Swisslog, a provider of software, material handling, and services for distribution centers and warehouses, has introduced to the North American market its AutoStore order fulfillment and storage system.

Developed by the Norwegian firm Jacob Hattleland Logistics and distributed in North America by Swisslog, the system is a dense three-dimensional aluminum grid that can hold bins stacked as many as 16 high. Battery-operated robots, which use the top layer of the grid as rails, reach into the grid and retrieve the bins for delivery to pick stations. Swisslog says the goods-to-person system offers both storage density and pick efficiency for small cases and piece-picked items as well as residual product storage. Because bins are retrieved as needed and then returned to the grid after picks, the system naturally leads to fast-moving goods being located near the top of the grid.

The system is installed in 11 sites in Europe, the largest of which holds 34,000 bins and operates with 50 robots, says Marcus Schmidt, senior vice president and head of North America for Swisslog Logistics Inc.