Horizontal carousels are a proven way to lift order fulfillment throughput in tight warehouse footprints. Looking to improve order fulfillment without adding more floor space? The Horizontal Carousel ASRS is a proven goods-to-person system that increases picking speed and accuracy. As a horizontal carousel storage system, it rotates inventory directly to the operator, eliminating travel time across the warehouse. Operations achieve up to 99.9 percent accuracy, 75 percent labor reduction, and 500 lines per hour per person. Horizontal warehouse carousel systems also fit more storage into a smaller footprint than traditional shelving, which is why they remain a reliable choice across distribution environments.
With its automated storage and retrieval capabilities, the Horizontal Carousel AS/RS enables seamless access to inventory items simply and easily.
Imagine a system where storage bins rotate horizontally, bringing items directly to the operator’s workstation, eliminating wasted walk and search time for inventory. A group of carousels (often 3-5) work as one integrated pod or workstation.
Each horizontal carousel in the pod rotates via the shortest path to present the required SKU to the workstation. The operator simply looks for the pick lights to show them the carousel, shelf, cell, and number of items to pick. The items are picked and then distributed to the open orders in a batch workstation. Each order in the batch workstation will have put-to-light indicators telling the operator where to place how many items they just picked (of that one SKU) in each active order.
This process is continued in a round robin fashion until the entire batch has been picked. Once the batch is completed, another batch is instantly inducted, and round robin picking resumes. Each batch is picked by the operator using the horizontal carousels until the wave of orders is completed. Hot picks and replenishment activities can be interleaved or left as dedicated tasks based on every organization’s unique inventory and order profile requirements.
This technology-driven solution not only increases productivity but also reduces labor costs and improves order accuracy. ISD’s Horizontal Carousel AS/RS systems are designed with precision and reliability at their core, with its user-friendly interface and software, real-time inventory tracking, and customizable configurations.
The Horizontal Carousel AS/RS is a sophisticated storage and retrieval system that combines advanced technology with efficient design. At the heart of this system are the horizontal carousels, which rotate to bring the required items directly to the operator’s workstation. These carousels are typically arranged in a pod configuration, with 3-5 carousels working together as an integrated unit.
Each horizontal carousel is equipped with storage bins that can hold a variety of items, from small parts to larger products. The carousels are driven by powerful motors and controlled by a central computer system, which ensures smooth and precise rotation to deliver the desired item quickly and accurately. The computer system also tracks the location and quantity of each item stored in the system, providing real-time inventory data and enabling efficient storage and retrieval processes.
The Horizontal Carousel AS/RS also features a user-friendly interface, often with touch screens or other intuitive controls, that allow operators to easily navigate the system and initiate storage and retrieval tasks. The system may also include additional components, such as conveyor belts, pick-to-light systems, and automated picking tools, to further streamline the workflow and enhance productivity.
Implementing a Horizontal Carousel ASRS can provide a significant boost to your organization’s productivity and efficiency. By automating the storage and retrieval processes, this system eliminates the need for manual walking and searching, which can be time-consuming and error prone. Instead, the items are brought directly to the operator’s workstation (Goods-to-Person), reducing the time and effort required to locate and retrieve them.
The Horizontal Carousel ASRS also offers improved inventory management capabilities allowing the system’s software to track the location and quantity of each item in real-time. This allows for more accurate inventory control, reduced stock-outs, and better visibility into your organization’s supply chain. Additionally, the system’s ability to handle a wide range of items, from small parts to larger products, makes it a versatile solution that can adapt to the evolving needs of your business.
Furthermore, the Horizontal Carousel ASRS can help reduce labor costs by increasing productivity and efficiency. By automating the storage and retrieval processes, the system can handle a higher volume of tasks with fewer operators, freeing up your workforce to focus on other critical tasks. This can lead to significant cost savings and improved overall operational efficiency.
The Horizontal Carousel ASRS offers a wide range of benefits that can help your organization optimize its storage and retrieval processes.
The Horizontal Carousel ASRS is a versatile system that can be applied in a wide range of applications including:
The Horizontal Carousel ASRS is a versatile system that can benefit a wide range of industries, each with its unique storage and retrieval requirements. Some of the key industries that can significantly benefit from this technology include:
When considering the implementation of a Horizontal Carousel ASRS, there are several key factors to take into account to ensure a successful deployment and optimal performance. One of the primary considerations is the specific storage and retrieval requirements of your organization, including the types and sizes of items you need to manage, the volume of transactions, and the desired level of automation.
Another important factor is the available space in your facility. The Horizontal Carousel ASRS requires a dedicated area for the installation of the carousels and associated components, so it’s essential to carefully assess the layout and dimensions of your workspace to ensure a seamless integration.
