AS/RS Buffer Systems

Elevate Your Warehousing Operations with an AS/RS Buffer System

Leveraging technology in the largest of warehouses, the MWES Automatic Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) buffer system is designed to provide efficiencies for the demands of a production environment. The benefits go beyond just being a storage system, it can also become a highly efficient hub for managing the manufacturing process.

With its automated material storage and retrieval processes, the MWES AS/RS buffer system can save valuable manufacturing time and reduce production errors. The AS/RS system can store materials in not only an efficient manner but also allows for production environments to quickly manage materials as needed. The system does this by cataloging materials and their locations by how they integrate into the production process. This material storage and monitoring capabilities offer several advantages.

Having both the tooling and materials in the same location and an overarching management system to run it, the system can become a central hub for the factory. Receiving earmark materials upon arrival for certain jobs and sending them to be immediately added to the AS/RS system. The MWES system can manage its location and retrieve it at the touch of a button. The AS/RS system can be the go-to point to verify whether these materials are in-house and ready for production.

Additionally, the AS/RS operation is relatively easy to follow. An operator delivers a pallet of material to be stored in the infeed system. Then the operator selects the storage function on the HMI. From here the process is entirely automated.

The AS/RS system takes into account the height of the material and determines the best location in the racking to store the material. It then summons the shuttle to pick up the material and transport it to the selected location. The retrieval operation is the reverse of storage. No need for operator input after the AS/RS picks the material.

What the AS/RS Can Do For Your Process

The MWES AS/RS Buffer system allows for the collation and management of asynchronous production processes. Inventory rooms can produce product-specific kitting on a schedule that’s more conducive to their efficiency and load them into the AS/RS system when done.

These kits can be retrieved with the rest of the components needed for a specific production run. Allowing the AS/RS system to manage these kits’ locations and when they’re called, can reduce routing confusion on the floor when building products that have high part commonalities.

Our production-focused storage systems are designed from the start to fit into legacy production facilities. With its scale and operation, our AS/RS system can change how you think about not just warehousing, but production processes – and increase your throughput along the way.

The AS/RS system can be set up for operating on multiple in-and-out materials, not just consumable items. This makes it quite useful for storing fixtures and tooling for jobs in the same place as the materials and WIP needed to complete the production process.

Work in progress can be re-admitted to the system and re-combined with different tooling and fixtures necessary for the next step in the production process. The combined group would then be ready for the next process. Having virtually every aspect necessary to complete a job in the same location and easily retrievable, allows even greater efficiencies beyond saving floor space.

What Else can the AS/RS Buffer System do

If your business is looking to free up floor space in your facility then look no further than an AS/RS buffer system. MWES has extensive experience integrating automation systems including Automatic Storage and Retrieval Systems. Contact us today and speak with one of our application engineers and see how we can help your process.