(AS/RS) Automated Storage & Retrieval System Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Development Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2020 - 2026

(AS/RS) Automated Storage & Retrieval System Market size is anticipated to grow due to the growing need for automation in the logistics industry. Automation in logistics tracks the product movement, eliminates excessive stock, reduces operation cost, and helps in faster invoicing, leading to increased efficiency. The technology is designed for applications requiring a high lift, fast speed, control features, and accurate positioning, which the traditional devices lack. Moreover, the technology helps in improving the employee productivity and enhances the operational efficiency. Furthermore, rising financial losses due to manual errors are reduced significantly with the adoption of equipment, driving the AS/RS market growth.
 

The need for the temperature-controlled warehouses with the adoption of technology is driving the AS/RS market. The cold chain is amongst the toughest environments in the industry, making the design of the mechanical and manual processes complicated. The technology helps workers in the warehouse stay warm or cool as per the requirement, increasing the productivity.
 

High capital investments are required to set up the advanced automatic devices in logistics, which will restrain the AS/RS market growth. The setting involves large-scale warehouse facilities and advanced software & solutions that are expensive. It is not feasible for the companies with limited financial resources, particularly SMEs, to adopt the technology by replacing the existing infrastructure. Additionally, the technology requires upgrades and maintenance on a regular basis, making it more expensive and restraining the AS/RS market growth.
 

By implementing the technology, unsafe handling practices are avoided, and human interaction is reduced to a large extent. A software glitch in the unit can halt the entire process, leading to production losses. For instance, if customers change their orders, a non-responsive & inflexible supply chain will deliver the wrong product to the customer. It can be expensive for the company, leading to financial losses and restraining the AS/RS market growth. Timely maintenance of the units & bug-free software will help in overcoming the challenges.
 

AS/RS market is expected to witness a huge adoption in several industry verticals including automotive, e-commerce, healthcare, etc. E-commerce is expected to hold a major share as logistics is the vital component of the industry. Major e-commerce players including Alibaba and Amazon are adopting the technology to reduce their delivery time cycle. Customers get their products in time after placing the order by adopting the technology. Additionally, the emergence of robots in the e-commerce logistics will help the AS/RS market to grow in the retail sector. The technology includes software to integrate robots with the warehouse environment. Robots enhance the logistics operations by providing safety and efficiency & accuracy to the unit; hence, major players are adopting robots in their logistics. For instance, in 2011, Amazon started using robots in its warehouses.
 

The AS/RS market is characterized by the types of the component including mini load, unit load, carousel, vertical lift module, mid load, and autostore. The unit load is expected to hold a majority share in the segment, as optical communications in unit loads decrease the possibility of lost data, ensuring continuous communication during the occurrence of power surges. Furthermore, lightweight cranes in the unit load allow flexible acceleration rates to safeguard the maximum speed possible while maintaining load stability & quiet operations. Additionally, unit loads are used in the real-time inventory technology, making it a prominent automated storage & retrieval system market.
 

In the midst of the supply chain evolution, industries including home furnishings, food & beverages, and electronics are adopting mini loads in their logistics. The need to move less-than-unit loads throughout the warehouse has become an important & growing function, making mini load one of the fastest growing types in the segment. Mini-loads are space efficient and have multiple speed options and variety of load handling methods, which make their adoption easier. A large number of smaller quantity orders has raised the demand for mini loads in the AS/RS market.
 

The presence of manufacturing companies, such as Volkswagen Group, Samsung Electronics, General Electric, and Daimler in the U.S. is driving the growth of North America AS/RS market. The technology is used in the manufacturing industry to direct the flow of materials through an industrial process to the end users. The technology operates in a fully automatic & semi-automatic mode to increase the accuracy of the technology, driving its growth in the manufacturing industry and making North America a prominent AS/RS market.

Players operating in the AS/RS market are SSI Schaefer Group, Knapp AG, Kardex Group, Mecalux SA, System Logistics Corporation, Beumer Group, Daifuku Co., Ltd., Murata Machinery, TGW Logistics Group GmbH, Swisslog Holding AG, Vanderlande Industries, Bastian Solution, Dematic GmbH & Co., KG, Intelligrated, Interlake Mecalux, Fives Group, Flexlink, and Legris Industries. Companies in the AS/RS market are focusing on partnerships to expand their market reach. For instance, in January 2018, Daifuku and Jervis B Webb announced a strategic partnership, which will help them focus on the automotive industry in Europe.

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