Warehouse automation (MHE)
Material handling equipment (MHE) is the machinery that stores, moves and sorts goods so that people walk less. The terms fall into four groups: storage machines (vertical lift modules, carousels, AS/RS, mini-load, shuttle and cube systems), mobile robots and vehicles (AMR, AGV, goods-to-person), conveying and sorting (conveyors and sorters), and technologies that guide and identify the work (pick-to-light, put-to-light, voice picking and RFID).
Most of them reverse the usual arrangement: the goods come to the worker instead of the worker going to the goods. The software that drives the machines, the WCS and the WES, is described under Systems and integration.
Terms in this topic
AS/RS — automated storage and retrieval system
AS/RS explained simply: machines that put goods into storage and fetch them again by themselves, with nobody on board. When it pays off.
Automated guided vehicle — AGV
Automated guided vehicle explained simply: a driverless vehicle that carries goods along a set route. When it pays off, with an example.
Autonomous mobile robot — AMR
Autonomous mobile robot explained simply: a wheeled robot that finds its own way around people and obstacles. When it pays off, with an example.
Conveyor
Conveyor explained simply: a belt, roller track or chain that carries cartons, bins or pallets by itself. When it pays off, with an example.
Cube storage — grid storage
Cube storage explained simply: bins stacked in a grid with robots on top that fetch them for a picker. When it pays off, with an example.
Goods-to-person — G2P
Goods-to-person explained simply: the stock is brought to the picker at a station instead of the picker walking to it. When it pays off.
Horizontal carousel
Horizontal carousel explained simply: a low oval loop of bins turns until the one you need stops in front of you. When it pays off, with an example.
Mini-load — automated bin storage
Mini-load explained simply: a narrow crane in a tall rack fetches bins and trays and brings them to a pick station. When it pays off, with an example.
Pallet AS/RS — automated pallet storage
Pallet AS/RS explained simply: cranes in narrow aisles store and fetch pallets up to the roof without drivers. When it pays off, with an example.
Pick-to-light
Pick-to-light explained simply: lights at each shelf location show the picker where to pick and how many. Where it pays off, with an example.
Put-to-light
Put-to-light explained simply: a light at each slot shows where an item goes when a batch is sorted into orders. When it pays off, with an example.
RFID — radio-frequency identification
RFID explained simply: a small tag answers a radio signal with its code, so goods can be read without seeing them. When it pays off, with an example.
Shuttle system
Shuttle system explained simply: small vehicles run on every level of a rack and bring bins or pallets to a lift. When it pays off, with an example.
Sorter — automated sortation system
Sorter explained simply: a machine that reads each parcel's label and sends it to the right lane by itself. When it pays off, with an example.
Vertical carousel
Vertical carousel explained simply: shelves on a loop inside a tall cabinet turn until the one you need reaches you. When it pays off, with an example.
Vertical lift module — VLM
Vertical lift module explained simply: a tall enclosed cabinet that brings the tray you need to an opening. When it pays off, with an example.
Voice picking
Voice picking explained simply: a headset tells the picker where to go and how many to take, hands and eyes stay free. When it pays off.
Also relevant to this topic
Warehouse execution system — WES
Warehouse execution system explained simply: software that decides minute by minute what each machine and station does next. When it pays off.
WCS — Warehouse Control System
WCS meaning: a warehouse control system is the real-time software that runs conveyors, sorters and other warehouse automation on instructions from the WMS.
Other topics
- Inventory and stock controlKnowing what you hold and where: SKUs, lots, stock takes, safety stock.23 terms
- Inbound: receiving and putawayFrom dock to shelf: receiving, putaway, slotting and cross-docking.6 terms
- Outbound: picking, packing and shippingFrom order to carrier: picking methods, packing, cut-off times, despatch.17 terms
- Systems and integrationWMS, OMS, WCS, WES, EDI and how warehouse software connects.10 terms
- Retail and supply-chain standardsGS1 identifiers, barcodes and the messages trading partners exchange.9 terms
- Metrics and KPIsThe numbers that show how stock and warehouse work are performing.5 terms
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Two questions about your own operation
How many of your articles sit in a pick location they empty less than once a month?
Part one: Laying out a warehouse does not start with the racking
After your last integration, how many systems hold a stock quantity for the same item? Name them.