Industrial Automation Magazine India

Understanding why careful planning is always the first step in optimizing temperature-controlled infrastructure.

Singapore and Dubai/UAE and Riyadh/Saudi Arabia, January 2, 2024 – As average global temperatures rise and the demand for cold-chain storage grows worldwide, SSI Schaefer, a global leader in intralogistics and automated warehouses, is sharing best practices and key considerations on how logistics and operations managers can optimise efficiency and cost-effectiveness of cold storage warehouses.

Cold storage warehouse managers – particularly in the food and beverage industries, but also pharmaceutical distribution – are facing the need to efficiently and effectively store, pick, retrieve, pack, and ship perishable and sensitive goods, which require special handling, monitoring, and carefully tuned environmental conditions. Yet they face additional challenges – the cold-chain storage market is expanding, with some reports projecting a CAGR of 9% from 2023 to 2028, meaning that warehouse managers must balance surging demand for cold-stored goods with the increasing need to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

"What we are seeing for refrigerated supply chains is this pinch – a need to do ever more with ever less," notes Carsten Spiegelberg, Managing Director – Middle East & Africa, SSI Schaefer. "To meet the growing complexities of the industry, it's not enough to find a quick fix. Companies need material flow experts with industry know-how to consider all angles of a facility and seamlessly blend cold-chain logistics solutions with individual processes."

Careful planning is always the first step in optimizing temperature-controlled infrastructure. To increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness of cold storage warehouses, there are several factors to consider from the beginning.

Compared to a static, manual pallet rack system, a mobile racking storage system is an effective way to boost storage capacity in a given space – by up to 85%, while maintaining full selectivity typically required in distribution centers. This system involves racks that move along floor rails via electric motors to create an aisle only where needed, and it offers smart lighting that only activates in occupied aisles for reducing energy consumption, as well as a night parking option that optimises rack spacing for maximal cold air circulation.

Automated storage & retrieval systems (ASRSs): The SSI Exyz is an automated high-density storage system with extremely high space utilization, particularly in high-bay warehouses, and it saves 25% of energy compared to conventional machines while functioning across different temperatures.

Shuttle solutions: As a future-proof, fully automated channel storage option, the SSI Lift & Run Shuttle System (SLR) provides simultaneous access to multiple racks for top-tier performance and high storage density.

For further information: https://www.ssi-schaefer.com/en-sg

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