High-bay warehouse consulting & planning: Automatic high-bay warehouse – optimize pallet warehouse fully automatically – warehouse optimization

Published on: July 5, 2021 / Updated on: August 4, 2021 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

High-bay warehouse – fully automated pallet warehouse – Image: Xpert.Digital & Juice Flair|Shutterstock.com

Some warehouses are fully automated and require only operators to perform all tasks. Pallets and products move on a system of automated conveyors, cranes, and automated storage and retrieval systems, coordinated by programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and computers running logistics automation software.

The materials handling and intralogistics sector is part of mechanical engineering and deals with the organization, implementation, and optimization of internal material flows using technical systems and services. The intralogistics sector includes manufacturers of lifting equipment and cranes, forklifts, and warehouse technology (e.g., buffer storage ), as well as software providers and complete system suppliers.

Between two high-bay racks there is an aisle for the fully automated storage and retrieval system (stacker crane or ASRS – Automated storage and retrieval systems), which is necessary for the automated loading and unloading of the high-bay racks.

A high-bay warehouse is defined as a racking system with a height of 12 meters or more. The current maximum height for a high-bay warehouse is just under 50 meters. High-bay warehouses are pallet storage facilities ranging from a few thousand pallet spaces to several hundred thousand.

Construction of a high-bay warehouse

The advantages of a high-bay warehouse

• Optimal use of storage space and storage area
• Optimal access to the respective articles and goods – option of individual access
• Short lead times, high product availability
• Large storage capacities (e.g. for hundreds of thousands of pallet spaces)
• Low proportion of traffic areas
• High freight volume
• Low susceptibility to malfunctions, low error rate – automated processes reduce error rates
• High flexibility (e.g. with driverless transport vehicles – AGVs)
• Smartly integrable with other systems (e.g. buffer storage)
• Green logistics, low electricity consumption
• Reduced staffing requirements thanks to full automation
• Extensive storage capacity (suitable for both flat and long goods)
• High speed despite large format!
• Automated or fully automated for warehouse efficiency

Silo high-bay warehouse – the perfected version (silo construction)

Silo-style high-bay warehouses are a special type of construction in which the building walls and roof are integrated into the external structure of the high-bay warehouse. Because the external building of a silo-style high-bay warehouse provides supplementary support for the pallet racking system, or rather, because the racking itself is the load-bearing element, this integrated structure is ideal for areas with strong winds or earthquakes. Furthermore, this construction method minimizes building costs.

The smaller version of a high-bay warehouse is the automated small parts warehouse (AS/RS), also known as: Automated Miniload System (AMS) or simply Miniload System (MLS) .

Automated high-bay warehouses are often installed in cold storage facilities where temperatures are kept very low to prevent product spoilage. This is especially true for electronics warehouses, which require specific temperatures to avoid damaging components. Automation is also common where land is expensive, as automated storage systems can utilize vertical space efficiently.

For a high-bay warehouse to operate efficiently, the system must be properly planned. The layout takes into account the storage medium from which a product is retrieved (pallet racking or carton flow rack), where each item is placed for storage, and how the items are retrieved (pick-to-light, pick-to-voice, or pick-to-paper). With a suitable storage plan, a warehouse can ensure that fast-moving items are stored in the most accessible areas or near docking areas, improving inventory turnover requirements, such as first-in-first-out (FIFO) and last-in-first-out (LIFO) systems.

Mechanical high-bay warehouse – modernization – intralogistics 4.0

Mechanical high-bay warehouse – Image: Xpert.Digital & By hacohob|Shutterstock.com

While fully automated high-bay warehouses, along with most automated high-bay warehouses, are already geared towards the Smart Factory or Smart Logistics " Intralogistics 4.0 – Ready ", the many remaining mechanical high-bay warehouses still offer considerable potential for various warehouse optimization methods . The difference between mechanical and fully or fully automated high-bay warehouses lies in the diverse use of human-operated material handling equipment such as forklifts or pallet trucks.

Suitable for:

• Networked distribution centers – Intralogistics 4.0
• Global Logistics – Resilient Logistics
• Last Mile Logistics
• Intralogistics Glossary
• Intralogistics & Logistics Library (PDF)

That's why Xpert.Plus offers consulting and planning for high-bay warehouses: Smart, fully automated high-bay warehouses / pallet warehouses with Industry 4.0 – IoT technology

Xpert.Plus is a project from Xpert.Digital. We have many years of experience in supporting and advising on storage solutions and in warehouse optimization , which we bundle in a large network Xpert.Plus

Konrad Wolfenstein

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Xpert.Digital – Konrad Wolfenstein

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