Sistemas de almacenaje industrial de rack selectivo operado por transelevador

Automated Storage Systems

In a globalized world, where industries internationalize and the production of goods moves constantly in search of maximum cost efficiency, logistics activities are becoming increasingly important. In this article, we will explore in detail automated storage systems and their relevance in the current context.

Racking for palletized loads operated by stacker cranes

Products may be manufactured in remote locations to maintain competitiveness, but they are still consumed locally. As a result, more and more materials and goods need to be transported, stored, and properly managed from a logistical perspective. Logistics has become a key cost factor in business operations, and optimizing this activity is essential to maintain the competitiveness gained in production processes.

In this logistics optimization, automation plays a crucial role, and within the logistics process of moving goods from factories and production sites to consumers and businesses, storage plays a very important role. Automated storage systems offer a range of advantages for process optimization.

Some of the advantages of automated storage systems can be summarized as follows:

  • Maximum space utilization and cost reduction: Compacting the goods and reducing the required surface area, while making the most of vertical space.
  • High rotation levels: Allowing for high turnover rates of stored products.
  • Reduced loading/unloading and order preparation times.
  • Labor cost reduction and increased productivity: Additionally, maintenance costs are also reduced.
  • 24/7/365 continuous operation: Ensuring non-stop productivity.
  • Risk reduction and increased safety: Minimizing damage and misuse of industrial racks and providing greater protection for goods.
  • Improved quality and service for customers.

The structure of industrial racks, in addition to storing goods at height, also supports handling equipment that performs loading and unloading of cargo units. The racks must withstand the forces generated by the stacker cranes during acceleration movements. All these variables must be taken into account for structural calculations, following applicable regulations.

Automated storage systems offer different solutions depending on the goods to be stored and user requirements.

Palletized Load Storage with Stacker Cranes

Handling equipment or stacker cranes place and retrieve palletized load units from the racks. Solutions may include single-deep pallet storage, double-deep systems where two pallets are handled simultaneously, and open face systems where pallets rest on supports instead of on load beams.

Accumulation Pallet Storage

This solution allows palletized load units to be stored in depth. There are solutions with stacker cranes as well as a combination of elevators and shuttle carts. These solutions achieve high storage densities, although the load units may not be accessible at all times. These are suitable when there are few product references and lots are composed of many units.

Box Storage or Miniload Systems

These solutions combine the automatic storage of boxed goods with the automation of order picking operations. This system offers the added advantage of bringing the goods to the operator who prepares the orders, resulting in significant productivity gains.

The loads in these Miniload systems are not very heavy, allowing for the storage of many boxes at height, optimizing space utilization.

Solutions can be designed for single unit loads per level or uniload systems, where typically one box is stored per level and module on angular supports. Multiple boxes can also be stored at the same level; in this case, storage is on load beams.

Considering that load units are relatively small, solutions called multi-level systems can be designed. In these systems, two stacker cranes operate simultaneously at different heights.

Miniload Box Systems

Shuttle Systems for Box Storage

These solutions are not operated by stacker cranes but by a combination of elevators and shuttle carts. The shuttle carts move along each level, depositing and retrieving boxes, which are transported to and from the rack headers.

Hanging Garment Storage

Hanging garment storage systems, primarily for the textile sector and operated by stacker cranes, allow garments hung on hangers to be stored at height. These hangers are placed on bars transported within the warehouse by stacker cranes, which retrieve and place them in the racks.

With automated storage systems, productivity increases and errors are minimized thanks to process automation.

At Noega Systems, we have a team of professionals who handle the installation, maintenance, and validation of equipment, ensuring compliance with required safety and efficiency standards.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top