Materialfluss Controller
AI-generated
The Material Flow Controller (MFC) is a software component that controls and coordinates the physical flow of goods in automated warehouse and distribution systems. It forms the layer between the machine control system (PLC) and higher-level systems such as the Warehouse Management System.
What is a Material Flow Controller?
A Material Flow Controller – MFC for short, occasionally also referred to as a material flow computer – is a specialized control system for automated intralogistics installations. Its core task is to receive transport orders, calculate routes through the system, assign priorities, and monitor execution in real time. In doing so, it communicates downward with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which directly control individual machine components such as conveyors, sorters, or stacker cranes, and upward with the Warehouse Management System (WMS), which defines the logistical processes.
In terms of scope, the MFC is clearly distinct from its neighboring systems: the WMS decides what should happen to a piece of goods – i.e., putaway, picking, or retrieval. The MFC decides how the goods are transported through the physical installation. The PLC, in turn, handles things at the machine level, ensuring that a motor runs or a switch is set. This three-tier architecture is widely used in the industry, even though some vendors integrate MFC functions directly into the WMS or into their own proprietary systems.
How does an MFC work in practice?
As soon as the WMS transmits a transport order – for example, "Tote A from inbound station 3 to picking workstation 7"