These automated systems demand specialized containers / boxes designed to survive frequent robotic handling, conveyor travel, high-speed stacking, and tight tolerances. Off-the-shelf Euro or generic boxes often fail to meet those rigorous requirements. That’s where your AKL / ASRS container family will fill a strong niche.
Key Features & Design Requirements
When engineering containers for AKL / ASRS environments, several design criteria become non-negotiable:
- Precise dimensional tolerances so that boxes align reliably on shuttle rails, shelves, conveyors, and in rack systems.
- Smooth, consistent contact surfaces and corner radii to reduce wear and avoid catching in automated movements.
- Reinforced or ribbed bases, walls, and corners to resist fatigue from repeated stacking, acceleration, deceleration, and vibration.
- Low noise, quiet operation — quiet sliding and rolling help minimize mechanical stress and sensor interference.
- Stackable and nestable designs to maximize volumetric efficiency while maintaining rigidity.
- Material compatibility with automation: UV resistance, electrical neutrality (anti-static if needed), food/chemical safe if required.
- Labeling and sensor integration: clear label holders, barcode windows, RFID mount options, and sometimes conductive or anti-static surfaces.
- Footprint compatibility: many AKL systems accept multiple container footprints, but ISO, Euro, or custom sizes must align with the system’s mechanical modules.
- Heat, cold, contamination resilience: containers often run in ambient, cold storage, or dust-prone environments, so robust materials are critical.
Applications & Use Cases
Containers in this category are especially used in:
- Mini-load / shuttle systems: bins picked and moved by shuttles in dense racks for high throughput.
- S/R crane ASRS systems: where bins move up and down across aisles (e.g. miniload cranes)
- AutoStores and cube systems: where robots robotically retrieve containers and deliver them to work stations.
- Sortation & conveyor buffering: boxes travel along conveyors, chutes, and arms between modules.
- Intermediate buffer storage between phases in automated production or fulfillment flows.
- High-density part storage where floor space is limited and height must be exploited.
Because these boxes are part of a robotic, tightly controlled system, reliability and mechanical precision are essential. A single container failure in a rack system can stall an entire aisle.