Vertical Lift Module

A vertical lift module is an enclosed automated storage machine built around a tall column of trays stacked one above another, with a mechanical inserter and extractor that runs up and down the column, pulls the tray holding a requested item, and delivers it to an access window at a comfortable working height for the operator standing in front of the machine, rather than requiring anyone to walk into the storage area itself. Because the machine tracks which tray holds which item and brings that exact tray to the worker on request, it can pack far more storage into a given floor footprint than open shelving, since no aisle has to be left wide enough for a person or a forklift to travel down, and the enclosed housing also keeps stored parts free of dust and out of casual reach. The technology is common in facilities that stock a very large number of distinct small parts against a comparatively low pick rate for any one of them, such as tool cribs, spare parts stores, and small component kitting operations, where floor space is the more expensive resource.