Upgrade and Standardization of Electronic Control Unit for Sorting Systems
BEUMER Group (formerly Crisplant) has a leading position in the global market for luggage handling and sorting facilities in airports and parcel centers. With an update of motor control platform, Develco has helped improving the technological platform of BEUMER Group and contributed to quality and large-scale economy in the Group.
A Long and Fruitful Co-operation
BEUMER Group is a success story in Danish business. The development has not been without challenges, and it gives proof of the fact that a good and sustained business strategy as well as technological development are crucial to global competitiveness. Develco has been a co-operation partner for many years on the electronic side. Back in the early 1990s, Develco helped improving concept development and development of hardware and software for the decentralized control units for the S2000 Sorter, which had groundbreaking technology in fieldbus and distributed intelligence. At that time, there were actually no word for fieldbus at all. The sorting system is currently running in thousands of airports and warehouses and has continuously been updated by Develco.
The Latest Project
In BEUMER Group, it was decided that power supplies with higher operating voltage should be used. Develco got the task to make the necessary upgrade of an existing Brushless DC (BLDC) motor control platform while ensuring that the platform is backward compatible. In the specific project, there was a need for changes to both embedded software and hardware. To ensure product lifetime as much as possible, a life cycle analysis has been conducted so that components that were close to end-of-life EOL were identified and replaced. The developed solution is mechanically compatible with the previous printed circuit board PCB and can be used for all types of sorters supplied by BEUMER Group. Develco’s longstanding collaboration with BEUMER Group and knowledge of their products made it possible to complete the task despite of a very tight schedule.
Based on the close co-operative relationship with BEUMER Group, CSO Jakob Bjerre explains:
”We have been involved in development tasks for BEUMER Group and the former Crisplant for more than 25 years and are now also responsible for production of their electronic components. This background, of course, provides a good ballast as to competency, and this was also needed because of system and time constraints. It is generally the philosophy of Develco that we must solve the customer’s problem and avoid creating new ones. In other words, we must provide solutions that ensure continuity and durability in relation to the customer’s existing general system. This is completely in harmony with BEUMER Group’s wishes for the greatest possible compatibility, and we are proud that we could complete the task within the very narrow timeframe.”
Jakob Bjerre
CSO, Develco A/S
BEUMER Group’s wishes for technological change were fulfilled and the Director R & D Ulrik Steen Hansen at BEUMER Group comments on the development work as follows:
”In BEUMER Group, we are very pleased with the project. The development team from Develco has worked very professionally and dedicated and the results fully meet our expectations.”
Ulrik Steen Hansen
Director R & D, BEUMER Group
Continuous Product Updates and Production Support
In a group perspective, standardization and compatibility with previous system solutions are valuable both economically and in quality terms. Recycling of elements in the development process is – all else being equal – contributing to reducing sources of error, and the use of fewer components in the entire Group reduces maintenance and storage costs. In an era with much focus on “sustainability” it is important not to forget the benefits of continuity and standardization, and the BEUMER Group project illustrates the benefits of such efficiency awareness.
Since completion of the specific project Develco has continuously updated the hardware and the embedded software in the electronic control unit for BEUMER Group’s sorting systems. Among other things we have developed a new printed circuit board PCB and replaced obsolete components with new components to ensure ongoing electronics production of the electronic control unit and to support the Electronics Manufacturing Services EMS-partner.
