Automated Storage/Retrieval

Significant developments have taken place in the area of stores management in the past few decades. The concept of a totally automated storage and retrieval system has past few decades. The concept of a totally automated storage and retrieval system has been inviting the attention of professionals to match the storage system with the rapid developments in the technology. High rise storage systems have been commonly used in advanced countries. Automated material handling systems are used for the unit load type storage retrieval system .But for the system in which different quantities of different items are to be retrieved the semi-automatic kind of materials handling with manual operator are used .the operator carries with him the list of items to be retrieved. By making use of pre-defined system he goes through the store room, stops the handling equipment at respective bins and completes the list in a picking tour. He may go aisle by aisle or according to items in list or by any other system. Operations Research techniques of sequencing routing, etc., can be applied to determine the optimal locations of items and optimal route in a picking tour. Some of the system to improve the efficiency of automated storage/retrieval systems as follows:

• Sequencing in an optimal way by picking tour
• Allowing a single operator to perform all storage and order picking operations in an aisle
• Generating a picking list based on a single customer’s order.
• Storing items in pairs, e.g. nuts and bolts
• Locating items from the rack as per the structure and importance of orders
• Allocating all items related to a specific facility to a single aisle.