Automation For The Warehouse

Which system is right for you?

Warehouse automation can provide significant cost savings for distribution centers in all industries. Workflow automation allows products to move through the warehouse faster and with less chance of error. But what exactly is the automation for the warehouse? Is there a system that works for your business?

Fortunately for consumers, just as there are many different types of storage industries, there are many different types of industrial distribution services that can be implemented to meet your needs.

How automated warehouse and distribution services work

Fully automated storage services depend on both the physical equipment and the computer software to guide that equipment. They can improve their time from placing the order to shipping because the software helps coordinate the flow of materials. Automation makes order fulfillment much faster than manual order fulfillment handled by employees.

The automation of the warehouse can be totally or partially automated, according to your needs. Many companies that provide these types of industrial distribution services can design customized or semi-customized systems to meet the needs and capabilities of your business.

Types of automation for the warehouse

There are some different types of automation used in storage. Below is a brief description of these industrial distribution services:

• Carousel systems: Carousel systems can be horizontal or vertical. The horizontal systems rotate the shelves suspended from above. A great advantage of the horizontal carousel system is its ability to deliver items directly to employees in the packing area. Horizontal carousels improve warehouse efficiency by delivering stock directly to employees in the packing area rather than having employees look for it and then take it back to the packing area.

The vertical carousels are based on rotating shelves that move up or down according to the commands given by the employee. These approaches provide easy access to items that might otherwise be too high for employees to access easily. Carrying the item up or down and directly in front of the employee makes choosing much safer and faster than moving stairs or stairs to reach tall items.

• Automated storage and retrieval:

Also referred to in AS / RS, these systems depend on the controls of the computer to operate. By combining computerized orders with automation, automated storage and recovery methods are very fast. They work using machines to move up and down the storage aisles to retrieve the specified product or item and take it back to the designated area. These maximize storage density and access to inventory. They are excellent in hostile environments where the safety and comfort of employees are a concern, such as food storage or cold storage.

• High-speed sorting systems: high-speed systems are the way to go if you often have to place large and small orders and need excellent shipping precision. These systems operate through conveyors and / or cross-band sorters.
• Tray Sorter: these high speed systems can be adjusted as needed to work with single, double or quad trays. They are especially useful for classifying smaller CD and DVD items to books, jewelry and personal care items. The tray sorter can download products directly into its shipping container and its flexible size makes it adaptable to a wide variety of products.
• Conveyor combination systems: maybe one type of system just does not cut it for you. It is not at all unusual for distribution centers to implement more industrial distribution services than just one. The conveyors combined with the classification of trays is an extremely common solution. When combined with pick-to-light or pick-up and voice-directed printing products, the procedures are simplified, allowing faster fulfillment of orders.

Long-term considerations

In general, industrial distribution services save companies time and money in terms of a reduced workforce and related costs and faster order fulfillment. They also provide users with better control and tracking of inventory and increase safety in the workplace. Some techniques result in more storage space for the warehouse by maximizing storage density and access to inventory.

However, not all systems are created equal. The selection and installation are critical to its operational success. Remember the old adage "You get what you pay for" when you choose a system and think long term. Less expensive systems may not last as long or work as well as high-end systems. You may encounter inefficient software to manage the system or parts of low quality that need constant maintenance or replacement or poor service and customer support from the provider.

Think about what you need in Search for items, find a provider that listens to your needs and work with you to develop a system that meets those needs. Then relax and let the machines do the hard part.

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