News

Posted On: 10/05/2009

AS/RS industry group releases fall 2009 quarterly report

Material Handling Industry of America

The Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) Industry Group of Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) has released it's fall 2009 quarterly report titled Automated Storage Systems Make a Play for Sustainability. The report asserts that automated storage is at the forefront of minimizing energy consumption, reducing carbon footprints and making the overall supply chain more green.

Whether you’re talking about a multi-aisle AS/RS, a horizontal or vertical carousel, or a vertical lift module (VLM), these systems, by their very nature, minimize the size of a facility’s overall footprint as well as its carbon footprint. Automated storage makes better use of vertical space in facilities. That allows storage of the same number of units in a smaller footprint that requires less concrete, reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

In food storage applications, for example, automated storage systems reduce the square footage that needs to be refrigerated. Taller storage systems save up to 30% in cooling costs for refrigerated warehouses.

Automated warehouses also require less lighting, which further reduces energy consumption. And in closed-loop environments, reusable plastic totes and pallets in automated storage systems help reduce the amount of transport packaging that wind up in landfills.

To view the complete report, visit http://www.mhia.org/subwebs/emails/images/asrsqrfall2009.pdf.