Automatedstorageandretrievalsystem(AS/RS)basicsByCorinneKator,AssociateEditorAutomatedstorageandretrievalsystems(AS/RS)reducethelaborneededforputawayandpickinginwarehousesandplants.August1,2007Automatedstorageandretrievalsystems—oftensimplycalledAS/RS—arecomputer-controlledsystemsforstoringandretrievingproductsinwarehousesormanufacturingfacilitieswithoutmanuallabor.Largesystems,knownasunit-loadAS/RS,typicallystoreandretrievepalletloads.Smallersystems,oftencalledmini-loadAS/RS,handleproductsintotes,traysorcartons.Regardlessofsize,mostAS/RShavethesamebasicconfiguration:•Tworowsofmetalrackfaceeachotherwithanarrowaisleinbetween.•Downthecenteroftheaisleisaraisedmetalrail.•Atallmasttravelsthroughtheaislealongtherail.•Whenthemastreachesadesignatedstoragelocation,acarriagetravelsupordownthemasttothelevelofthelocation.•Aload-handlingmechanismmountedonthecarriagethenreachesintothestoragelocationtoputawayorretrieveaload.Themast,carriageandload-handlingdevicearecollectivelyknownasanS/RmachineorSRM.Theyaresometimesalsocalledacrane.MostAS/RSuseoneS/Rmachineperaisle.Somesophisticatedhigh-throughputsystemsassignmultiplemachinestooneaisle.Somelow-throughputsystemsassignonemachinetomultipleaisles.Inthesesystems,theS/Rmachinemakesaturnattheendofitsaisleorismovedfromaisletoaislebyatransfercar.S/Rmachinesmayhavesingleordoublemasts.Withasingle-mastmachine,thecarriageisattachedtothefrontofthemast.Withadouble-mastmachine,thecarriageridesbetweentwomasts,providingaddedstabilityinparticularlytallAS/RSorinsystemsthathandleheavyloads.Unit-loadAS/RSUnit-loadAS/RSaredesignedtostorelargeloadsofroughly1,000poundsormore.Theseloadsaretypicallystoredonpalletsorinpallet-sizedcontainers.Somespecializedsystemshandleoversizedloadssuchasfurnitureandlongrollsofcarpet.Aunit-loadAS/RScanrisebeyond100feettall,butatypicalsystemislessthan40feet.AstandardAS/RSstoresloadsinsteelpalletrackdesignedspecificallyforautomatedsystems.Thisrack,likedrive-inrack,storesloadsonrailsthatrunperpendiculartotheaisles.(Standardpalletrackstoresloadsoncrossbeamsthatrunparalleltotheaisles.)AS/RSrackcanbeconfiguredsingle-deep,double-deeporasdeep-lanerackwithseveralpalletsstored1onebehindtheother.Theload-handlingmechanismforaunit-loadAS/RSisusuallyatelescopingdevicecalledashuttlethatreachesoutintothestoragelocation,slidesunderthepallet,andthenpullsthepalletbackontothecarriage.Lesscommonturret-styleS/Rmachinesusearotatingforkinsteadofashuttle.TurretmachinesareslowerthantypicalS/Rmachines,buttheycaninterfacewithstandardpalletrackinsteadofneedingspecialAS/RSrack.Aunit-loadAS/RScanprovide•densestorageinafinishedgoodswarehouse,•bufferstorageforwork-in-processinafactory,•adynamicpickfaceforacase-pickingoperation,or•partssequencingforanassemblyline.Mini-loadAS/RSSmall-scaleautomatedstorageandretrievalsystemsthathandlelighterloads(typicallylessthan1,000pounds)incontainerssuchastrays,totesorcartonsareknownbyanumberofdifferentnames.Somesuppliersusetheterm"mini-loadAS/RS"todescribesystemsthathandleloadsbetween100and1,000poundsandtheterm"micro-loadAS/RS"todescribethosethathandleloadsoflessthan100pounds.Otherssimplycallallofthemmini-loadsystems."Case-handlingmachine,"and"totestacker"areothertermsusedtodescribelight-dutyAS/RS.Thisarticlewillrefertoallless-than-unit-loadsystemsasmini-loadAS/RS.Inadditionaltohavingmanynames,mini-loadAS/RSalsota...
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