Modula, an automated storage systems maker and a business unit of System Logistics, announced plans to shift development of its vertical lift module (VLM) line from a factory in Italy to its American headquarters in Lewiston, Maine.

At the ProMat trade show in Chicago, the company unveiled a $6 million manufacturing upgrade to its Maine facility that will allow it to build products such as the Sintes 1.7 VLM and the Modula OneTon VLM domestically, said Modula marketing coordinator Ashley Edgecomb.

The on-shore version of the OneTon model will be available in June 2015, featuring a load capacity of 990 kg net per tray, automated storage for heavy items, reduced storage floor requirements, and improved ergonomics. The company builds models designed for pharmaceutical, health-care, and military organizations as well as heavy-duty 24/7 operations in the automotive and energy sectors.