Together for more transparency and efficiency in bulk goods logistics

In many sand, gravel and bulk goods plants, the processes involved in storage and loading are still predominantly manual. A lack of transparency and inaccurate inventory data lead to waiting times, inefficient stock transfers and unnecessary production orders.

Two established providers – Sachtleben Technology, a specialist in sensor-based material detection, and Axians IAS, a provider of digital plant logistics solutions – have now announced a strategic partnership to address this challenge with an integrated solution that makes real-time data on material availability visible in the automated control of loading processes.

The OWL EYE® system from Sachtleben uses LiDAR sensors to continuously measure the volume of stockpile areas and record the material flow on conveyor belts. This material stock and flow data is retrieved in real time via an API by VAS® Yard Management from Axians IAS, where it forms the basis for automated decisions, such as selecting the loading point with the highest fill level or controlling loading with pinpoint accuracy.

“The combination of continuous material inventory recording and intelligent logistics control shows how digitalization creates concrete added value in the building materials industry,” says Quirin Kraus, Managing Director of Sachtleben Technology GmbH.

For Marc Graner, Managing Director of Axians IAS, the collaboration with Sachtleben Technology shows how important integration with partner companies is: “Thanks to our partner integration, we can access additional valuable data and thus further automate and optimize our customers’ processes.”

• Stock measurement and loading point control: OWL EYE® records the material quantities with several sensors in real time. These LiDAR sensors can be permanently installed at the loading point or they can be installed on a wheel loader for mobile measurement, which measures the stockpile as it passes by. VAS ® uses this material inventory data to select the best loading point for a delivery based on rules – for example, the one with the highest fill level.
• Loading via conveyor belt: The OWL EYE® system measures the material flow with LiDAR sensors. Once the target quantity previously transmitted by VAS® Yard Management has been reached, the conveyor belt is automatically stopped by OWL EYE® – without manual intervention.

The solution is scalable and is suitable for both large and medium-sized plants. The first projects are already running successfully at leading building materials manufacturers. The combination of automatic material inventory recording and digitized plant logistics offers great potential for use in other areas such as management dashboards, automated production planning and just-in-time loading in addition to the use cases mentioned above.

Sachtleben Technology and Axians IAS will be happy to show you how you can benefit from this integration.