A new single-aisle mini load Automated Storage & Retrieval System (AS/RS) replaces traditional flow rack in the manual picking process for the company’s most expensive products.

Features/Benefits Provided: Frees up labor for value-added activities Expands warehouse capacity Secures expensive inventory Improves throughput

A single aisle AS/RS ensures efficient, cost effective, and secure product handling for a wholesale hardware company providing products such as bathroom fixtures, drawer slides, knobs, hooks, wall plates, and more to home improvement stores in the U.S. The company hired Daifuku America Corporation to conduct a study of its manual operations.

As a result of the study, the company purchased a 32 foot tall mini load AS/RS, which features 3,520 locations for totes holding multiple items within the vertical space towering above 1,900 square feet of floor space.

The AS/RS outputs to end of aisle u-shaped conveyor that interfaces with flow rack and outputs to 10 consolidations lanes that can each handle up to 10 orders in progress and one additional lane for single item orders.

They system operation is controlled by the WarehouseRx warehouse control system (WCS).

The WCS controls both the operation of the AS/RS, and it is the “brain” that directs picking efficiency. For example, the WCS retrieves SKUs that are part of single item orders before retrieving SKUs for multi item orders to ensure high throughput. The WCS interfaces with the customer’s own warehouse management system (WMS).

The equipment is situated in an area of the warehouse that allows for expansion in the form of a second mini load aisle, if the company’s future growth does require increased capacity.

is a Proud Member of the AS/RS Product Section of Material Handling Industry of America

5202 Douglas Corrigan Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
(801) 359-9900
info@DaifukuAmerica.com
www.DaifukuAmerica.com