, the drive control and the safety technology determine throughput, reliability and whether a fault is cleared in ten minutes or in two days.
Our own framework for stacker cranes
We do not build every control system from scratch. For stacker cranes — also known as AS/RS cranes or storage and retrieval machines — we have our own software framework that already contains the recurring functionality: positioning, motion profiles, load handling, diagnostics and alarm handling.
That means a project does not start at zero. What is left is the customer-specific part, and that shortens the lead time considerably. Whether it is a straight-running, aisle-bound crane, a changing stacker crane or a curve driven crane: the framework is prepared for all three.
What determines the lead time
Quoting a fixed delivery time would mislead you — it differs per project. What mainly determines it is the budget available, the maximum downtime your process can take, the number of cranes and whether they are identical, and the quality of the documentation on the existing system.
We draw up the plan with you beforehand. How we phase a project is set out on the retrofit page →
The brands page sets out what we do per manufacturer. For Lalesse installations there is a separate page.
Our own framework for conveyor and roller conveyor controls
The same applies to conveyor and roller conveyor systems. Our framework handles transport routing, buffer management and handover between sections. With or without data tracking, with or without a link to a higher-level system — it is prepared for it.
Connecting to your higher-level system
A control system never stands alone. Above the machine control sits a layer that distributes orders, drives transport movements and keeps track of where every load is.
We connect to the system you already use. Our controls are linked to, among others, the warehouse control system from Lalesse and from Commatix. If you run something else, we connect to that just as readily.
In a retrofit that is often exactly what you are looking for: your higher-level system, your processes and the way your people work stay untouched. Only the layer that no longer holds up technically is replaced.
If you do not yet have such a layer, or the one you have no longer suffices, we can supply that too. We have our own control layer with a standardised interface to the crane, so that connection is not a bespoke project but a proven component. The same applies to roller conveyor and transport systems.
From that layer we connect on to your higher-level systems, including SAP. Orders, load data and status information then run in both directions, from your ERP through to the crane. A link to a system we have not come across before is no obstacle; we build the interface to fit what is there.
What we build on
We standardise on Siemens. That is not a preference but a choice with consequences for you: parts stay available for years, engineers who can work with it can be found anywhere, and your own maintenance department can read the documentation.
We build on this platform only. That is a deliberate choice. By concentrating on one system we know it inside out, and we can still support you years after handover. We could build a control system on a platform we do not work with daily — but not maintain it with the same certainty. And that is precisely what you have us for.
| Component | What we use |
|---|---|
| Control system | Simatic S7, programmed in TIA Portal — always the current version, at present V21 |
| PLC | Simatic S7-1500F, the safety-rated version |
| Drives | SEW MOVI-C, modular |
| Operator controls | Siemens TP Comfort Panels |
| Remote support | mbCONNECT |
Safety sits inside the control system, not beside it
Safety technology is not an appendix to the control system but part of it. By working with a safety-rated PLC — the S7-1500F — control and safety functions sit in one system, with one development environment and one set of diagnostics.
That helps when something goes wrong: you are not looking at two systems that do not speak each other’s language, but seeing on the same panel what is going on. We design and program the safety functions along with the rest, test them at commissioning and hand them over demonstrably.
Remote support
Our installations are prepared for remote support. When something goes wrong, our engineers can look in without having to travel first — whether your installation is in the Netherlands, in Germany or in Asia.
That saves hours to days of downtime. For a warehouse that is running, that is the difference between an interruption and a problem.
Reference: three new MIAS cranes
For a project with three new stacker cranes, MIAS supplied the cranes and Intralogix provided the complete control system: engineering, programming and commissioning.
That a crane manufacturer outsources the controls of its own machines says more about where we stand than we could claim ourselves.
New or retrofit
We build control systems for new installations and replace outdated controls on existing ones. In a retrofit the proven mechanics stay where they are and we replace everything that determines performance. Components are available again for years to come, diagnostics are useful again, and remote support becomes possible.
Obsolete controls: S5, S7-300/400 or S7-mEC
Is your installation still running on a Simatic S5, an S7-300/400, or an S7-mEC that is no longer available? Then replacing the control system is a question of when, not whether.
Our page on control system migration sets out what is involved, what we replace and what choice you have in the scope of the work.
A question about the controls on your installation?
Describe briefly what is going on — an outdated control system, an extension, or a new installation. One of our engineers will think it through with you and come back with a concrete proposal.