FAQ

Vertical carousel

Vertical Lift Module

A Vertical Lift Module is constructed with a lift in the center of the construction, that has trays both in front and behind it. The lift moves up and down in a shaft as it collects trays and presents them in the vertical lift’s opening.

Compared to the VLM, a vertical carousel has a construction where carriers are driven by a rotating chain rather than a lift in the centre of the construction

A Vertical Lift Module is a great alternative if you have a wide variety of items, in different sizes, and you want to save space. The trays in a VLM are automatically adjusted to the varying goods heights. A Vertical Lift Module can also be a very efficient picking solution if you buy 3 or more. Vertical storage lifts are also the only option if you want to have more than 1 opening.

Approximately 7 - 15 m2 of floor space. A Vertical Lift Module will often save you 70-80% of floor space compared to conventional racking.

VLMs are normally starting at 4-5 meters in height, often times not taller than 20 meters. The tallest vertical lift in the world is approximately 40 meters.

A Vertical Lift Module will usually load from 200 kg per tray. A standard setup has a capacity of 270 - 400 kg. There are Vertical Lift Modules that can take heavy loads - up to 1000 kg.

Capacity and performance

If you have 3+ vertical storage systems and a well developed picking strategy you can reach up to 200+ orderlines per hour and operator.

If you store small goods a regular sized vertical storage system can store 1 000 - 2 000 unique items. The number of items depends on the size of the goods.

The amount of warehouse locations you can get from a vertical storage system depends on the size of your goods. If you store small goods you can usually get 1 000 - 2 000 storage locations.

A vertical storage system can usually load from 200 kg per tray/carrier and up. Most vertical carousels and Vertical Lift Modules can store 300 - 400 kg per tray/carrier.

The trays and carriers of vertical storage systems generally range from 2 000 mm - 4 000 mm in width. The trays and carriers are typically from 400 mm - 860 mm deep. The height of the goods can be up to 600 mm.

Economy

A new vertical storage system will usually start at around 50 000 EUR

A second hand vertical storage system will usually cost 15 000 EUR - 35 000 EUR depending on the model and condition.

It is possible to own a vertical storage system without any running costs. However, we always recommend signing a service agreement to ensure that your system runs smoothly. A service contract generally ranges from 50 - 100 EUR / month and unit.

Yes, Relevator can help you maximize the residual value.

Disassembling_moving_installing

Yes, at Relevator we always use technicians authorized by the manufacturer of the system.

All manufactures have their own technicians or authorized partners that disassemble and install machines. In some markets you can also find independent companies with good track records.

Ahead of an installation, Relevator will provide a checklist with necessary preparations, additionally, a technician will come out and make a site survey of your factory/warehouse. An installation usually takes 2-4 days per unit.

Yes, by using authorized technicians. Moving a vertical carousel or vertical storage lift has a cost and requires some planning - but it is fully possible.

Yes, and when scrapping a machine the disassembly cost is generally slightly lower than a regular disassembly. Even if you’re scrapping a machine we do however recommend using authorized technicians - a disassembly involves risk of injuries.

A disassembly normally costs 3 500 EUR - 5 000 EUR. An installation usually costs 4 000 EUR - 5 000 EUR. A complete move of a machine usually costs 7 500 EUR - 10 000 EUR. Aside from the costs above, customized packaging and scissor lifts are required.

Some vertical storage systems can be moved using wheels if you move them in the same building. If you’re moving the machine between two buildings it needs to be disassembled.

Shipping

A smaller machine will require approximately 13 load meters (1 full standard EU export trailer). For smaller machines anything from 16 - 24 load meters are required.

Without any load, but including the trays and carriers, a vertical storage system weighs 4 000 - 7 000 kg. A disassembled unit consists of 10 - 15 packages/pallets. The heaviest pallet weighs approximately 1 000 kg as maximum.

Yes, but an experienced forklift operator will simplify things. It is preferable to have a counterbalanced forklift with 3.5+ tonne capacity, as well as long forks.

Boxes_fittings

Yes, we offer both new and second hand products.

The most important aspect when selecting boxes and fittings is to maximize the space utilization; make sure the width, depth and height of the boxes fill the trays/carriers to the max. If you want to learn more about boxes and fittings, read our complete guide here.

Yes, certainly. Just make sure that the depth of the boxes match the depth of the trays/carriers. In the long run, it tends to pay off to purchase new and customized boxes in order to maximize space utilization.

Anywhere from 200 - 1 000 boxes in a regular size vertical storage system. The boxes can contain dividers, enabling the possibility to have thousands of unique locations.

Property_electricity

A vertical carousel or a Vertical Lift Module only needs 8 - 15 m2 of floor space. Aside from the floor space it is also important to confirm that you have the correct ceiling height for the specific units you are interested in.

If you have the type of concrete floor that’s standard for most warehouse / industrial buildings 9 times out of 10 your floor won’t be a problem.

No, when installing a vertical carousel or a Vertical Lift Module you often install them in between 2 trusses - it can add up to 0.5 m of height.

You can investigate the possibility of opening the floor, or creating a roof shaft. It is also possible to build the machine outside your building, and cover it with sandwich elements.

Service and spare parts

Absolutely, we offer original service for all the vertical storage systems we sell. The service is often conducted by the manufacturer.

Yes, if you have experience of automation a large part of the service can be done on your own. Some manufacturers offer training to learn how to service your vertical storage systems on your own. However, our recommendation is always to choose the manufacturer’s service contract.

A standard service agreement that contains 1 annual service as well as free phone support usually costs 50 - 100 EUR per month and unit.

For Vertical Lift Modules and vertical carousels manufactured before 2000 it can be worth investigating the access of spare parts before purchasing a unit. For units later that 2000 spare parts are sufficiently available.

From us or directly from the manufacturer. You can find our Spare parts here.

Second hand vertical carousels and Vertical Lift Modules

A service unit can last for up to 20 years without any major upgraders. Relevator works actively to upgrade older storage systems, ensuring 30 years + of usage.

Yes, Relevator offers service agreements using the manufacturers resources.

Yes, for almost all units. For more information regarding integration read our complete guide here,

ROI - Return on Investment

It comes down to your warehouse and type of goods. As a rule of thumb, a vertical carousel or Vertical Lift Module will save 70-80% of space compared to conventional racking.

By using a vertical storage system you can reduce the walking time usually spent when running around shelves or racking. The average wait time between the picking lines for a vertical carousel is for example 20 - 25 seconds. If you use 3+ vertical storage systems a good strategy can mean over 200+ picking lines per hour and operator - that’s 2-3 times faster than a manual picking strategy.

Reduced lost inventory is a great benefit with vertical carousels and a Vertical Lift Module. By organizing the enclosing your goods in a vertical storage system it is harder to steal goods from it.

Integration_IT

Yes, the benefit of integration is that you can be presented the picking location automatically, or manually enter the item number and be presented the correct picking location. We have an extensive guide regarding integration that you can read here.

No, if you only have 1-2 units and a relatively low amount of activity it is not necessary.

Virtually all ERPs will offer the type of communication technology necessary to integrate with vertical carousels and a Vertical Lift Module.

In most cases it starts from 5 000 EUR and up. The cost depends on how much information you want to include inte the integration and how advanced you are building your warehouse flow.

Payment_delivery

The delivery time for a unit that we stock is usually less than 2 weeks within Europe, excluding installation. For shipping that requires sea freight the delivery time is usually 45 days +.

30% upon order, 60% upon shipping. 10% after installation.