RISING SPACE costs, complex brownfield situations and the need for greater storage density are driving demand for automated pallet warehouses. Four-way shuttle systems, such as the Movu Atlas, store and retrieve pallets multi-deep, making them one of the most sought-after technologies for high-density warehouses.

"We are seeing sharply growing demand for high-density shuttle solutions, especially in sectors such as food and beverage, cold-chain logistics and 3PL," said Tobias Harzer, chief automation officer at Jungheinrich.

Expediting commissioning times

Reflecting this, and with the aim of jointly realising highly automated pallet warehouse solutions for customers faster and more efficiently, Jungheinrich and Movu Robotics have recently agreed a strategic partnership.

Moving forward, Jungheinrich will be preferred integrator for Movu’s shuttle systems, while Movu becomes the preferred supplier for Jungheinrich. "Customers today no longer expect individual automation components, but seamless automation solutions. Together, we combine shuttle technology, software, integration and service into an overall system that fits seamlessly into existing warehouse structures," Harzer explained. 

Movu’s four-way shuttles will be integrated directly into the Jungheinrich WMS and software ecosystem, which centrally manages inventory and optimises storage and retrieval. Standardised software interfaces shorten commissioning and connection to existing systems, while joint solution design improves and speeds up quotation. Coordinated service processes also ensure reliable operation throughout the entire life cycle.

Customers benefit from a seamless automated material flow, from goods-in through the shuttle warehouse to dispatch. Shuttle systems, conveyor technology and mobile robots are orchestrated through an integrated Jungheinrich software stack providing full visibility, reduced complexity and a scalable foundation for future growth.

Almere project to house 11,500 pallet locations

Movu shuttle systems are already in use at more than 200 warehouses, including numerous Jungheinrich customer projects across Europe and North America. At Coppenrath and Wiese, for example, an automated warehouse for packaging materials is currently under construction, bringing previously decentralised storage capacities together in a single central facility.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Mascot online in Almere is building an automated pallet warehouse with around 11,500 pallet locations. Ten Movu four-way shuttles will ensure high storage density and fast provision of materials at the facility. The warehouse supports the growth of a rapidly expanding retail company and forms the basis for the further expansion of its logistics processes.

"Four-way shuttle systems increasingly combine high-density storage with other functionalities like replenishing picking processes and sequencing goods for dispatch just in time, all within the same footprint," said Noë van Bergen, CSO of Movu Robotics. "With this strategic partnership, we make high-density automated warehousing easier to implement, more flexible to design and more scalable for future growth," he added. 

For more information: 

www.movu-robotics.com