Smart Cold Storage 4.0

In the ever-evolving cold chain and cold storage warehouse ecosystem, the pursuit of logistics and warehousing high performance has emerged as a paramount goal for businesses aiming to maintain a competitive edge. A groundbreaking solution that’s transforming the industry is the combination of automated guided vehicles and high-bay warehouses. This game-changing synergy offers several advantages, fundamentally reshaping the storage, retrieval, and transportation of goods.

Intralogistics: The Key to Optimal Operations in an industry where preserving food quality and ensuring efficient operations are fundamental, intralogistics plays a key role in enabling the optimization of handling, storage, picking, and shipping at the required temperatures. Manufacturers and distributors, driven by market dynamics, are encountering a series of challenges. These encompass the pressing need for higher productivity to meet surging market demands, the necessity for quicker stock turnover, and the ever-expanding array of products falling within the temperature range of -4°C to -26°C. 

In this transformative landscape, the cold chain's rulebook is being rewritten by the joined use of automated guided vehicles and high-bay warehouses. Efficiency, precision, and adaptability are the cornerstones of this revolution, promising to change the very essence of how we store, retrieve, and transport goods in the pursuit of optimal cold chain operations.

Read the success business story of Virto deep-freeze warehouse, in Spain.

Revolutionizing cold storage thanks to smart intralogistics solutions

Also developed to respond in a scalable and flexible way to the performance needs of the cold chain logistics, the solutions of E80 Group have been revolutionizing the way cold storage warehouse and deep-freeze warehouses operate. Also with its Smart Integrated Logistics (SM.I.LE80) software platform, which manages all intra-logistics flows, and laser-guided vehicles’ (LGVs) portfolio, our Group offers flexibility to its customers while significantly increasing plant efficiency and guaranteeing products traceability throughout the supply chain.  

In order to develop the most efficient intra-logistics solution, we provide consulting and after-sales services, such as the discrete-event simulation software and the 24/7 remote and on-site support. The SmartDesigner plays a key role in the design phase, as tests are carried out in a simulated and controlled environment. This makes it possible to obtain results before the implementation, as well as to establish investments and apply the required modifications. All the current and future operating scenarios are assessed, thus enabling the development of a realistic scenario. This allows to maximize process optimization in plants where many variables are in play, verify flows, identify potential criticality issues well in advance, and validate the most appropriate control logics with 95% reliability.

Moreover, we offer a vast array of after-sales services aimed at: protecting the added value guaranteed by the implemented solutions over time; meeting the demands that may arise during the lifecycle of the system, such as new market situations and different production requirements.

With a focus on innovation and sustainability, this integrated strategy aims to guarantee safety in warehouses and to ensure a smooth and efficient workflow in deep-freeze plants, where the extreme environment creates difficult working conditions for personnel.   

The purpose is to optimize productivity and service to the customer while maintaining the quality and integrity of temperature-sensitive goods.

Read the success business story of innocent refrigerated warehouse, in The Netherlands.

LGVs’ and automated warehouse performances in sub-freezing plants

The use of laser guided vehicles systems (LGVs) integrated with different types of storage, engineered to operate in cold warehouses where temperature conditions are as low as -26°C, has been crucial in the customization of cold chain solutions for cold / deep-freeze manufacturing and distribution operations. 

In detail, E80 Group LGVs interact seamlessly with various systems bringing the right product at the right place at the right time. All LGVs designed for cold and deep freeze environments feature internal heating systems, insulated and thermoregulated hydraulic power unit, and lithium batteries enabling operation in temperatures as cold as -30° C.

One of the most important automated storage solutions for industries requiring cold storage is the use of advanced AS/RS systems for automated handling of products in several different storage layouts, ensuring high performance, reliability and energy efficiency even under freezing conditions. 

The integration with LGVs makes the entire solution completely flexible and each crane completely independent, eliminating the risk of bottlenecks. In this scenario, one of the keys to optimizing performance and reducing cost per pallet is to maximize density while ensuring the required throughput rate. The complete solution is designed to be modular and upgradeable.

By combining Smart Integrated Logistics software, our Group empowers manufacturers and distribution centers to meet the challenges of deep-freeze environments head-on. These technologies not only optimize operations but also preserve product quality, ensure traceability, and safety throughout the supply chain, ultimately benefiting both businesses and their consumers.

Dive into smart cold chain storage case studies

To take a closer look to how smart customizable and configurable intralogistics solutions have a pivotal role within deep-freeze and cold chain storage warehouse, let’s see some examples of E80 Group’s customers case studies. 

1. Watch this video of a Customer plant where E80 systems optimize the handling and storing of frozen foods:

Deep-Freeze Storage & Cold Chain_EN from E80 Group on YouTube.

2. Read the success business story of innocent refrigerated warehouse, in The Netherlands.

3. Read the success business story of Virto deep-freeze warehouse, in Spain.