Horizontal Carousels
A horizontal carousel is a series of bins which rotate on an oval track. Every bin has shelves which are adjustable to .75" and can be configured for a myriad of standard and special applications. An operator simply inputs a bin number, part number or cell location and the carousel will rotate via the shortest path. Multiple horizontal carousels integrated with pick to light technology and inventory management software (a pod of carousels) are used for order fulfillment.
A wave of orders are sent to the pod. A group of orders are selected to create a batch. The operator simply follows the lights and pick round robin from the carousels and place items in a batch station behind them. Each carousel pre-positions and rotates when picked. By applying the "product to picker" principle, operators do not have to move from their position to prepare the order.
When the batch is complete, a new batch is inducted and the process repeated until the wave is complete. Horizontal carousels can save up to 75% of floorspace, increase productivity by 2/3, accuracy levels to 99.9%+ levels and throughput up to 750 lines per hour/operator.
Horizontal carousel systems generally outperform robotic systems for a fraction of the cost. Horizontal carousels are the most cost effective AS/RS system available.
On a simplistic level, horizontal carousels are also often used as "rotating shelving." 'With simple "fetch" command items are brought to the operator and otherwise wasted space is eliminated.
Read more about this topic: Automated Storage And Retrieval System
Famous quotes containing the word horizontal:
“Thir dread commander: he above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent
Stood like a Towr; his form had yet not lost
All her Original brightness, nor appear’d
Less than Arch Angel ruind, and th’ excess
Of Glory obscur’d: As when the Sun new ris’n
Looks through the Horizontal misty Air
Shorn of his Beams, or from behind the Moon
In dim Eclips disastrous twilight sheds
On half the Nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes Monarchs.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)