Automated Tote and Bin Storage Benefits Any Warehouse

How bins and totes help to streamline supply chain flows.

By: Stefan Pieters, Contributor

Bin storage systems provide simple, scalable, efficient, productive and safe automation for any warehouse. Photo courtesy of Movu Robotics.

E-commerce retail growth and increasing investment in industry to serve a growing world economy are leading to escalating order volumes for many companies. At the same time, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) numbers are growing to meet the demands of customers. These factors are combining to create a need for efficient and flexible intralogistics, which in turn is driving the growing use of totes and bins in warehouses of all sizes globally.

Bins and totes help to streamline supply chain flows in sectors such as logistics, automotive, e-commerce, grocery and retail. They improve load integrity and reduce overall costs, whether for quick, accurate and efficient order picking of individual SKUs for omnichannel retail fulfilment or small parts for manufacturing.

But they are best held in highly efficient storage systems. There are several ways to achieve this – from simple shelving to automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). Ideally, successful bin storage requires maximized storage density, productivity and fulfilment accuracy, while eliminating manual handling in the delivery of goods in bins to picker work stations.

AUTOMATION OF BIN STORAGE

Automation of bin storage is an increasingly interesting solution, particularly for companies challenged by issues such as labor shortages, keeping pace with Industry 4.0, intensifying pressure to meet order deadlines – particularly during peaks – and the need to facilitate business growth.

There is an increasing desire for solutions that not only help to avoid product damage in the warehouse, and therefore wastage, but also workplace accidents through minimizing staff involvement in areas where lift trucks and other hazards may be in operation.

Automation has evolved to become more cost efficient and flexible, and therefore more accessible. But it is important to seek out practical, accessible systems that will work in the real world rather than futuristic concepts.

ASRS for bins can be either stacker crane based, such as mini-load systems, or there are robotic shuttle-based solutions that offer numerous advantages. To reap the benefit of these advantages it is important to find the right plug and play solutions.

Robotic shuttle-based solutions, like the Movu Robotics escala system, eliminate manual handling in the delivery of goods in bins to picker work stations. Photo courtesy of Movu Robotics.

FLEXIBLE ROBOTIC BIN STORAGE

Flexible robotic shuttle-based ASRS are accessible for even the smallest applications of storing bin-compatible products. These systems maximize storage density, productivity and fulfilment accuracy by eliminating manual handling in the delivery of goods in bins to picker work stations. The shuttles can be installed rapidly and can be scaled to meet business needs. With the flexibility to handle a broad mix of SKUs, the cost saving solution can increase profitability while also allowing customers to enhance their service levels.

A good example of such a system is one which will comprise a sophisticated rail track connecting every location point within a racking-based silo, allowing robots to move in two dimensions throughout a level of the system. Three-dimensional movement can be achieved using ramps for the robots to travel between other levels of the racking silo, in a similar way to a car driving to the next level of a multi-story parking lot. This simple and economical system eliminates the need for maintenance-intensive conveyors, lifts, service aisle access and sequencers. Bins are automatically delivered from inside the system to a goods-to-person workstation.

Reliability provided by shuttle systems comes in the form of redundancy: if a shuttle fails it can be cleared, replaced, and normal operations resumed quickly with minimal disruption. With conventional automation there are a lot of things to go wrong with components such as rollers, bearings, motors, worn belts and sensors. If a conveyor or a stacker crane fails, it is likely to shut down operations in at least one aisle, perhaps more, for an indefinite period of time.

Systems that stand apart from the competition will have the flexibility to handle a greater mix of SKUs than other automated storage and will remove the complexity and rigidity of traditional warehouse automation solutions. They will also have the ability to be integrated smoothly with other automated systems such as picking robots or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), extending the seamless material flow of goods through a warehouse.

Highly scalable installations can start small and then expand or downsize just as easily. Modular design, which acts as a set of building blocks to maximise flexibility and minimize complexity and cost of upgrading, allows a robotic bin storage system to be increased by simply adding additional storage modules. Performance can be boosted with additional robots. Modularity also enables a fast rollout for projects.

SEQUENCING BINS AT MULTIPLE POINTS

Intelligent robot management software, combined with the innovative rack design, makes it possible to sequence bins at multiple points within the robotic bin system and at the goods-to-person workstations.

Suppliers with experience and expertise will avoid the danger of creating unnecessary complexity. Automation technology will also often need to work seamlessly with racking, so it helps if customers have a single contact representing both racking and automation to reduce lead times and dealing with a single contact.

Simple and standardized plug-and-play solutions not only require less engineering and grant short execution lead times, but they also make automation and robotics more accessible and scalable, allowing any warehouse storing bins and totes to become more productive, efficient and successful. WMHS

Stefan Pieters is CTO Movu Robotics. Part of Stow Group and headquartered in Belgium, Movu is a global leader in the design, manufacture and implementation of automated warehouse systems including escala 3D robotic bin storage system. For more information about Movu, visit www.movu-robotics.com, and learn more about 3D robotic bin storage systems at www.movu-robotics.com/en/escala.