Who Are Automated Small Parts Warehouses Suitable For?

In a nutshell: An Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AKL) is a specialized storage solution designed to efficiently store and manage small to medium-sized items in bins, boxes, or trays. Items can thereby be transported quickly and precisely to a desired storage location or retrieved from it. This technology is particularly relevant for industries with a high variety of items, where efficiency, space savings, and process reliability are critical. 

How an AKL Works 

Components 

1. Stacker Cranes (RBG): These automated devices move vertically and horizontally along fixed rails between rack rows to store and retrieve items. 
2. Storage compartments: Modularly designed to adapt the size and configuration to the range of items. 
3. Conveyor technology: Typically used in the so-called pre-zone of the AKL, transporting the system's load units to workstations or alternatively to other storage areas.
4. Picking stations: Here, items are consolidated for shipping or further processing. 
5. Control unit: Coordinates the movements of the stacker cranes and the communication between system components. 
6. Warehouse Management System (WMS): The WMS is not a mandatory component of an AKL, but is generally required and can also be sourced from a third-party Vendor.

The operation of an AKL follows the "goods-to-person" principle, in which the required items are automatically brought to a picking station. This begins with the storage process, where items are recorded and assigned to a storage location. As soon as an item is needed, the stacker crane transports it to the picking station, where it is retrieved and processed further. Despite the efficiency of these processes, there is room for improvement, particularly with regard to flexibility and the space requirements of the systems. 

Advantages of an AKL 

1. Increased efficiency: Faster storage and retrieval of items. 
2. Space optimization: Improved utilization of available storage space. 
3. Error reduction: Minimization of human errors and improved inventory accuracy. 
4. Enhanced safety: Reduces the risk of injury and damage to items. 

Disadvantages of an AKL 

1. Inefficiency with light loads: Heavy stacker cranes, often weighing several tons, frequently move comparatively light bins (e.g., 50 kg), which calls their efficiency into question. Their use can therefore be inefficient and resource-intensive. 
2. Partially suboptimal space utilization: Due to the wide aisles required by the stacker crane to maneuver.
3. Lack of flexibility: Stacker cranes are not particularly flexible or dynamic, which can limit their use in rapidly changing environments. 

4. Scalability: AKLs can often only be expanded by adding additional aisles. This means capacity can only be increased with additional stacker cranes (provided the aisle length is fully utilized). A second stacker crane can also be installed in a long aisle, but this leads to greater complexity in aisle control.

    

Who Are AKLs Suitable For? 

AKL systems are relevant for industries with a high variety of items but no high throughput requirements. For example, spare parts business, industrial applications, or replenishment processes for more dynamic systems. They are well suited for tall buildings, particularly in silo construction.

Conclusion 

Automated small parts warehouses are a key technology in logistics, enabling companies to optimize their warehouse operations, improve performance, and simultaneously reduce operating costs. By deploying an AKL, companies can respond quickly to market changes and increase their competitiveness in dynamic industries. Depending on the area of application, however, AKLs also have drawbacks — for example, in terms of scalability or space utilization. In high-throughput industries such as e-commerce and similar sectors, AKLs have therefore partly been replaced by dynamic systems such as shuttles, cube storage, or mobile robotics.

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