AutoStore FlexBins: Multi-Size Bin System for SKU Versatility

Technology Overview

AutoStore's cube-based automated storage and retrieval system has revolutionized high-density, goods-to-person fulfillment. A key historical constraint, however, was the uniformity of bin size within a single grid. The introduction of FlexBins represents a significant evolution of this technology, directly addressing the need for greater SKU versatility. FlexBins allows for the first time the storage of vastly different product sizes—from small parts to bulky items—within the same compact AutoStore Grid. This innovation expands the system's applicability to more complex workflows like kitting and order consolidation, making it a more comprehensive solution for industries with diverse inventory without compromising the system's renowned density and efficiency.

How It Works

Core Principles

The core principle of FlexBins is the integration of multiple, standardized bin sizes into the existing AutoStore Grid ecosystem. Robots within the grid are capable of handling these different bin sizes, allowing them to be stored and retrieved from any location within the cube structure based on the system's intelligence.

Key Features & Capabilities

Multi-Size Bin Compatibility: The flagship feature is the support for three distinct bin sizes within the same grid. This allows a single automated system to natively handle a much broader spectrum of product dimensions without resorting to external manual processes or separate storage systems.

Enhanced Storage Density: By allowing smaller items to be stored in smaller bins, the system can pack more inventory into the same cubic grid volume. AutoStore claims this can lead to up to 15% greater storage density, further optimizing the space-saving advantage of the cube storage concept.

Workflow Flexibility: FlexBins are designed to support more complex intralogistics processes directly inside the grid. The ability to efficiently store and retrieve components for kitting, stage orders for consolidation, or manage ready-to-ship orders expands the system's role from pure storage to an active fulfillment engine.

Advantages & Benefits

Unprecedented SKU Flexibility: This is the primary benefit. Businesses are no longer forced to exclude certain-sized items from automation or to maintain separate manual storage areas. A 3PL, for example, can now automate storage for nearly all client SKUs in one unified system.

Maximized Space and Automation ROI: The increase in storage density translates to more inventory in the same footprint, improving the return on the automation investment. Furthermore, by bringing more SKU types under automation, it reduces the manual handling footprint and associated labor costs.

Scalable Process Integration: Companies can scale their automated workflows smarter. As business needs evolve to include value-added services like kitting, the same AutoStore infrastructure can adapt to support it, protecting the initial investment and avoiding the cost and complexity of adding separate systems.

Implementation Considerations

Adopting FlexBins requires planning for the management of multiple bin types. This includes inventory slotting strategies to decide which SKU goes in which bin size for optimal density and retrieval efficiency. The warehouse management software (likely AutoStore's own control software) must be configured to handle the multi-bin environment effectively. It is an enhancement designed for the AutoStore ecosystem, not a standalone product.

Use Cases & Applications

Ideal For

FlexBins is ideal for any operation using or considering AutoStore that has a heterogeneous product mix. It is particularly powerful for third-party logistics (3PL) providers, omni-channel retailers with diverse product categories, and industries like healthcare where item sizes vary dramatically.

Conclusion

AutoStore FlexBins successfully addresses a major limitation of fixed-bin automated storage systems: inflexibility in handling diverse product sizes. By introducing multiple bin sizes into its high-density grid, AutoStore has significantly expanded the addressable market and use cases for its technology without sacrificing its core strengths of density, speed, and reliability. For businesses in 3PL, grocery, healthcare, and industrial sectors looking to automate a wider range of their inventory and workflows, FlexBins offers a path to "more SKUs" in the "same Grid" with truly "no compromise" on system performance. It represents a smarter way to scale automation, maximizing space utilization and reducing manual touchpoints across a more comprehensive slice of the supply chain.