Automated Storage for Automotive Parts Streamline order fulfillment across online, in-store, dealership, and B2B channels for greater efficiency and customer satisfaction.
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Grid
The modular aluminum grid is lightweight and flexible. It holds the bins stacked neatly while providing tracks for robots to drive on. It can be installed to fit any warehouse size and shape and placed around columns, on mezzanines and on multiple levels - to maximize your existing warehouse space.
Bins
Durable, specialized, and stackable bins hold inventory and the weight of multiple bins stacked one above another. Each bin can hold a single SKU or be subdivided into multiple storage locations. Bins are stacked, sorted, retrieved and delivered to ports by the robots.
All bins can be made of either polyethylene (HDPE) or anti-static ESD and are available in 3 different heights.
Robots
High-speed robots drive along the top of the grid and retrieve any bin, from top to bottom. They operate around the clock regardless of lighting or heating providing system redundancy as any robot can access any bin. If one robot breaks down, no problem - another one takes over its tasks.
There are multiple types of robots available - all wirelessly connected!
The NEW R5+ robot is built and based on the same iconic R5 technology. Designed with extra capacity, the R5+ handles all three AutoStore Bin sizes, including the tallest 425 mm bin. By making the largest bin compatible with our most popular robot, AutoStore continues to provide the fastest and most reliable order picking solution today.
The R5 Red Line robot is a reliable warehouse worker digging, carrying and delivering bins to ports non stop. The Red Line robots use bin lifts to reach down to retrieve a bin and carry that bin next to the robot. The Red Line docs itself to recharge when not in use. The 220 mm and 330 mm tall bins can be used with the R5 Red Line robot.
Ports
Ports, or workstations, are where bins are presented for picking, replenishing or other inventory actions. A wide range of ports offering various functions and speeds are available.
Ports can be further enhanced with pick-to-light technology, which is especially helpful when bins are sub-divided for multiple SKUs. A software driven laser pointer will guide the operator to the exact pick location to increase pick accuracy and speed.
There are 4 ports available, ensuring you get the bins when and where you need them.
Conveyor Port: the simplest workstation providing operator access to a presented bin
Carousel Port: the three bin carousel workstation for efficient product flow
Swing Port: the workstation that vertically connects floors allowing the grid to be on one floor and the picking to be on another
Relay Port: the workstation built for speed using a series of conveyors and cross wagons
Controller
The brains of the system - the controller always keeps track of everything. It acts as the command center, traffic control and database holder for the entire AutoStore system.
AutoStore has a standard proven SAP/ERP connection for easy integration with your current processes.
Mahle Aftermarket to Achieve Outstanding Customer Service Levels & Quality Goals
As a leading global parts and solutions provider to the Independent Aftermarket, MAHLE Aftermarket was seeing a shift in customer order profiles from larger pallet orders to smaller package orders in higher frequency. This resulted in an increasing number of shipping points per customer and shipping smaller quantities to more locations.
As a central core of MAHLE Aftermarket’s Digitalization and Automatization Strategy “Warehouse 4.0”, the Kardex AutoStore solution will enable the company to increase efficiencies and standardize operations on a global scale while achieving high customer service levels and quality goals.
“We chose Kardex for our AutoStore implementation because we were looking for an experienced partner with innovative strengths, intense customer focus, collaboration and a solid global presence with the ability to provide superior service coverage,” declared Georges Mourad, Director Global Operations and Business Excellence Aftermarket at MAHLE. “We are confident in facing the increasing challenges of the market with a flexible, sustainable and technologically advanced AutoStore solution that is capable of handling our growth for many years to come.”
The AutoStore system in Olive Branch contains 42,000 storage bins, and the company has plans to expand the solution in a second phase.
18 AutoStore R5 robots sort, carry and deliver bins to 5 carousel ports and 2 conveyor ports serving as workstations for picking and replenishment. The ports are linked directly to light goods conveyors for sortation to LTL and parcel outbound processing. The AutoStore solution is integrated with the existing Warehouse Management System SAP EWM at MAHLE Aftermarket. Due to the modular design of AutoStore, performance and storage capacity can be expanded at any time, without impacting ongoing operations.
"Our motivation to increase the level of automation in our warehouses came from a need to increase efficiency in order fulfillment, and a desire to provide our channel partners with the best service in the industry. The space-saving AutoStore solution from Kardex is able to provide the speed, precision, and reliability that our customers demand in today's fast-paced world”, concludes Jon Douglas, President Aftermarket North America at MAHLE.
