Geek+ launches ‘ground-breaking’ four-way shuttle warehouse storage and picking solution

Geek+, the warehouse automation specialist, has launched its multilevel storage and retrieval system: Sky-Storage & Ground-Pick.

The solution uses Geek+’s X-series four-way shuttle robots to boost storage density while devoting the ground floor to picking operations entrusted to the flagship P800 robots.

On the upper levels of the warehouse, the four-way shuttles utilize every inch of vertical space for pallet storage and quick and flexible replenishment of the lower level. Below them, picking robots move shelves, pallets, and racks containing the most in-demand goods.

Businesses can easily add or remove robots from the system according to business fluctuations, seamlessly expanding storage to fit demand.

Existing infrastructure such as conveyor belts, robotic arms, or automatic lifts can be integrated into the system for receiving and/or distributing goods.

Kai Liu, Geek+ co-founder and VP of picking and smart warehouse, said: “When It comes to getting the most out of the warehouse space available, traditional warehousing systems are no longer up to the task.

With Sky-Storage & Ground-Pick, businesses have the solution to tackle challenges like labor shortages and increasing costs of warehouse space and deliver the level of service their customers expect.”

Geek+’s four-way shuttle solution completes the company’s comprehensive high density solution offering, following the launch of ultra-fast goods-to-person solution PopPick at the end of 2021 and the award-winning 8-meter tall micro-fulfillment solution RoboShuttle launched in first half of that year.

Kai Liu says: “Our R&D team is dedicated to providing the most effective solutions to retailers’ warehouse pain points.

“Our approach has been to study our goods-to-person installations worldwide and conduct in-depth discussions with customers to further innovate in the space and develop the products that can fit their more complex needs.

“Goods-to-person is just the tip of the iceberg for what AMRs can provide to warehouse logistics. Geek+ intends to continue to set the innovation pace in the industry.”

Compared with manual warehouses that use beam racks for storage and shipment, the four-way shuttle racks provides higher and denser storage spaces without compromising worker safety.

On the ground level, the P800 provides high-speed picking, and intelligent algorithms combined with quick full-pallet put-away improve the rationality of operations. Efficiency of both tote and piece picking is increased by 2-3 times.

The width of the four-way shuttle running main-aisle is only 1250mm for standard pallets (L 1,200 mm x W 1,000 mm), which is just 40 percent of the traditional forklift aisle.

Extending racks to the tops of the available space under the warehouse roof, Sky-Storage & Ground-Pick takes storage capacity to more than 5 times that of traditional warehouses.

Given that the solution is built upon the interaction of two flexible robots, it provides the ability to seamlessly connect different warehouse areas. Sophisticated artificial intelligence automatically manages and carries out replenishment and storage relocation.

Given its power to transform the largest warehouses into dense and highly efficient storage and distribution facilities, Sky-Storage & Ground-Pick is “an ideal solution” to automate operations in retail, third-party logistics (3PL), manufacturing, cold chain, and pharmaceutical distribution, among many other industries, according to Geek+.