Get the warehouse ASRS ready

ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System) are computer-controlled systems that store and retrieve products in distribution centres, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. The technology has been in use for more than 50 years. Initially used predominantly for carrying heavy pallets, its most modern version was also extended with special systems for storing lighter goods – Modular Cube Based Storage Systems.

The way they are constructed and operate differs depending on the type of system. In the case of those designed to carry heavy pallets, the pallet rack with narrow aisles between, allows a tall-masted crane to move down the centre of the aisle on a raised metal rail.

When the mast reaches a designated location, the carriage travels up or down the mast to the level where the product is stored. Then it retrieves the goods and moves it to its destination. Where designed to carry lighter goods, items are stored in special bins stacked on top of one another, which are moved from one location to another by the robots operating on the top of the rack. This solution eliminates inter-rack spaces for aisles as there is no movement between the racks.

So, how do you make sure your warehouse is ready for ASRS?

One very important element for success in warehouse automation is the correct floor preparation. No system will work well on a floor that does not meet the flatness or levelness requirements. Before installing any automatic storage system, it must first be properly surveyed, verifying that the requirements set by the manufacturer of the system are met. To avoid problems with installation and operation, checking if your floor is ASRS ready should be entrusted to specialists in this field.

Face Consultants understand the working parameters of robotics equipment and will establish a set of working performance characteristics. Characteristics such as specified gloss, friction, and surface micro-roughness requirements to enable the best performance can be specified for the construction industry to follow.

Surface regularity can also be checked by our highly trained engineers for flatness, levelness, curvature, and step transitions.

When required, Face Consultants will remove any ambiguities or misunderstandings by drafting up and agreeing on a clear method of compliance checking. Therefore, ensuring that all involved parties understand the elements required to deliver a floor suitable for a successful and productive automated warehouse.

The experience Face Consultants has gained over the years around the world, and our specialised, modern, and extremely precise surveying equipment, will help to accurately determine the condition of the floor. In the event of failure to meet requirements of the standards, we will highlight the elements which are needed to improve the quality of the floor.

Choosing the right specialists for both industrial floor surveys and grinding your warehouse floor will significantly simplify the process of implementing automation in your warehouse.

Bartosz Sobowiec, general manager, Face Consultants Poland

For more information, visit www.cogrigroup.com