Innovative battery powered monorail transport system

The battery-powered transport system does not require any complex infrastructure and is easy to install and operate. Due to its design and rail construction, it is particularly suitable for complex plant layouts and clean room environments.

One part of company-specific sustainability strategies is usually in-house energy generation, such as photovoltaic systems. With the battery-powered electrified monorail system (EMS), which material flow specialist Pentanova Conveyor Systems it will be possible to operate a material flow solution with self-generated electricity because it is powered by DC voltage. “Until now, it has often only been possible for companies to use self-generated power to supply their buildings and company infrastructure, but not for one of their biggest energy consumers: production and intralogistics equipment. We focused on this point when developing our battery-powered electrified monorail system in order to create a future- and sustainability-oriented solution for our customers here as well,” explains Sebastiano Sardo, CEO of Pentanova CS GmbH.

Simple and time-saving installation and maintenance

The vehicles of the battery-powered EMS are driven with 48 V voltage from accumulators (batteries). The control system, drive unit and batteries are housed directly in the vehicle. This eliminates the need for much of the technical equipment and system components previously required. The rail system requires a minimum of power supply, as the complete conductor rail system for the vehicles is also eliminated. As a result, not only maintenance-intensive and lock-prone components such as conductor rails or collector strips, but also complex conductor rail installation are a thing of the past. The system is lighter, easier to assemble and cleaner, which makes it very interesting for cleanroom environments. The vehicles of the battery-powered EMS are controlled via WLAN, for example via a plant control system coupled with a master computer.

Small, nimble and agile

With a motor power of 600 W and a battery capacity of max. 2016 Wh, the battery-powered EMS is a small powerhouse and can transport payloads of up to 700 kg at a high speed of up to two meters per second. Due to its compact design, it is ideally suited for transport tasks in confined spaces. Thanks to the reduced use of live components in the switch and rail equipment, complex plant layouts with many branches in particular can be implemented without any problems.

The range of the vehicles is up to 20 km and the usage time is about seven and a half hours. After that, the vehicle must go to the charging station, where it is charged. The charging time takes about 45 minutes for a full charging cycle. The charging time is reduced if the battery level is lower or the battery-powered EMS is equipped with more batteries. If there is the possibility to charge in between (e.g. during waiting times or low utilization), the range increases accordingly.

Efficient solution for complex tasks

Compared to conventional EMS solutions, this system is particularly interesting for use in confined spaces that also require more complex system layouts. Also, for environments where power-operated systems could not previously be used due to dust exposure, the battery-powered EMS represents an efficient, safe and economical solution for automating material handling tasks. As a battery-powered transport system without expensive infrastructure, the arguments in favor of the battery-powered EMS are similar to those of a driverless transport system, except that – thanks to the rail-guided, floor-free design – neither complicated control technology nor an elaborately prepared smooth, obstacle-free floor is required.

Pentanovas battery-powered electrified monorail system enables energy- and environmentally-friendly operation of production and logistics facilities with self-generated energy. Thanks to the simplified rail system, the system is quick to install, easy to operate, and low in wear and maintenance. Thus, after a brief introduction, every employee is able to operate the battery-powered EMS. Overall, the benefits of the system have a positive impact on energy and operating costs.