Radio shuttles are unique autonomous devices used for loading and unloading stock units and can be transported throughout the warehouse by shuttle cars or stacker cranes or also work directly with forklifts. Solutions which utilize a shuttle car on each level may be appropriate for facilities up to 65 feet high. However, from that height and upward our experts must analyze and solve the bottlenecks that can come about if the right number of vertical reciprocating conveyors aren’t installed or assigned optimally.
Cold storage warehouses benefit substantially from the installation of automated systems, especially radio shuttles. Some of the principal reasons these types of facilities depend so much on automated processes are:
Radio shuttles are optimal for cold storage facilities with a low volume of SKUs, but with a large number of pallets and high throughput. When installing this type of solution, it is essential to take into account the ratio of cycles and available storage space. For example, deeper lanes have a greater storage capacity, but fewer cycles can be completed in a given period of time.
Although both semi-automatic and fully-automatic shuttles have similar features, depending on the specific characteristics and throughput of your distribution center, one may be better suited for your needs than the other.
Burro De Paoli, a successful Italian butter production business, is beyond familiar with the incredible benefits the Mecalux radio shuttle system has to offer for their cold storage facility. Their Production and Logistics Manager explains how this innovative system “has let us use all the space in our cold storage chambers” and that they have “streamlined the storage of goods by not having to drive into the warehouse lanes with a forklift”. With the installation of high-tech radio shuttle machinery, this prosperous cold storage facility has maximized its use of space, optimized warehouse operations and is now able to more efficiently manage its precious home-style butter products.
Both semi-automatic and fully-automatic radio shuttles are ideal for any warehouse with a high level of loading and unloading activity and that is looking for a solution to optimize safety, control, performance and storage capacity. However, when installed in a cold storage facility, the unique characteristics of this system and the benefits that it has to offer increase exponentially. Watch our radio shuttle video to see an example of how semi-automatic shuttles work and to learn more about this revolutionary system.
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