Internal transport usually takes place inside of one building or one group of buildings. It’s realized at relatively short distance, but during these proces many tasks are being realized, which are designed to improve this operation. The most common place of loading (beginning of the production line) is depository/warehouse or end of the line. The end of internal transport (the unloading point) is the finished goods warehouse or the beginning of the production line. From the place of loading to the place of unloading, the entire process is controlled by a programmable controller (PLC) or a computer with a real-time operating system (RTOS).

Capabilities of automatic internal transport systems are:

• Exchange of information with external IT servers, e.g. with storage (WMS) or visualization (SCADA);
• Registration and counting of transported goods;
• Segregation and sorting of material during transport;
• Signaling and registration of delivery time;
• Control of palletisers, robots, automatic packaging equipment and high storage warehouses;
• Collecting statistical data, saving in databases and generating reports;

Exemplary equipment of automatic internal transport systems:

• Power and control cabinets equipped with PLC controllers and HMI panels;
• Conveyor systems (e.g. belt, roller, chain);
• Turntables, bulldozers, dividers (vertical and horizontal);
• Vertical conveyors and elevators;
• Storage tables, buffering stations and accumulation conveyors;
• Barcode readers, RFID readers, sensors and recorders;
• Operator terminals, light and sound signaling systems;