AutoStore unveils R5+ robot for handling larger containers
AutoStore has announced the new R5+ robot. The latest addition to the AutoStore fleet has a taller profile and is designed to work with deeper bins of up to 425 mm. This new dimension is the largest bin size available in the AutoStore system.
With the R5+ robot, the company's customers can now store larger items in the AutoStore grid. Until now, this was a premium feature available only when installing AutoStore B1 robots. The R5+ is now available for deployment worldwide.
The maximum grid height for AutoStore customers using the R5+ with 425 mm bins will be slightly higher than that of an R5 grid with 330 mm bins, creating a grid of 14 cell layers, about 6044 mm high.
“Sometimes the simplest solutions bring the biggest transformation. We continue to innovate to help retailers improve the customer service they offer. If there is one thing we have observed over the last two years, it is that retail, especially in e-commerce, has evolved, demanding accuracy and speed. We aim to support our customers so they become even more competitive in high-throughput applications”
The R5+ will continue to provide the fast and reliable service for which the AutoStore system is known, allowing customers to benefit from a solution capable of operating continuously.
"The R5+ gives customers the same confidence and first-class performance that the R5 has proven over more than ten years, with a significant addition. AutoStore now offers a more economically competitive proposition for companies operating in a broader range of markets, such as footwear manufacturing, semiconductors and other similar applications," the company said.
AutoStore's revenue in the third quarter of 2021 was $84.7 million. It grew 95% compared with $43.4 million in the third quarter of 2020. In April 2021, SoftBank acquired a 40% stake in AutoStore for $2.8 billion.
The company is reimagining the customer experience in the following industries:
- Grocery. Every customer seeks out and stays loyal to a brand that offers a great experience. Automating operations and warehousing enables efficient online services and lets stores focus on delivering quality in-store service.
- Retail. The rapid growth of e-commerce opens many great opportunities, but demand is unpredictable and hard to keep up with. The system scales up or down easily so you can keep pace with shopping trends.
- Third-party logistics (3PL). The last thing you need is to see customers look for alternatives. Warehouse automation strengthens service offerings, enabling greater data transparency and lower labor costs.
- Industry. If you manage inventory of expensive goods and high-demand equipment, it may take just one failed delivery to cut profits and undermine customer loyalty.
- Healthcare. Timely delivery is always a top priority, but especially so in healthcare. The company's compact solutions can reduce dependence on international trade routes and provide greater control to prevent losses or errors.
Founded in 1996, AutoStore is a warehouse robotics technology company that invented and remains a pioneer in cube storage automation, the densest order fulfillment solution available. The company's goal is to combine software and hardware with human capabilities to create the warehouse of the future.
AutoStore robots tirelessly drive, retrieve, sort and deliver containers to workstations. Working in large or small teams around the world, each robot is controlled independently so there is no single point of failure.
Among more than 750 systems worldwide, no two are alike. Each AutoStore is designed around the customer's operations and fully modeled for real operational tasks and requirements.
Advantages of the AutoStore system:
- AutoStore is the fastest order fulfillment system per square meter in the world.
- AutoStore is designed for easy system expansion. Capacity can be increased without stopping operations or facing downtime.
- The modular design, like building blocks, allows you to build any shape or height you need.
- AutoStore reduces storage space, freeing room to expand services and products. You can gain visibility into your operations and improve customer service.
- Unmatched uptime (99.6%) and no single point of failure mean customers have constant access to inventory, supporting 24/7 operations.
- Environmental benefits are unmatched, and energy is not wasted. Ten robots consume as much energy as a vacuum cleaner.
AutoStore is a global company with more than 750 systems in over 40 countries across a wide range of industries. All sales are distributed, designed, installed and serviced by a network of qualified system integrators.
The company's headquarters are in Nedre Vats (Norway), with offices in Oslo (Norway), the USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, South Korea and Japan.
