Pankl benefits from smart production solution 

Production and assembly of high-grade motorcycle drivetrains began at the 9,000m² Kapfenberg site in the autumn of 2017, creating 110 new jobs. Seeking a balance of automated and manual processes, Pankl High Performance Systems – a division of Pankl Racing AG – chose an intelligent material handling solution from KNAPP that epitomises the logistics provider’s zero-defect philosophy.

A drivetrain every three minutes 

With a production volume of 160,000 drivetrains per year, automation was key to Pankl’s success but the solution also needed to offer sufficient flexibility to respond quickly to various changes in production. At the Kapfenberg site, Pankl manufactures a total of nine different drivetrains for KTM for offroad use and will produce at least 3 models for road vehicles in the future. In the world of performance motor sport, the quality of components such as drivetrains is paramount, requiring seamless traceability for every step of the production process.

Shuttle store supplies components just-in-time

KNAPP supplied an automated shuttle store to link the production and assembly processes. Following manufacture, the components are washed and then stored by the shuttles, which subsequently retrieve all the required components and supply them automatically and just-in-time directly to the assembly workstations. At each assembly station, support for operators in assembling the drivetrains is provided by the intelligent feedback system, ivii.smartdesk. Developed by ivii gmbh, the image recognition and processing specialist within the KNAPP group, the ivii.smartdesk captures information regarding every component and checks every work step. In this way, each drivetrain is inspected in real time to confirm the correct assembly, with personnel receiving immediate and motivational feedback on their work. KNAPP’s scope of supply was completed with its integrated software solution, KiSoft One.