AS/RS System with Stacker Cranes and Four-Way Shuttle Robots

As a leading pharmaceutical production and distribution enterprise serving East Asia, Europe, and Southeast Asia, the client faced critical operational barriers to scaling.
Traditional warehouses lacked sufficient storage density to support growing SKUs and batch-controlled pharmaceutical inventory. Manual picking processes were slow and error-prone, making it difficult to meet strict GMP and GSP traceability requirements. These limitations directly impacted order fulfillment speed, regulatory compliance, and global distribution efficiency.
To support long-term growth, the client required a high-density, fully automated AS/RS system capable of improving space utilization, operational efficiency, and batch traceability.

2. DELIECN’s Customized AS/RS Equipment Solution

Core System Configuration:

– 2 Double-Deep Pallet Stacker Cranes supporting an 8-level automated pallet racking system
– 14 Four-Way Tote Shuttle Robots operating within the 27-layer high-density racking structure
– Integrated Warehouse Management System (WMS), Warehouse Control System (WCS), and Equipment Control System (ECS)
– Shuttle racking infrastructure and auxiliary structural components
– RGV system, conveyor lines, and automatic palletizing/depalletizing equipment
This hybrid configuration allows simultaneous handling of full pallets and small pharmaceutical totes, optimizing both bulk storage and high-frequency order picking.

3. Operational Advantages

Maximized Vertical Space Utilization

By combining an 8-level pallet stacker crane system with a 27-level four-way shuttle racking system, the warehouse was transformed into a high-bay automated facility. The 27-level shuttle warehouse significantly increased cubic space utilization, enabling full use of building height without facility expansion.

High-Speed, High-Throughput Operations

The 2 double-deep pallet stacker cranes manage full-pallet inbound and outbound operations efficiently across 8 levels. Meanwhile, the 14 four-way tote shuttle robots operate simultaneously across the 27-level shuttle racking system, enabling multi-layer parallel operations and rapid tote retrieval.
Integrated with RGV and conveyor systems, the entire workflow from receiving to dispatch is fully automated, reducing labor dependency and improving processing speed.

GMP-Compliant Traceability

The integrated WMS/WCS/ECS system enables real-time inventory tracking, batch management, and automatic data logging. Every pallet and tote movement is digitally recorded, achieving 99.99% traceability accuracy and ensuring compliance with pharmaceutical regulations.

4. Project Impact

By deploying 2 double-deep pallet stacker cranes, an 8-level pallet AS/RS system, a 27-level four-way shuttle warehouse, and 14 four-way shuttle robots, the client achieved:

– Dramatically improved storage density
– High-speed automated operations
– Full regulatory traceability
– Scalable, modular expansion capability
– Long-term cost-efficient automation

The project successfully established a future-ready pharmaceutical automated warehouse system designed for sustainable growth.