Design of an AS/RS machine for storage and extraction of items in a warehouse using Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

Abstract

The globalization of markets and high competitiveness impose new challenges every day on companies that develop their activities in the field of logistics, e-commerce, service, and product distribution. The implementation of automated systems becomes relevant when the objective is to increase productivity, efficiency and reduce costs associated with handling, picking and overhead. The AS / RS systems (i.e., Automated Storage and Retrieval System) are automated machines able to move in the 3 coordinate axes (x, y, z), which are responsible for arranging the items in large warehouses generating a decrease in time delivery and storage. The aim of the article is to show the design of a prototype of an AS / RS (CAD) machine based on Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to verify the behavior before static loads according to Von Misses criteria and to guarantee the appropriate administration, storage, and extraction of each item in the warehouse, respectively. Also, it shows the use of the selection matrix that facilitates the interaction with the articles and executes the primary functions according to customer requirements. The result of this research shows the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of these systems for companies that manage high volumes of storage, limited physical space and that require an appropriate management of the elements through the help of an easy-to-implement human-machine interface (HMI) that has control over open loop.