Merck renews its trust in Alstef Group for the replacement of its AGV system
Alstef Group at Merck
- Location : Semoy (FR, 45)
- Supply : 6 GL 10.3 AGVs
- Industry : Pharmacy / Cosmetics
The Merck Group has chosen to continue its collaboration with Alstef Group for the renewal of its AGV installation in Semoy, France.
Merck, a major player in the pharmaceutical industry, develops specialized products and solutions in the fields of health, life sciences and high-performance material. The group employs more than 3,600 people at its 11 French sites. Since 2009, the Semoy plant, specialized in the production of type 2 diabetes drugs, was equipped with a fleet of 5 BA Systèmes | Alstef Group AGVs. In order to support the site’s modernization project, Merck wanted to renew its AGV installation. The new AGV system was commissioned in October 2021 and is equipped with 6 GL 10.3 AGVs and a new generation supervision system.
Supporting Merck’s production growth
With a strong increase in activity and good growth prospects in its market, the Merck plant has launched a plan to renovate its logistics facility and create a new building to increase its production capacity. The new AGV installation designed by Alstef Group has been sized to support the 24-hour operation of the plant and to adapt to the continuous production rates.
The GL 10.3 fleet supplies the production lines with packaging items, empty pallets and raw materials from the warehouse and ensures the evacuation of finished and semi-finished products from the production and packaging lines. The new AGV system also manages the waste flow, with the supply of empty skips and the evacuation of waste between all production lines and the waste disposal area.
An AGV solution that adapts to the site’s challenges
Chosen for their compactness and agility, the GL 10.3s move easily in the heart of production lines and in an environment with limited surface area. These new-generation fork over lift vehicles are equipped with the latest technological developments, enabling them to improve performance: new design, reinforced chassis, new-generation laser guidance and optimized HMI. Equipped with high-performance safety systems, the AGVs coexist safely with the 500 operators present on the Semoy site. Finally, in order to serve all the storage locations, the AGVs are equipped with a triplex hydraulic mast that allows them to reach a final stacking and removal height up to 3 meters.
The whole system is controlled by a customized version of the supervision software developed by Alstef Group, adapted to the requirements of the site operation and maximizing the interface with Merck ERP.
Alstef Group has been supporting Merck for more than twelve years, with the automation and maintenance of the AGV systems of Semoy as well as Aubonne in Switzerland. The collaboration between Alstef Group and Merck’s teams enabled the continuity of the plant’s production during commissioning.