The integration of the Horizontal Carousel AS/RS with your existing software systems and workflows is also a crucial consideration. The system should be designed to seamlessly interface with your inventory management, order processing, and other critical business systems, ensuring a smooth and efficient flow of information and materials.
Additionally, the reliability and maintenance requirements of the Horizontal Carousel ASRS should be carefully evaluated. The system should be designed with a high level of durability and resilience, and the maintenance protocols should be well-defined to ensure optimal uptime and performance over the long term.
Horizontal Carousel ASRS systems can be customized with a variety of options and accessories to meet the unique needs of your organization’s business and operations requirements.
By understanding the diverse applications of VLM systems, organizations can better evaluate and implement the right solution to meet their specific storage and operational requirements, ultimately enhancing their overall competitiveness and performance.
| Criteria | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Carousel Length | 20 feet (6 meters) | 100+ feet (30+ meters) |
| Carousel Width | 4 feet (1.2 meters) | 12 feet (3.6 meters) |
| Carousel Height | 7 feet (2.1 meters) | 12 feet (3.6 meters) |
| Bin/Shelf Width | 12 inches (30 cm) | 36 inches (91 cm) |
| Bin/Shelf Depth | 12 inches (30 cm) | 30 inches (76 cm) |
| Bin/Shelf Height | 4 inches (10 cm) | 24 inches (61 cm) |
| Load Capacity per Bin/Shelf | 50 lbs. (23 kg) | 200 lbs. (90 kg) |
| Carousel Speed | 20 feet/min (6 m/min) | 60 feet/min (18 m/min) |
| Total System Load Capacity | 1,000 lbs. (454 kg) | 20,000+ lbs. (9,072 kg) |
| Number of Bins/Shelves per Unit | 10 bins/shelves | 200+ bins/shelves |
| Transaction Speed (per operator) | 75 lines/hour | 500+ lines/hour |
| Operating Temperature | -40°F (-40°C) (freezer environments) | Ambient Temperature |
| Power Requirements | 208V / 3-phase | 480V / 3-phase |
The Horizontal Carousel ASRS has been a proven winner in the world of storage and retrieval systems. Truly the first Goods-to-Person system integrated with software and pick-to-light technologies that dominated for almost two decades in the 80’s to 90’s. It’s the horizontal carousel’s flexibility, expandability, agility and fast return on investment which saw many warehouses and distribution centers rely on this technology. It was the basis that AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) and specifically KIVA based their technology on.
Today’s horizontal carousels are equipped with state-of-the art controls and components which enhance its performance, longevity, and reliability to even higher levels.
Advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, IoT, data analytics, and RFID are likely to further enhance the system’s efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness, making it an increasingly attractive option for organizations across a wide range of industries.
At the end of the day, the simplicity, accuracy, flexibility, longevity, and cost of horizontal carousel systems vs. their impact make them a technology that smart warehouses and distribution centers should always investigate in their technology search.
A Horizontal Carousel ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System) is a goods-to-person (GTP) picking solution that uses a series of rotating bins arranged on an oval track. The carousel rotates to bring the required bin directly to the operator, eliminating manual searching and walking through aisles and dramatically speeding up order fulfillment.
Horizontal Carousels operate by receiving pick requests from your WMS or order management software. The system’s control software calculates the optimal rotation direction and sequence to deliver the needed bin to the operator’s pick station in the shortest time. Multiple carousels can work in tandem using zone logic, keeping operators busy while adjacent units rotate simultaneously to minimize wait time.
Horizontal Carousels can recover up to 75% of floor space compared to conventional open shelving and static storage. By organizing inventory into a compact, rotating structure, organizations significantly reduce the footprint required for storage while actually increasing the total number of SKUs they can manage in the same facility.
Because inventory comes to the operator rather than the operator walking to the inventory, Horizontal Carousels eliminate up to 75% of travel time associated with manual picking. Picker productivity of 500 lines per hour per operator is achievable when carousels are properly configured with pick-to-light guidance, batching software, and ergonomic workstations.
Horizontal Carousel systems achieve 99.9% picking accuracy when combined with pick-to-light or scan verification technology. The goods-to-person model restricts access to only the required bin, while visual guidance confirms item selection, virtually eliminating errors caused by manual searching or misidentification.
Horizontal Carousels are ideal for storing and picking small to medium-sized items including apparel, electronics components, medical supplies, spare parts, cosmetics, and light industrial parts. The bin-based storage system accommodates a wide range of product sizes and can be configured with dividers to manage multiple SKUs per bin.
Most organizations achieve return on investment within 18 to 24 months of installing a Horizontal Carousel ASRS. The primary ROI drivers are reduced labor costs, recovered floor space that can delay or eliminate facility expansion, improved order accuracy that reduces returns and re-shipments, and increased throughput capacity that supports business growth without adding headcount.
Contact Us for More Information About Horizontal Carousels
