Shuttle System
Automated storage solution for boxes and trays using high-performance autonomous shuttles to maximise warehouse capacity and accelerate order picking.
The product
Warehouse Shuttle System: advanced automation for high-throughput order picking
The Shuttle System is a high-density solution designed to automate tote and tray storage using a fleet of high-performance, precision electric shuttles. The operational flexibility of these shuttles — working simultaneously and moving between levels — ensures a continuous flow of goods from the racks to pick stations. The result is significantly streamlined inbound and outbound movements and faster order fulfilment.
Mecalux’s Shuttle System also maximises available space to boost storage capacity. It is the ideal solution for companies across multiple industries managing a wide range of small- and medium-sized products with high daily order volumes.
Advantages of the Shuttle System
- High performance: The speed of the shuttles and box lifts keeps goods moving quickly and efficiently, raising overall warehouse productivity.
- Space optimisation: The compact racking structure, which can accommodate up to three containers deep, increases storage density. This makes full use of available space both horizontally and vertically, boosting warehouse capacity.
- Maximum efficiency: The goods-to-person strategy simplifies and accelerates order picking by automating the flow of products from the racking to pick stations. This approach minimises both operator travel and picking errors.
- Operational versatility: The shuttles move between levels and are dynamically assigned where needed based on workload. This flexibility significantly reduces initial investment compared to systems that require one shuttle per level.
- Scalability: The system’s modular design makes it future-ready. It allows for easy expansion in height, length, number of aisles and shuttle fleet, adapting to business growth and changing operational needs.
- Intelligent operation: The Shuttle System integrates with Easy WMS, Mecalux’s robust warehouse management system. This software acts as the control centre, optimising location allocation and task sequencing to improve performance and provide full, real-time inventory traceability.
- Easy maintenance: Access to work zones covering multiple storage levels simplifies maintenance tasks and supports system availability, allowing continued operation in other areas.
- End-to-end solution: Mecalux designs, manufactures, installs and commissions all Shuttle System components. These include the racking, shuttles, lifts, conveyors and warehouse management system (Easy WMS).
We’re very pleased with the performance of Mecalux’s Shuttle System. It’s increased our productivity in storing, picking and shipping spare parts.
Shuttle System Applications
High-throughput picking solution for warehouses handling fast-moving cartons and bins
Mecalux’s Shuttle System optimises space utilisation and enhances order picking performance. It is designed to meet the needs of companies across a wide range of industries that handle a large number of small SKUs and process high daily order volumes.
E-commerce warehouses and facilities with a wide variety of SKUs
The system speeds up picking operations for e-commerce retailers and other businesses handling large product assortments and high daily shipping volumes.
Pharmaceutical warehouses
It is well suited to the storage and order picking needs of pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies.
Spare parts and components warehouses
Optimises goods handling in facilities that manage spare parts, components and other high-turnover small items.
Sorter replenishment
Ensures continuous replenishment of sorters, enabling high-volume order processing.
Warehouse Shuttle System operation
Versatile performance for uninterrupted, error-free order picking
The Shuttle System is a high-throughput solution designed to automate box storage and ensure a continuous flow of goods to picking stations. Its multi-level configuration enables the simultaneous, coordinated operation of the shuttle fleet, increasing warehouse throughput and order picking efficiency.
Bin retrieval
Easy WMS assigns a shuttle from the fleet to retrieve a bin. Next, the shuttle travels along the rails to the designated location. The telescopic arms then remove the required bin from the racking and place it onto the shuttle’s cradle. If needed, the shuttle can repeat the operation to retrieve a second bin.
Shuttle level change
If the required bin is located on a level without an available shuttle, Easy WMS assigns the task to a shuttle operating on another level. The selected shuttle moves to the front of the aisle and transfers onto a lift, which carries it to the required level.
Transfer of bins to the lift
After retrieving the required bins, the shuttle moves to the front of the aisle and places them onto a roller conveyor. From there, they are transferred to the outbound lift, which lowers them to ground level.
Bin transfer via conveyors
At ground level, the lift transfers the retrieved bins onto the conveyor system, which carries them to the appropriate pick station.
Arrival of bins at pick stations
At the picking station, the operator retrieves the required items from the bins. The bins are then returned to the conveyor system and sent to another station or back to the racking.
Case studies
Manitou Group automates its spare parts warehouse
Manitou Group, a manufacturer of materials handling, lifting and earthmoving equipment, has automated its facility in France. The company has installed the Mecalux Shuttle System to manage small products and two high-performance pick stations. Read more
Normon handles up to one million medications daily with Mecalux technologies
The Spanish pharmaceutical company Normon has automated its distribution centre with Mecalux storage solutions. Three automated systems accelerate the picking and shipment of one million medications per day. Read more
Shuttle System components
Mecalux designs and manufactures all Shuttle System components in-house, from the shuttles and racking through to the lifts, conveyors and picking stations.
The warehouse Shuttle System comprises high-bay, high-density racking with one or more aisles. Shuttles travel along rails installed at each storage level to deposit and retrieve containers from their locations.
Shuttles are high-performance, compact motorised units that travel along rails at various storage levels. They are tasked with loading and retrieving containers and trays from the racking using high-precision telescopic arms.
A platform located behind the racking provides quick and safe access to inner aisles via raised walkways, facilitating multiple maintenance tasks.
