Automated Pallet Storage & Retrieval
High-density automated systems for storing and retrieving pallets using pallet shuttles or stacker cranes. They optimize warehouse space, improve throughput, and support accurate, efficient operations tailored to operational needs.
As warehouses come under pressure to store more within the same footprint, handle pallets faster, and reduce dependence on forklift operators moving through aisles, automated pallet storage becomes a practical answer rather than a luxury.
SPAN offers two primary architectures for this — Pallet ShuttleSystems and Stacker Crane AS/RS — which solve the same core problem through different means and suit different operational profiles as a result.
Pallet Shuttle Systems use independent carrier vehicles that travel within the racking lanes to load and retrieve pallets, eliminating the need for forklifts to enter the rack. SPAN deploys multi-level shuttle systems, where each level operates its own carrier, allowing simultaneous activity across the full height of the structure. This makes them well suited to deep-lane, high-density storage with limited SKU variety — cold stores, bulk buffer zones, and FMCG operations where large quantities of the same product need to move quickly. The system scales by adding carriers rather than rebuilding infrastructure.
Stacker Crane AS/RS takes a different approach: a machine running on a fixed rail within a dedicated aisle handles all storage and retrieval automatically. Each pallet has a defined location, making this architecture a strong fit for operations with higher SKU variety where individual pallet selectivity matters as much as density. Stacker crane systems also perform well in very tall warehouses and environments requiring controlled access or strict stock rotation.
The right choice between them depends on SKU count, access frequency, building constraints, and throughput requirements. SPAN works through these parameters with each customer before recommending an architecture, since getting that decision right shapes everything else downstream.
