Space miracle AutoStore® conquers warehouses, no matter how small they are.

With a rapidly growing range of products - especially in the area of small parts storage - the company's own warehouse logistics quickly reach their limits. One solution can certainly be to expand the storage area and increase the number of employees. However, both are factors that can significantly influence the profitability of a company. If the larger area also increases the walking distances of warehouse employees, the operations may become economically unviable. At this point, it makes sense to support the warehouse processes in the best possible way with automated solutions.

Together with many warehouse technology partners, we implement a wide variety of automation systems. From classic shelf systems to storage and retrieval systems to shuttle systems for small parts.

As an alternative, we are increasingly encountering the somewhat different automatic small parts warehouse AutoStore® in our projects. AutoStore® systems are designed, sold, installed and maintained by system integrators - such as Element Logic, AM Logistic Solution, HÖRMANN Logistik or Fortna. In addition to system integrators, consulting companies such as dobülog or IWL AG also have specific expertise in this area. After analysis, they can make recommendations on the extent to which such a system makes sense compared to other automated warehouse technology components.

The various small parts storage concepts on the market have advantages and disadvantages that should be considered in detail when selecting a system. The main characteristic of AutoStore® systems is that they can be integrated into almost any existing warehouse building, provided they have sufficient height. Even in exotic building shapes, without - as a rule - requiring major conversion work. The proverbial "last corner" thus becomes a valuable and equally valuable storage space. In the AutoStore®, the containers are stacked instead of being stored in racks due to the somewhat different system design.

Since the vehicles travel on a grid construction above the storage bays, no tramlines are required for the individual stacker cranes. All the available storage space is used solely for stock storage. AutoStore® has an exceptionally good utilization of space. The individual components of the AutoStore® automated small parts warehouse, such as the size of the system, the number of robots and bins, are individually scalable to the circumstances and requirements and can be easily expanded.

However, the holistically considered process around the AutoStore® only becomes really efficient in connection with a powerful warehouse management solution such as our SuPCIS-L8.

The AutoStore® controller itself handles the coordination of the transport orders and the selection and assignment of the individual AutoStore® robots. However, the necessary detailed information about the contents of the individual container boxes in the plant and the details of the various orders are missing. This part is taken over by a Warehouse Control System (WCS) or, in the case of SuPCIS-L8, right away by the Warehouse Management System. Thanks to the available interfaces of our warehouse management software, AutoStore® can be directly connected to the software and controlled in the overall process. The direct connection ensures smooth interaction between the two systems and thus offers the user further advantages. Our warehouse management software not only manages the stocks in AutoStore®, but also provides the goods receipt and picking dialogs at the workstations, called ports.

Since our SuPCIS-L8 warehouse management system can be connected to the AutoStore® automated small parts warehouse entirely without middleware (WCS), the number of subsystems required is reduced. This not only reduces the acquisition and project costs, but also the follow-up costs for maintenance and support during operation of the system. A weighty advantage for the employees at the individual workstations in the warehouse is? The workstation dialogs at the automated small parts warehouse (AS/RS), including cockpits and dashboards, are available to them in the uniform, ergonomic and familiar Warehouse Management interface.

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You want to know more about this space miracle with the small auxiliary robots? Feel free to contact us.