High-density racking
The Shuttle System utilises compact racking, designed to optimise space utilisation and maximise warehouse capacity. The storage lanes can accommodate up to three containers in depth.
Shuttle vehicles
Shuttles are the system’s core component. They travel at speeds of up to 4 m/s and can move between levels, storing and removing containers and trays autonomously and with absolute precision.
Box lifts
These are used to transfer containers between the floor level of each aisle and the upper levels. At least two lifts are installed per aisle: one inbound and one outbound. Each can transport up to two bins simultaneously.
Shuttle lifts
Located at the front end of each aisle, these move shuttles between levels to meet the system’s operational requirements. One lift is installed per aisle.
Rails
Each storage level is equipped with a pair of parallel horizontal rails along which the shuttles travel down the aisle.
Box conveyors
A conveyor system connects the box lifts — located at the entry and exit points of each aisle — with the pick stations. This setup ensures a continuous, automated flow of goods to order fulfilment areas.
Telescopic arms
Shuttles are equipped with a telescopic arm system for load handling. This enables them to move bins efficiently during storage and retrieval operations.
Drive wheels
Each shuttle is equipped with four drive wheels that ensure consistent travel along the rails.
Guide wheels
Guide wheels are located at the corners and below the drive wheels. They provide longitudinal guidance to ensure the shuttle moves safely and smoothly.
Maintenance platform
Set up behind the racking, this structure allows easy access to the various aisles and storage levels. It ensures maintenance tasks are carried out safely.
Maintenance walkways
These walkable paths are installed at different heights within each aisle to provide maintenance personnel with safe access to the shuttles and racking.
Safety enclosure
Metal fencing that marks off the perimeter of the racking block, restricting access to the operational area of the shuttles and lifts.
Catalogues
High-Performance Pick Station
Ergonomics, efficiency and productivity for filling multiple orders at once
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Pick stations
Workstations for order picking tailored to the needs of each Shuttle System
Mecalux offers a range of solutions for designing pick stations that integrate seamlessly with the Shuttle System. They adapt to available space, required throughput and product characteristics. Compatible with multiple picking methods, these Mecalux workstations speed up order picking and improve overall warehouse efficiency and performance.
Standard pick stations
Suitable for every Shuttle System, these solutions support all types of picking methods (discrete, wave, batch, etc.). Stations can be configured in different ways to serve various scenarios, such as picking from racking, carts or conveyors; using light-guided systems (pick-to-light, put-to-light, etc.); or carrying out specific tasks like kitting and picking directly from pallets. An efficient choice for medium-throughput operations.
High-performance pick stations
These ergonomic picking stations streamline product handling and improve operator working conditions. They help increase order picking capacity by boosting workforce productivity in the warehouse. The compact structures are designed on two levels. Bins containing products arrive on the upper level from the racking, while the lower level holds the boxes into which the operator places the picked items. These workstations maximise the performance of the Shuttle System by enabling operators to fill up to six orders at once in an ergonomic work environment. A high-throughput solution delivering maximum picks per hour.
Robotic pick stations
These autonomous workstations are operated by high-precision, highly versatile collaborative robots (cobots). They pick items from bins supplied by the Shuttle System and then place them into order boxes. The use of cobots maximises the level of automation in order picking, ensuring uninterrupted workflows that drive warehouse productivity. A high-performance solution for handling lightweight products with consistent, well-defined shapes.
FAQs
The Shuttle System is a high-density automated storage solution designed for boxes, bins, containers and trays. It optimises order picking operations in warehouses that handle fast-moving products. The system is based on a fleet of high-performance autonomous shuttles that travel along aisles and between racking levels to store and retrieve loads. The speed and operational flexibility of these shuttles significantly streamline inbound and outbound box flows, accelerating order picking and boosting warehouse productivity.
The main difference between these two automated storage solutions for boxes lies in their operational capacity. In a miniload automated warehouse, a single stacker crane serves all storage levels within each aisle. Shuttle Systems, in contrast, use a fleet of high-performance shuttles operating simultaneously across different rack levels within the same aisle. This feature considerably increases container throughput and enhances overall warehouse performance compared to miniload systems.
Mecalux’s automated bin storage system shuttles are designed to handle boxes and trays measuring 400 x600 mm or 400 x 400 mm, in various heights. Each shuttle can transport up to two unit loads at a time, each with a maximum weight of 50 kg.
Shuttle System racking can accommodate any product that fits inside a 400 x 600 mm or 400 x 400 mm bin and complies with the maximum load capacity per container (up to 50 kg). This makes the system ideal for businesses handling a wide range of small- and medium-sized SKUs, including e-commerce retailers, pharmaceutical companies and spare parts suppliers.
The shuttle’s maximum speed is 4 m/s unloaded and 3 m/s loaded.
Both the shuttles and the box lifts can carry up to two containers simultaneously, with a maximum unit weight of 50 kg per box.
The Shuttle System integrates with Easy WMS, the warehouse management system developed by Mecalux. Easy WMS oversees operations through advanced capabilities, including intelligent slotting, task sequencing, operator guidance at picking stations, real-time inventory traceability and workflow control for shuttle operations.
The Shuttle System is also compatible with third-party software solutions, enabling integration into facilities that use other systems.
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