Is AutoStore the most dense automated storage and retrieval solution on the market?

Is AutoStore the most dense compact storage and retrieval solution on the market? Does it provide the best use of available space compared to any other system? The answer is yes, without a doubt!

This article will resolve any doubts that may arise regarding the density offered by the system.

AutoStore leads to 80% space savings compared to a manual warehouse

AutoStore is the densest compact automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) on the market. Its cubic structure design provides the best use of available space compared to any other system and addresses two of the major challenges often posed by our clients: maximising storage surface usage and preparing orders with maximum efficiency.

Thanks to its ultra-compact design, with no poorly utilised shelving or aisles, companies that have invested in this technology are reporting storage space savings of up to 80% compared to any manual warehouse. All this is possible because the system allows bins to be stacked on top of each other without wasting space and storing multiple items in the same bin.

The most efficient compact storage and picking system

AutoStore is also a much more compact system compared to other types of ASRS currently on the market, such as miniload systems, shuttles, or vertical carousels. In fact, it reduces the storage footprint by up to 50% compared to these types of technologies.

Due to its high level of density, it is an ideal solution when warehouse space is limited, as is the case in micro fulfillment centres or urban warehouses, where the price per square meter continues to rise.

Compact storage adaptable to any space

The system is compact and flexible enough to be installed in any space. For example:

• The new AutoStore solution designed by Element Logic for the MiBricolaje.com facility, the largest DIY distribution network in the Canary Islands, includes 10,000 bins and will provide a useful storage volume of 750,000 litres in just 327 square meters.

• The sports clothing e-commerce Direct Soccer has also managed to improve its available space by more than three quarters. The company has an AutoStore warehouse with 8,000 bins occupying an area of only 210 square meters.

• Also noteworthy is the investment made by DSV Solutions Spain in an AutoStore system with the capacity for 65,000 bins, 63 robots, and 15 ports in less than 2,000 square meters in its multi-floor warehouse in Molins de Rei, Barcelona. With this system, the operator will triple the capacity of its warehouse.

Scalable intralogistics solution

The modularity of AutoStore also offers significant scalability advantages to customers compared to other traditional storage systems.

The solution grows as the business does. It’s enough to expand the system with additional robots or workstations to increase performance, or to extend the grid surface or the number of bins to achieve greater capacity.

In this regard, and since growth is the aim of any company, it is advisable to consider the scaling possibilities that AutoStore offers to each business during the space planning phase. It’s important to ensure that the solution will grow with you and that your AutoStore integrator can offer you a project that is always tailored to your needs.

To that end, at Element Logic, the first and largest AutoStore partner, we consider it fundamental to communicate the entire planning process and delivery timelines, the expansion possibilities offered by the system as warehouse activity grows, performance, and future investments that may be necessary to achieve a rapid return on investment. Ultimately, it’s about determining where the company wants to be in the future.

Success story

Let’s take as an example the case of the e-commerce company for clothing and sports equipment, Bergfreunde, whose AutoStore system was initially designed for an area of 1,800 square meters. Since then, it has been expanded 9 times by Element Logic to reach its current size of 4,350 square meters.

The solution now has 145,000 bins, 125 robots, and 31 workstations. This expansion has allowed the company to manage a greater volume of activity and improve its logistical performance within its existing space, without the need to triple or quadruple the size of the warehouse.

Planning space to ensure future growth

 While most AutoStore solutions can be expanded over time, and therefore it’s not necessary to invest in a five-year solution upfront, at Element Logic we recommend planning ahead and preparing for growth already in the design phase. If you had to expand the system in a few years, how would you project this growth? Addressing these types of questions can help you plan your operations and space correctly.

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