What to Consider For a Successful AS/RS Investment

Demand for AS/RS and the rise of shuttle technology
Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) started out storing and handling heavy pallet loads for farmers in the 1960s. Fast-forward 50 years and the popularity of AS/RS has grown considerably, as the technology has evolved from agricultural applications into a powerful tool to serve manufacturing and distribution operations.

In today’s distribution landscape, brick-and-mortar locations no longer keep excess inventory in back rooms and the popularity of home delivery keeps reaching new heights. Stores receive an increasing amount of split-case orders, and the e-commerce wave cements the shift from full pallets to more frequent, smaller quantity orders.

Effectively serving this demand requires AS/RS technology designed to handle high volumes of smaller, lighter loads in cartons, trays, totes or bins. Shuttle systems have emerged as the next generation of AS/RS technology due to their storage volume, speed and flexible, scalable layout configurations. Although auto store and mini-load systems are also capable of serving the order sizes and quantities of contemporary distribution demands, shuttle systems offer significant throughput advantages of 5-10 times greater than other AS/RS technology.