The UPS logistics centre in Frankfurt-Fechenheim is an important transfer site for package consignments in the Rhine-Main region. The centre, together with its conveying system, was built in the 1990s and we were responsible for planning and implementing the control system. In 2011 UPS decided to modernise the system in order to meet the increasing requirements for speed and reliability.

As part of our retrofit programme, we were commissioned to bring the control system too up-to-date. Thus we replaced the Siemens’ S5 range of control units with modern Siemens’ S7 control units. And even the field bus system was modified to meet today’s requirements by converting Interbus to Profibus. Thus, thanks to the retrofit the system is state-of-the-art in terms of safety and also runs even more smoothly. In the event of wear and malfunctions, spare parts can easily be obtained as the components are all up-to-date.

Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods – Nike is one of the largest brands in the international sports market. The US company’s European Distribution Centre is in the Belgian town of Laakdal and supplies the whole European market with shoes, clothes and accessories.

The distribution centre was built in three phases in the middle of the 90s and we were responsible for the design and installation of the control systems for the conveying system. During the modernisation process we have been replacing all control units with modern Siemens’ S7 range control units since 2012. The European Distribution Centre thus benefits from a system that is state-of-the-art in terms of safety and has a high level of reliability. In addition, in the event of wear or malfunctions, spare parts can be obtained more easily, faster and more reliably than before because the components are up-to-date.