AKL
Also: Automatisches Kleinteilelager, Kleinteilelager automatisch, Automatisiertes Kleinteilelager, AKL-System, AKL-Anlage, Kleinteillager automatisch
AI-generated
An Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AKL) is a fully mechanized storage system for bins, trays, or cartons that automates the goods-to-person process using aisle-captive storage and retrieval machines or shuttles.
Key facts
- An AKL automates the storage and retrieval of small parts based on the goods-to-person principle, thereby reducing travel distances and picking errors.
- Depending on requirements, either storage and retrieval machines or shuttle systems are used as the handling technology, differing in throughput, cost, and redundancy.
- Close integration with a warehouse management system (WMS) is a prerequisite for the efficient operation of an AKL.
- Scalability, interface openness, and contingency concepts are critical selection criteria that vary significantly depending on the vendor and system design.
- An AKL requires standardized load carriers (bins, trays, cartons) – not every product range is suitable for automation.
What is an Automated Small Parts Warehouse?
An Automated Small Parts Warehouse – or AKL for short – is a fully mechanized high-bay storage system specifically designed for the storage and retrieval of small parts, bins, trays, or folding cartons. Unlike manual warehouses, an AKL automatically delivers goods to the picking station (goods-to-person principle). This increases picking speed, relieves staff of lengthy travel distances, and reduces picking errors. Depending on the system, automation is achieved through aisle-captive storage and retrieval machines (SRMs), single-level or multi-level shuttles, or – in more recent approaches – autonomous vehicles or grid-based systems such as cube storage.
How it works in practice
An AKL consists of one or more racking blocks, a conveyor circuit, and at least one picking workstation. The process can be summarized as follows:
- The warehouse management system (WMS) transmits an order to the AKL's control system.
- An SRM or shuttle retrieves the requested bin from the rack and transports it to the workstation via the conveyor system.
- The picker removes the required quantity, confirms the transaction, and the bin is automatically conveyed back and stored.
Modern systems combine this workflow with pick-by-light, screen guidance, or scale integration at the workstation to further reduce errors. Compared to manual solutions, space requirements are typically significantly lower, as narrow aisles and dense storage strategies (chaotic storage, ABC slotting) become possible.
Selection criteria and what matters
Several factors play a role in the decision to implement an AKL, and these should be carefully weighed against one another:
- Product range: AKL systems are suited to small parts that can be stored in standardized bins. Bulky, heavy, or temperature-sensitive items require special solutions or are unsuitable.
- Throughput requirements: SRM-based systems are designed for medium throughput; shuttle systems scale better at high order volumes but involve greater investment.
- Redundancy and availability: A single SRM is a potential bottleneck. Shuttle concepts with multiple vehicles per aisle inherently offer greater resilience against failures. Clarify early on what the contingency operation looks like.
- Scalability: How easily can the system be expanded with additional aisles, levels, or workstations? This depends on the vendor and system concept and should be contractually secured.
- Integration: The AKL must be connected to the existing WMS and ERP via standardized interfaces. Proprietary control architectures can limit future flexibility.
Overall, the AKL is a proven solution for companies with high small-parts throughput that simultaneously want to reduce storage space, error rates, and ergonomic challenges. Cost-effectiveness depends heavily on utilization, number of SKUs, and throughput requirements – a detailed business case is essential before making a decision.
Related terms
- 3D-Matrix Solution
A 3D matrix solution is a multi-dimensional storage and buffer system that dynamically manages load units in the X, Y, and Z directions, enabling significantly higher space utilization than conventional systems.
- ABC-Analyse
ABC analysis is a method for classifying items, vendors, or processes into three priority classes (A, B, C) based on their economic significance. It forms the basis for differentiated decision-making in warehousing, inventory management, and procurement.
- AGV
AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) refers to driverless transport vehicles that automatically move goods in warehouses and production environments. They follow predefined or sensor-controlled routes without a human driver.
- Hochregallager
A high-bay warehouse is an automated storage facility with racking from approximately twelve meters in height, where stacker cranes automatically store and retrieve pallets.
- Kommissionierung
Order picking is the process of assembling individual items from warehouse stock to fulfill a specific customer order — the most labor-intensive step in the warehouse.