Automated storage for food industry

The Thermodynamics of Profit: Freezing Product, Not Aisles

For food manufacturers and cold chain logistics providers, the operational expenditure (OpEx) is dominated by the refrigeration bill. In a traditional warehouse layout, up to 60% of the floor space is dedicated to forklift aisles. This means you are paying to refrigerate air that generates no revenue.

The starack-Shuttle system addresses this specific thermodynamic inefficiency. By utilizing a “Satellite Shuttle” that detaches from the mother stacker crane, we can store pallets in lanes that are 4 to 10 units deep. This configuration drastically increases volumetric density.

By switching to this High density pallet storage model, the system reduces the exposed surface area relative to the stored volume. In a freezer running at -25°C, this structural change alone can reduce energy consumption per pallet by 20-30%. Furthermore, the system is designed with energy regeneration modules; as the Heavy Duty ASRS lowers a 1,000kg pallet of frozen meat from a 30-meter height, the motor acts as a generator, feeding power back into the grid.

Enforcing FEFO: Eliminating the “Honeycombing” Effect

In manual warehouses, forklift operators often succumb to human nature: they pick the pallet that is easiest to reach, not necessarily the one with the closest expiration date. This leads to the “honeycombing” effect, where older batches get pushed to the back, eventually expiring and becoming a total write-off.

An Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) removes human decision-making from the retrieval process. The logic is governed by the WMS (Warehouse Management System):

1. Induction: When a pallet of finished goods (e.g., dairy or beverages) enters the system, its batch code and expiration date are recorded.
2. Storage: The crane places the pallet in an optimal location based on anticipated turnover.
3. Retrieval: When an order is received, the system identifies the oldest valid batch (FEFO) or the specific batch required for traceability. The crane will only retrieve that specific pallet.

This capability is critical for GSP (Good Supply Practice) compliance and food safety audits. You can trace exactly where a specific batch of raw ingredients (like flour or sugar) went, or where a specific lot of finished product was shipped.

Hygiene by Design: Replacing Wood and Rubber with Steel

Food processing plants require environments that discourage bacterial growth and contamination. Traditional warehouses introduce two major contaminants: wood chips from damaged pallets and rubber dust/exhaust from forklifts.

The starack system utilizes Q355 High-Strength Steel with a bolt-connected structure. Unlike welded structures that may leave slag or crevices for bacteria to hide, the bolted design is cleaner and easier to maintain. By removing forklifts from the storage aisles, you eliminate:

• Tire wear dust settling on food packaging.
• Potential hydraulic leaks from aging material handling equipment.
• The risk of cross-contamination from operators moving between “dirty” and “clean” zones.

For smaller SKUs, such as spice blends, additives, or food casings, a Miniload AS/RS ensures that these high-value items are stored in a dust-free, secure environment, accessible only by the automated crane, ensuring inventory accuracy of 99.9%.

Rack Clad Buildings: The Ultimate Space Efficiency

For new food production facilities, the Rack Clad Warehouse (庫架合一) offers the fastest ROI. Instead of building a steel warehouse structure and then installing racks inside, the racking system is the building’s skeleton. Roofs and wall panels (often insulated sandwich panels for cold storage) are attached directly to the rack uprights.

This approach saves on construction time and civil engineering costs. It allows for vertical storage up to 40 meters, maximizing the utility of expensive industrial land near urban distribution centers.

Veelgestelde vragen

Question	Answer
Can the system operate in -25°C deep freeze environments?	Yes. We use specialized low-temperature steel, cold-resistant cabling, and heated control cabinets for electronics. The motors are equipped with specific lubrication to prevent seizing in freezing conditions.
How do you handle pallets with “bagged” goods (sugar, flour) that bulge?	We implement a strict Profile Gauge check at the induction point. If a bag overhangs the pallet by more than 50mm, the system rejects it automatically, preventing jams inside the rack.
What happens if a juice or dairy carton leaks inside the rack?	The system design includes maintenance decking. Unlike a block-stacked warehouse where a spill at the bottom requires moving hundreds of pallets, our cranes can pinpoint and retrieve the specific pallet for cleanup, or maintenance personnel can access the specific level safely.
Can we integrate this with our ERP (e.g., SAP) for batch tracking?	Absolutely. The WMS acts as the execution arm of your ERP. When SAP requests a specific batch for production or shipping, our WCS (Warehouse Control System) directs the crane to that exact coordinate.
Is it suitable for “Ready-to-Eat” (RTE) clean room environments?	Yes. Automated systems are preferred in RTE zones because they minimize human presence, which is the primary vector for contamination. The equipment is compatible with standard sanitation protocols.