Automated Storage made easy
October 10th 2007 Over the past 40 years, Mecalux has worked hard to establish a blue chip client portfolio that includes names from the packaging, food, cosmetics, engineering, electrical and automotive sectors.
Now ranking third in the world storage systems market, with eight production centres and a global distribution network, Mecalux is able to offer customers a solution to all of their storage needs backed by an after sales service that is both speedy and flexible. This level of customer support and product availability has consolidated Mecalux`s status as a full-line supplier of warehouse and technological solutions. The company is now concentrating R&D investment on automated storage solutions.
Automated options include:
Automated Warehouse for Boxes The Miniload automated warehouse for boxes is formed by a central aisle between two facing sets of racking along which a stacker crane travels.
The picking and handling area is formed by conveyors and is positioned at one end of the racking, it is here that the stacker crane deposits the load extracted from the rack. The conveyors transport the box to the operator and on completion of the task the stacker crane returns the box to the racking.
The whole system is controlled by a warehouse management programme which registers the location of all the materials in the warehouse and keeps an inventory in real time.
This system is operational in both a single and double-depth warehouse. The latter of which enables storage of two levels deep in each location - ideal for companies seeking a balance between storage capacity and rapid handling.
Within the automated warehouses for boxes category, Mecalux has created the automated IN-A-BOX warehouse. This is a simple and standard automated system for boxes which includes, in a single product, the racking, machinery, P & D station and the warehouse management software.
This system will deliver full automation of the entry and exit operations of products, savings in storage space, control and updates of the inventory, maximising service capacity for clients, while working continuously all year round to deliver a rapid return on investment.
Automated Warehouse for Pallets The increasing need to maximise the surface area in warehouses has led to the development of stacker cranes, designed to work in very narrow aisles and at heights above 30m. The stacker cranes are guided by a profile fitted on the racks above the crane and by a rail anchored to the floor.Their vertical and horizontal speed and their automated operation triple the capacity of pallet extraction handling.
And again, depending on storage capacity requirements, this system can function across racks that are single or double-depth.
Automated Parking
As a solution to the problem of inner-city parking, Mecalux offers the ‘automated carpark’, designed to store cars through the use of automated machinery which first displaces the car vertically with a lift, and then horizontally with a shuttle.
The absence of ramps and transit areas affords an important saving in space, infact this type of parking facility enables the number of parking spaces to be multiplied threefold, requiring 35 per cent less floor space and 60 per cent less height than a conventional carpark.
Prior to any project being undertaken Mecalux conducts a thorough logistics study to identify a company`s requirements and product movements so as to work out the combination of installation required.
Mecalux then takes ownership of the entire project from design through to implementation – simplifying the process for the client who deals solely with Mecalux during the project`s execution. More articles from Mecalux UK Limited: | 
