Four questions to determine if AutoStore is right for your operation

Will your inventory fit in an AutoStore system?

AutoStore is a small goods system that uses standardized bins arranged in a 3D grid to store and retrieve products. Note that while AutoStore is a small goods system, its application is not limited to small order sizes as you may see suggested in other places. It performs equally well with large or small orders. The key is what percent of inventory can be picked from the system and that is determined by the size of your products. 

AutoStore can be configured with three sizes of bins. Each bin size has the same width and length, varying only in height. The internal width of all AutoStore bins is 403 mm (15.87”) and the internal length is 603 mm (23.74”). The three available bin heights are:

• 220 mm (8.66”)
• 330 mm (13”)
• 425 mm (16.73”)

 

Currently different bin sizes cannot be used in the same system; If you want to use tall bins for some products to be stored in the system, your system will need to be configured with all tall bins. Also, remember that all bins have a maximum storage capacity of 30 kg (66 lbs.) and that bins can be partitioned with dividers to accommodate multiple SKUs in the same bin. 

One more thing to consider as you are evaluating how much of your inventory can fit into an AutoStore system: the more products you can fit in a bin, the more you’ll benefit from the efficiency and density of the AutoStore system. If a product is large enough that only one item fits in a bin, it doesn’t make sense to store that product in the AutoStore. With the time it takes to decant and pick one product from a bin, it’s probably going to be more efficient to pick that product manually. 

Within these limitations, AutoStore is an extremely versatile system that has proven effective at handling a wide variety of products for Swisslog customers in fashion, general merchandise, electronic and industrial parts and components, groceries, and healthcare supplies.

How will AutoStore fit in your warehouse?

Space savings are one of the most powerful benefits of the AutoStore system. According to AutoStore, their system, “can boost storage capacity by up to 4x compared to a manual warehouse.” 

In addition, AutoStore has several advantages over other goods-to-person technologies in being able to adapt to existing warehouses. First, its design allows it to be configured around pillars and other obstructions that could present challenges for other technologies. Second, it can achieve high storage density in lower-ceiling warehouses. For warehouses with ceiling heights below about 13 meters (40 feet), AutoStore offers the highest storage density of any goods-to-person ASRS.

An experienced AutoStore integrator like Swisslog can quickly give you an idea of how much square footage a right-sized AutoStore system will consume in your warehouse. Or, if you prefer to perform your own calculations before contacting an integrator, here’s a formula that will get you in the ballpark. 

First, calculate the cubic volume of the inventory that will be stored in the AutoStore. Then, divide the total volume by the cube storage utilization, which is typically between .22 and .27. Finally, divide this volume by the expected grid height to get an estimate of floor space required.

The cube storage utilization is a measure of how much of the available volume in the grid is actually filled with product. Cube utilization is affected by the bin fill range, product characteristics, and how stock is allocated across the system.

These calculations will give you a rough idea of how much space the AutoStore will consume. However, Swisslog has a number of strategies and tools we use to optimize utilization and density so they should not be used beyond the initial exploration stage. With our tools and experience, Swisslog-configured AutoStore systems consistently use fewer bins than our competitors without compromising performance. This increased efficiency can be used to reduce system costs or to increase inventory days on hand (DOH) or the number of SKUs stored in the system without increasing costs.

Can AutoStore meet your throughput requirements?

AutoStore’s easy configurability allows system throughput to be matched to application requirements while optimizing investment costs. For example, if you need higher throughput, you can invest in more robots, either as part of your initial configuration or after the system is already installed.

One of the things you’ll appreciate most about AutoStore is how it manages inventory to enable faster bin retrieval. With AutoStore, fast-moving products naturally bubble up to the top of the grid, creating a dynamic and automated approach to inventory slotting that optimizes throughput. 

You can also choose the number and type of ports based on throughput requirements. The standard AutoStore Conveyor port supports 50-150 picks per hour while the Carousel port can support up to 350 picks per hour. The new Fusion port enables speeds up to 500 picks per hour and also allows completed orders to be sent back into the system for buffering. Supplemental technologies such as pick-to-light and put-to-light can also be deployed to enhance pick speed and accuracy. 

One issue to be aware of, however, is the potential for “bin contention,” which can limit productivity and throughput in some applications unless properly managed. Bin contention occurs when two ports need the same product at the same time. Even if the product is distributed across multiple bins in the system—a best practice for high demand products—AutoStore’s logic will choose the bin with the fewest items to optimize density. If the bin with the fewest items is already being retrieved for another order, other ports that need that product will be idle until the bin becomes available.  

Swisslog’s SynQ AutoStore control software has built-in solutions for bin contention. The software can dynamically group orders and direct orders containing the same product to the same port, minimizing contention and increasing productivity by allowing the operator to pick for multiple orders from the same bin. SynQ for AutoStore also gives users the flexibility to direct the AutoStore logic to prioritize throughput over density by choosing the bin that can be presented the fastest rather than the one with the fewest items. This capability can be turned on during periods of peak demand and turned off again when volumes return to normal.

What ROI should you expect?

Each company’s ROI will be different based on the size of the system, existing picking processes and other variables. Generally, the ROI for an AutoStore system will be based largely on labor savings, increased pick accuracy, and improved space utilization.

According to AutoStore, one AutoStore operator can do the work of four to five manual pickers and we regularly see pick accuracy above 99% in our AutoStore deployments. With the density provided by the AutoStore system, our customers often find they can extend the life of their current warehouse, avoiding higher lease costs or the cost of warehouse development, and the expense and disruption of warehouse relocation. 

In almost all cases where AutoStore is a good fit for the business, we see ROIs below five years and ROIs below three years are common. As part of our configuration process, we can help you calculate the projected ROI for your operation. 

Taking the next step

At Swisslog, we’ve installed more than 400 AutoStore systems and through that experience have continually added new capabilities to our control software, streamlined installation and commissioning processes, and developed standard configurations that work for most businesses. If you are ready to take the next step and see how we would configure AutoStore for your operation, contact us.