Vertical Lift Module or Vertical Carousel?

If you want to increase the efficiency of your picking or store a lot of goods in a small area, both Vertical Lift Modules (VLM) and vertical carousels are good alternatives. Each case must be evaluated individually, but in summary you can think like this:

Vertical Lift Modules – Good if you have space to build several machines and if you have a large variety in the design and volume of your goods.

Vertical carousels – Good for small products with low variation in design and volume, as well as possible to mount on a small surface and get efficient storage even if you cannot maximize the size of the machine.

If you need more help in your evaluation of Vertical Lift Modules, we can assist with expertise, do not hesitate to contact us and we will help you with the analysis and to find the right machine for you.

In the text below, you will find our guide that can be helpful in understanding the differences between a vertical carousel and a Vertical Lift Module – and perhaps also arrive at what suits you best!

Vertical storage systems come in a number of designs, but the most common variants are Vertical Lift Module (sometimes called vertical lift) and vertical carousels (sometimes called paternoster). When it comes to storage in a small area, both options are perfectly fine, but there are still notable differences between the machines. Below you can read more about the differences, as well as get some tips on when a Vertical Lift Module or a vertical carousel suits best.

What’s the difference?

The big difference between a Vertical Lift Module and vertical carousels lies in the construction of the drive train. A VLM has two sections with several shelves, where a crane in the middle of the lift fetches the shelves to one or more picking openings. A vertical carousel is built in a way that shelves are linked together and where the entire belt moves in the same direction when a shelf is to be displayed in the picking opening of the machine.

Benefits of Vertical Lift Modules

• In certain circumstances, a VLM can store products with a higher weight, as well as with greater variation in height and width. Because the lift only lifts one shelf at a time (and does not spin a belt where the weight of all the goods is), a Vertical Lift Module can handle heavier products.

• As a rule, a VLM can be built with larger dimensions, i.e. higher, wider and deeper. In other words, you can convert floor space into a Vertical Lift Module that can hold a lot of goods. This is made possible because of the construction’s weight resistance.

• The software connected to a VLM offers a little more possibilities in terms of shelf compression, as well as frequency setting on each shelf. Some of the manufacturers have in their machines height reading (of the products) in the opening, which enables the VLM to compress the shelves efficiently. This is probably the absolute biggest advantage in terms of filling.

Here you will find our vertical lift modules for sale.

Benefits of a vertical carousel

In comparison with Vertical Lift Modules, the vertical carousels mainly have the following advantages:

• Vertical carousels are a good alternative if you have many and small products of the same size. In this case, you can make use of the vertical carousels plant’s ability to accommodate many and small storage spaces on each floor.

• Vertical carousels can be bought in smaller models and with a smaller depth, a vertical carousel can therefore be a good solution if you want a vertical storage system, but do not have unlimited space in your warehouse.

• The construction of a vertical carousel is often a little simpler in comparison with other storage machines, so vertical carousels often have a lower price and easier maintenance.

Here you will find our vertical carousels for sale.