This year’s LogiMAT kicked off on Tuesday, and automation company KNAPP’s AeroBot system won the ”Best Product” award. With the AeroBot automated storage and retrieval system, KNAPP’s portfolio of ASRS (Automated Storage and Retrieval System) technology is expanded to include a system with very high storage density.
– The AeroBot system is yet another milestone in our long line of innovations. As with all other developments, AeroBot is the result of general market trends and our customers’ needs. Right now, solutions that provide an easier entry point into automation and are flexible enough to quickly adapt to market conditions are in high demand. It’s important to address these needs with a comprehensive concept rather than with isolated technologies. That has been our main focus at KNAPP in recent years, and we now have the broadest portfolio of technologies on the market. “The AeroBot system complements our portfolio and, with its compact design, offers revolutionary storage density and outstanding cost-effectiveness for small and medium-sized applications,” says KNAPP CEO Gerald Hofer.
KNAPP is one of the market leaders in highly dynamic automated storage and retrieval systems that combine shuttle solutions with robotics and pocket systems. With the new AeroBot system, the company is now filling a unique niche at the intersection of ASRS technology and standard heights. AeroBot is characterized by simplicity, all the way from smart system design to installation and service. Standard components make installation easy and commissioning fast. Thanks to their intelligent LIDAR technology, AeroBot robots navigate independently throughout the entire system and in all three dimensions, without relying on guide lines. They move both lengthwise and crosswise along the floor—even under the racking—to find the most efficient path. And thanks to innovative friction technology, the robots can also move vertically on the racking, resulting in a very high degree of scalability.
The racking in the AeroBot system allows for different heights within the same system, enabling optimal use of all available space. The system’s low space requirements and flexible racking design options make it easy to integrate AeroBot into both new and existing systems. The racking can be customized to fit any space, providing maximum space utilization and—together with multi-depth storage—an extremely high storage density, while safely handling containers and trays weighing up to 35 kg (77 lb) safely. With AeroBot’s flexibility, you can easily store cartons, existing storage bins, packaged products, and bulk goods together in a single system. AeroBot robots operate autonomously, with each robot having access to all parts of the system, ensuring high availability and reliable operation.
