next-gen automation for warehouses and micro-fulfillment

The modern supply chain is a battlefield of rising expectations. E-commerce demands faster deliveries, labor shortages persist, and the pressure to optimize every square foot of warehouse space is relentless.

In this environment, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), once considered foundational automation, are no longer just about static storage; they are being reimagined as dynamic, intelligent components at the very heart of advanced logistics.

This feature explores the cutting-edge designs, sophisticated integration with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), and their pivotal role in enabling the burgeoning micro-fulfillment trend.

Innovative AS/RS designs: Beyond the stacks

The traditional image of an AS/RS might be towering cranes shuttling pallets in vast warehouses. While still vital, the landscape of AS/RS design is shifting dramatically towards greater flexibility, modularity, and adaptability.

Leading this evolution are cube-based systems, epitomized by innovators like AutoStore and Exotec’s Skypod. These highly dense systems utilize robots that move on a grid atop stacked bins, autonomously retrieving and presenting goods to picking stations.

Their benefits are profound: unparalleled storage density (often reducing space requirements by 40-60%), remarkable scalability by simply adding more robots or bins, and inherent redundancy that minimizes single points of failure.

Goods-to-Person (G2P) advancements continue to redefine picking efficiency. Beyond basic delivery, modern G2P systems are leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize pick paths, sequence orders for maximum throughput, and even predict demand to pre-position inventory.

This includes the evolution of shuttle-based systems, with multi-directional shuttles offering greater flexibility and speed in high-volume carton and tote handling.

Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) are also becoming more sophisticated, providing dense storage for smaller items and often integrating seamlessly into broader automated workflows.

Furthermore, we’re seeing the integration of robotic mobile manipulators that can interact directly with AS/RS, autonomously performing putaway and retrieval tasks, bridging the gap between automated storage and other warehouse processes.

The future also points towards hybrid AS/RS solutions, combining different technologies – like a miniload AS/RS feeding a robotic picking arm – to achieve optimal performance for diverse inventory profiles and fulfillment demands.

Throughout these innovations, a strong emphasis is placed on sustainability in design, with energy-efficient drives, reduced footprints, and the use of recyclable materials becoming standard.

Seamless integration: The brains behind the brawn

An AS/RS, no matter how physically advanced, is only as effective as the software orchestrating its movements.

The true power of reimagined AS/RS lies in their deep and dynamic integration with intelligent software layers, primarily Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Warehouse Execution Systems (WES).

The Warehouse Management System (WMS) remains the foundational brain, handling high-level tasks such as inventory visibility, order fulfillment, and strategic task management.

A WMS optimizes where inventory is stored within the AS/RS, directs replenishment, and plans pick waves, ensuring that the right products are available at the right time.

Real-time data exchange between the AS/RS and WMS is critical for maintaining accurate inventory counts and enabling responsive decision-making.

Stepping in as the dynamic orchestrator is the Warehouse Execution System (WES). While a WMS focuses on planning, a WES is concerned with real-time control and optimization of automated equipment.

It acts as the intermediary, translating WMS commands into precise instructions for AS/RS machines, directing shuttle movements, sequencing tote deliveries to picking stations, and balancing workloads across multiple automation cells.

The WES is capable of making dynamic adjustments based on real-time operational conditions, such as equipment availability or sudden spikes in order volume, ensuring maximum system utilization and throughput.

Beyond mere control, data analytics and AI are transforming how AS/RS operate. The vast amounts of data generated by these systems – from robot movements to pick rates – are being analyzed to identify bottlenecks, predict maintenance needs (preventing costly downtime), and continuously optimize performance.

AI and machine learning algorithms are enabling predictive inventory placement and even dynamic pricing based on fulfillment capabilities.

AS/RS and the micro-fulfillment revolution

Perhaps the most significant and transformative role of reimagined AS/RS is their enablement of the micro-fulfillment revolution.

Micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) are smaller, highly automated warehouses strategically located closer to urban population centers, designed to facilitate rapid, often same-day or even hourly, last-mile delivery.

AS/RS are crucial for MFCs due to several key factors:

• Space efficiency: In high-cost urban real estate, AS/RS maximize storage density by utilizing vertical space and minimizing aisle requirements, allowing MFCs to operate effectively within compact footprints like the back of a retail store or a repurposed urban building.
• Speed and throughput: For same-day delivery, speed is paramount. AS/RS, particularly cube-based and shuttle systems, deliver exceptional throughput rates, enabling MFCs to process a high volume of e-commerce orders quickly.
• Automation in limited footprints: The high degree of automation offered by AS/RS makes it possible to run highly efficient operations in small spaces where manual labor would be impractical or cost-proprohibitive.
• Scalability: Many modern AS/RS designs are inherently modular, allowing MFCs to scale their capacity by adding more robots, bins, or modules as demand grows, without significant structural changes or downtime.

From grocery e-commerce fulfilling online orders directly from a “dark store” to urban hubs supporting general merchandise last-mile deliveries, AS/RS are the silent workhorses making micro-fulfillment economically viable and operationally efficient.

Top 10 AS/RS suppliers

The AS/RS market is robust and competitive, with several global players leading the charge in innovation and deployment.

While specific rankings can fluctuate, the following companies consistently stand out for their comprehensive offerings and impact on the industry:

1. Daifuku: A global leader with a vast portfolio covering various AS/RS types, from unit-load to miniload and shuttle systems, and a long history of pioneering AS/RS technology.
2. Dematic (KION Group): Offers integrated automation solutions, including a wide array of AS/RS technologies, often incorporating advanced software for optimized performance.
3. SSI Schaefer: A major international provider of modular warehouse and logistics systems, known for its strong AS/RS portfolio and integration capabilities.
4. Swisslog: Specializes in data-driven and robotic solutions, providing advanced AS/RS such as crane-based and shuttle systems, often integrated with their intelligent warehouse management software.
5. Vanderlande: A leading global provider of automated material handling solutions, with a significant presence in high-volume AS/RS applications for various industries.
6. Kardex Remstar: Renowned for its dynamic storage and retrieval systems, including Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs) and horizontal/vertical carousels, often integrated with cube-based systems like AutoStore.
7. TGW Logistics Group: Plans and implements highly automated fulfillment centers, offering a range of high-performance AS/RS solutions, particularly their Stingray shuttle system.
8. Knapp : An Austrian company known for its innovative logistics solutions, including automated storage and retrieval systems that integrate seamlessly into complex warehouse environments.
9. AutoStore: While primarily a technology provider rather than a full-system integrator, their revolutionary cube-based AS/RS is a market disruptor and is integrated into solutions by numerous other leading suppliers.
10. Murata Machinery: Provides a variety of warehouse automation systems, including traditional AS/RS, shuttle systems, and area gantry systems, focusing on adaptable and value-driven solutions.

Challenges and future outlook

Despite the immense benefits, implementing AS/RS systems comes with challenges, including significant initial investment, the complexity of integration with existing infrastructure, and the need for a skilled workforce to manage and maintain these advanced systems.

Workforce resistance to change is also a factor that needs careful management during transition.

However, the future of AS/RS is undoubtedly bright. We anticipate further advancements in AI and machine learning for predictive operations, leading to even greater autonomy and efficiency.

Increased modularity and flexibility will make AS/RS accessible to a wider range of businesses, and the potential for AS/RS-as-a-service models could lower upfront costs.

Ultimately, as e-commerce continues its rapid expansion and supply chains demand unprecedented speed and precision, AS/RS will remain at the forefront, continually evolving to meet the demands of an ever-changing world, fostering enhanced human-robot collaboration in the logistics space.