WAREHOUSING,STORAGE & LOGISTICS BITO
Warehouse automation depends on the right racking
Edward Hutchison, managing director of BITO Storage Systems, explains why successful automated warehouse solutions require careful consideration when choosing the racking.
T
he UK’s world leading e-commerce retail sector swells demand and raises expectations for rapid delivery but the sector is also in the midst of dealing with rising labour costs combined with a shallower pool of available skills for its warehouses. This is driving growing interest in automation out these facilities, particularly as the technology within reach of many more companies. In fact, the UK will, by 2025, be Europe’s largest warehouse automation market at over £3 billion, according to market research company Interact Analysis. That will be £710 million larger than in Germany, which has traditionally been far more automation friendly when it comes to warehouses. Another market researcher, IMARC Group, which put the UK warehouse automation market at USD 2 billion in 2023, expects it to reach £4.6 billion by 2032. That’s a growth rate of over 10% during 2024- 2032.
Automation’s modularity, sophisticated control
systems, and performance developments can create retail to supplying line-side manufacturing. Stacker crane-based automated storage and
retrieval systems, for example, will provide high density storage on a given footprint within a picker solution. However, smooth operation of this software-
driven warehouse technology will rely on the racking. for highly accurate and rapid order picking within a warehouse, racking should be carefully considered because the right design will help an automated Reliable racking will also minimise maintenance and the subsequent costly downtime for an automated system, helping to improve its productivity and hasten the return on the investment. Assessing the quality of racking starts with the basic components: the uprights and beams. Fine tolerances in the racking’s manufacture and installation are needed for the stacker crane to run smoothly, with trouble-free operation and maximum safety. Bolted frame components will allow a fast exchange of damaged components. Uprights need to be available in a range of widths
and different material thicknesses to allow an ideal upright geometry for frame heights of over 20 metres and bay loads as heavy as 40 tonnes. Suppliers using state-of-the-art machinery to
manufacture racking components will produce all the elements at the exact required size and of a consistent quality and tolerance. This ensures long- term integrity of the racking system. The quality of the materials used in the racking will determine how an installation will stand up to the rigours of everyday operations. For example, galvanising and epoxy coating ensures high corrosion resistance and guarantees a long service life for all components. Safety is high on any list of considerations and
starts with the integrity of the installed system, which
32 December/January 2025 Irish Manufacturing
support bars add additional strength. A supplier that can provide the bins and containers in addition to racking and shelving will offer the advantage of compatibility between these two elements. This will avoid numerous issues that can It also makes it easier to achieve the maximum density of stock because multiple containers without leaving unnecessary gaps can generate considerable space savings throughout a warehouse storage area.
They will be able to supply specially designed bins
and trays that have been adapted to automated racking and stacker crane conditions and meet the requirements of the system.
www.irish-manufacturing.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
