Analysis on the application principle, advantages and development trend of aisle stacker in automated warehouse

1. Application principle: "core porter" of automated stereoscopic warehouse

The aisle stacker is the key equipment responsible for the storage and handling of goods in the automated stereoscopic warehouse (AS/RS). Its working principle is based on the three-dimensional motion system of track operation + vertical lifting + fork extension:

1. Horizontal movement: through the track laid along the warehouse aisle, it is positioned to the column where the target cargo position is located;

2. Vertical movement: through the lifting mechanism, it moves in the direction of the shelf height and is positioned to the layer where the target cargo position is located;

3. Fork extension: The cargo is stored in or out of the cargo position through the fork mechanism, and the cargo is completed in and out of the warehouse process with the conveying system.

In addition, the stacker achieves precise positioning through WMS (warehouse management system) instructions and sensors (such as photoelectric sensors, encoders), and combines RFID, barcode recognition and other technologies to complete the automatic matching of cargo information, forming a closed-loop control of "instruction-execution-feedback".

2. Core advantages: efficient, accurate and flexible storage "engine"

1. Maximize space utilization

◦ The aisle stacker can adapt to high-rise shelves (height can reach more than 40 meters). Through the narrow aisle design (the aisle width is only 0.5-1 meters wider than the equipment), it reduces more than 50% of space waste compared to traditional warehouses, especially suitable for scenarios with high land costs (such as e-commerce logistics centers).

2. Significantly improved operating efficiency

◦ The stacker can run at a speed of 120-300 meters/minute, and the vertical lifting speed can reach 20-50 meters/minute. With the high-speed fork (retraction speed 10-30 meters/minute), a single device can complete 50-100 in and out of the warehouse operations per hour, which is 5-10 times the efficiency of manual labor.

3. High positioning accuracy and reliability

◦ Using technologies such as laser ranging and barcode addressing, the positioning error can be controlled within ±5 mm to avoid collision or misplacement of goods; at the same time, the equipment has fault self-detection functions (such as overload protection and emergency stop button) to ensure 7×24 hours of continuous operation.

4. Flexible adaptation to multiple scene requirements

◦ Different types of stackers can be customized according to the weight and size of the goods:

◦ Single-column stacker: suitable for light-load scenes (load ≤ 1 ton), with a light structure;

◦ Double-column stacker: suitable for heavy-load scenes (load ≥ 1 ton), with strong stability;

◦ Picking stacker: equipped with a platform and a personnel operating table for the disassembly and picking of small goods.

5. Deep integration with intelligent systems

◦ It can seamlessly connect to enterprise management systems such as ERP and MES, and realize the coordinated scheduling of multiple stackers through WCS (warehouse control system), optimize cargo space allocation and path planning, and reduce invalid movement.

3. Development trend: Intelligent, green and flexible technology upgrades

1. Intelligence: AI drives efficiency leap

◦ Intelligent scheduling algorithm: Introduce machine learning to optimize stacker task allocation, such as multi-machine collaborative scheduling based on genetic algorithms to reduce waiting time;

◦ Autonomous decision-making ability: Combine visual recognition technology (such as 3D cameras) to achieve cargo size detection, abnormal state warning, and reduce the frequency of manual intervention

Zita Jian 

25th, June 2025