Planning Shuttle Warehouse Systems the Right Way – Answers from the even Webinar with RocketSolution

In a nutshell: Miniload too slow, classic captive shuttle oversized – many companies find themselves stuck exactly between these two options. Michael Rieser, Head of Sales & Marketing at Rocket Solution GmbH, demonstrated in the Webinar when a shuttle warehouse actually makes sense and how an initial system concept is developed based on real metrics.

Missed the Webinar? Click here for the full recording.

Those planning shuttle warehouse systems often have many questions and few concrete answers. The even Webinar with Michael Rieser was different. We have compiled the most important questions and answers from the live talk here for you.

What makes the RocketSolution shuttle different from classic shuttle systems?

Michael: Where others store longitudinally, we store laterally – four deep, and with our latest technology even six deep. The idea behind this is to remove complexity from the system. With classic captive shuttle systems, shuttle performance quickly becomes a bottleneck because the lifts cannot keep up. With the four-deep or six-deep solution, shuttle performance can be utilized much more effectively, and we deliberately do without a roaming lift, because every additional moving part is a potential source of failure.

Who is the system particularly interesting for?

Michael: Many of our customers are at the point where a miniload has become too slow, but a classic captive shuttle would offer far too much performance for their requirements. That is exactly where we fit in. We are also particularly interesting for building heights under five meters – a height that many large manufacturers are not interested in because it is too small for them. For us, this is a relevant segment, especially in the mid-market.

When does a shuttle warehouse not make sense?

Michael: We had a customer who saw our system at LogiMAT and wanted it exactly as it was – five meters long, five meters high, three meters wide. That does not make sense for a shuttle. A shuttle lives off its length: the longer the aisle, the better the cost per storage location.

What data do you need for an initial assessment?

Michael: The length, width, and height of the building and the load carrier – those are the basics. But just as important is the picture behind it: Why does the customer believe they need to do something? What processes run before and after the warehouse? The more I understand about that, the better I can assess whether a shuttle system really makes sense.

How does an initial calculation work?

Michael: Starting next week, we are launching an online calculator that allows customers to make their own initial rough estimate. You enter how many orders and lines are processed daily, how many hours are worked, how many bins are to be stored, and how large the available floor space is. In the background, the calculator works out an initial system concept, including aisles, workstations, storage locations, and an ROI estimate compared to a manual warehouse. The customer receives the result as a twelve-page PDF report. The goal is a first basis for decision-making: Is it heading toward one million? Five? Ten?

Are ongoing costs also taken into account in the ROI calculation?

Michael: Yes. Maintenance costs are included – one annual service for single-shift operation, two for double-shift operation. Energy costs are also factored in. Our system has no licensing costs, which simplifies the calculation.

Can cartons be stored directly?

Michael: Unfortunately not. Our shuttle works with depth supports in the AT profile with a spacing of approximately 600 millimeters – a carton without a stable base would sag there. We always need a load carrier with a base of 600 by 400 millimeters. In some cases, a solution can be found using a mesh platform, but we look at that on a project-specific basis.

Two real cases: How different a shuttle warehouse can look

In the Webinar, Michael presented two examples that illustrate the range well.

• Mid-market, existing building: A manufacturing company with basement-level floors and roof trusses at 4,400 millimeters in height. With RocketSolution's four-deep solution, the space could still be utilized perfectly. The system is currently going live and the customer is already planning an expansion.
• Larger industrial customer: On a floor area of 47 by 24 meters at just under 12 meters in height, a manual pallet warehouse was to be replaced by an automated system supplying various picking systems in the operation with replenishment. RocketSolution offered two variants: approximately 80,000 bins in full expansion and a variant of just over 100,000 bins.

Conclusion: Planning shuttle warehouse systems correctly starts with an honest analysis

Anyone who wants to plan shuttle warehouse systems correctly needs one thing above all: an honest assessment of whether their own requirements are actually a match. The new online calculator from RocketSolution is designed to enable exactly that – a first well-founded basis for decision-making before moving into the more detailed planning phase.

Missed the Webinar?

👉 Here is the full recording.

👉 Here is the even profile of RocketSolution.