A vertical warehouse including the Vertical Motorized Carousels, is a system of vertically arranged containers. The containers are automatically recognized and removed and handed over to the operator in an ergonomic position directly at the removal point.

Vertical warehouses make searching for items superfluous and, thanks to the connection with the WMS, guarantee a zero-error picking process.

By utilizing the height of the building (from floor to ceiling), this storage system can gain up to 90% more floor space than conventional shelves.

The containers can be organized for objects of any type and size: With the help of dividing and subdivision elements, it is possible to create the exact number of cells in each container. These configurations are not fixed, they can be adapted at any time to changes in the size or quantity of the stored items.

Vertical storage solutions can also significantly increase productivity and picking accuracy, as they are equipped with simple visual aids that guide operators through the picking process.

Automatic vertical warehouses are more efficient under the following conditions:

The ceiling heights exceed 4 meters, as in these cases the space in height is often wasted and thanks to the vertical storage this space can be reclaimed.

There is a very large inventory with products of different sizes and weights.

The weight and dimensions of the products pose challenges in terms of ergonomics and space requirements, which is why an integrated lifting aid is required.

Horizontal carousels: features and operation

The horizontal carousel is an automatic warehouse suitable for different types of buildings with particular geometries, low ceilings or architectural obstacles, in practice all those buildings in which it is difficult to take advantage of verticality.

The horizontal carousel consists of bins that are mounted on an oval rail that rotates horizontally and transports the stored goods directly to the operator.

When the operator requests a specific item, the horizontal carousel rotates automatically so that the relevant container is accessible and the item can be removed. Again, there is no reason to run around looking for the goods.

Horizontal carousels are more efficient under the following conditions:

The ceiling heights are less than 3 meters and there is sufficient floor space available.

The budget is tight, but an automatic storage system should not be dispensed with: horizontal carousels are more cost-effective on average.

The applications require a high throughput. The horizontal carousels arranged in a pod with 2 to 4 units can achieve a removal speed of up to 550 removals / hour.

The product mix doesn’t change often and the product movements are medium or slow.

The applications must always allow access to the inventory even in an emergency.

Which automatic warehouse to choose, a vertical or a horizontal system?

In summary, it can be said that for the correct evaluation of an automatic storage and removal system it is important to consider the properties of the building and the handling requirements. In certain cases, the optimal solution includes both storage solutions.

With the right system analysis and system design, implementing a horizontal carousel or vertical warehouse is an investment that only takes 6 months for an effective return on investment (ROI). This is due to optimized use of space, lower labor values, higher picking accuracy and better inventory control.