A Peek into the Underlying Systems behind Horizontal Carousels

Technology has found its way into almost every aspect of our daily lives, whether it is a personal aspect or a commercial aspect. Automation is one of the key reasons behind it, as it cuts down the time taken to perform a task while getting it done more efficiently. And in places like warehouses, efficiency is the key to get work done fast while minimizing errors whether they are human-based or machine based.

One of the key devices used to improve the efficiency of workflow in warehouses is an automatic storage and retrieval system. These are computer controlled systems that deal with storage and retrieval of packages and parcels which are stored in the warehouses. One of the widely used AS/RS systems is the horizontal carousel system, which is used in some of the biggest warehouses in the world such as Walmart and Amazon warehouses.

Horizontal carousel consists of a fixed number of storage containers which consists of storage bays or trays that are arranged adjacent to each other. All the storage bays are connected to one another by connecting rails and modules, and the entire arrangement is fixed to a mount, which can be either ceiling based or floor based.

Most of the arrangements in horizontal carousel designs are set up in a complete loop, so that retrieval is done efficiently and fast. Every column consists of a fixed number of storage bays, which are usually welded to the frames. Some arrangements also demand removable trays, as specified by the organization. The rotating carousel usually arranges itself based on the coordinates input on the central controlling computer and is delivered to the pickup point.

The efficiency is increased manifold when using horizontal carousels because of their systematic arrangements. It is estimated that these automatic storage and retrieval systems increase productivity by nearly 70% due to no human involvement in the entire storage and retrieval process. They also decrease occupied floor space by nearly 75%, because there is no need for wide aisles between the columns for workers to walk on, for the computers to get everything done on their own.