AS/RS Stacker Crane

Overview

The AS/RS stacker crane is a single-mast automated storage and retrieval machine that runs the length of a high-bay warehouse aisle, storing and retrieving palletised unit loads from racking on both sides. It operates unmanned under a warehouse management system, addressing storage locations by aisle, column, and level. A single crane services one fixed aisle and is sized to the rack geometry, reaching 24 m of lift height in a 1400 mm aisle while holding ±3 mm positioning accuracy.

Construction

The machine is built around the Mast Column, a tall welded steel column tying a bottom beam to a top beam. The column rides the floor on the Travel Running Gear, whose flanged running wheels track a floor rail while guide rollers hold the carriage on line; the Top Guide reacts horizontal loads against an overhead rail to keep the mast plumb at full extension.

The Hoist Lift Carriage is a lift carriage raised along the mast by toothed belts and balanced by a counterweight to reduce hoist motor load. Mounted on the carriage, the Load Handling Device device carries telescopic fork arms that extend left or right into a rack lane, slide under the unit load, and draw it onto the platform.

Travel, lift, and fork motion share a common AC servo motor and reduction gearbox design across all three axes, simplifying spares.

How it works

The Control System system coordinates the three motion axes through dedicated servo drives, a failsafe safety PLC, and a laser position scanner that reads aisle and rack-location fiducials for closed-loop placement. Power reaches the moving crane through the Power Supply, where sliding carbon current collectors tap an insulated multi-pole busbar running the aisle. Signal and power to the travelling lift carriage are routed through the Energy Chain cable carrier. Aisle-entry light barriers and an emergency-stop circuit guard personnel during maintenance access.