BITO Shelving and racking systems are a versatile and efficient solution for handling individual products and smaller sized unit loads
The BITO range includes a wide variety of shelving and racking to make your storage processes particularly efficient and cost-effective. Our BITO experts will be pleased to advise you and help you find the optimum solution.
Why light and medium duty shelving and racking from BITO is the right choice
Manual and automated storage systems make optimum use of your warehouse space
BITO Storage systems for manually handled items and non-palletised loads offer multiple options that help you make best use of your cubic space. Shelving and racking can be designed to make full use of your warehouse height. Level spacing can be adapted in increments of 25 mm. Thanks to the boltless design of many systems, the number of storage levels and level spacing can be adapted as needed. With multi-tier systems and mezzanine floors in particular, the available storage surface can be multiplied. Goods can be stored according their turnover frequency and picked simultaneously on several levels. Automated storage systems offer maximum space utilisation. They are either serviced with shuttle carriers or with stacker cranes. Autostore warehouses with shuttle robots running on a grid to store and to retrieve trays and containers offer the highest level of space utilisation. Whether you opt for a manual, semi-automated or fully automated storage system, BITO is your solution provider. We don't just give advice and do the planning. As a full-service provider, we also supply the racking system complete with bins and trays for handling your items.
Increasing stock rotation and picking performance
Companies often need particularly high picking and handling capacities for fast-moving items. Carton live storage racking, multi-tier systems and mezzanine floors or a combination thereof are frequently used solutions for manual load handling. Automated storage and retrieval systems maximize picking and handling rates, but also involve a relatively high investment. In multi-tier installations and mezzanine solutions, goods can be picked simultaneously on several levels, which increases picking performance enormously. In order to further increase picking speed, goods can be stored according to their turnover frequency. Flow racks, especially when combined with buffer levels on top, are an excellent solution for achieving a high level of product availability and and ensuring continuous and fast order picking without disruptions. From the picking performance and accuracy point of view, AS/RS systems score best. They store loads in a random manner, are software-controlled and pick items in the shortest possible time.
What are the benefits of BITO shelving and racking for unit loads?
Good floor space and volume utilisation
Multi-tier configurations and mezzanines offer a high level of surface and volume utilisation, as they can be designed to make extremely good use of the warehouse height. AS/RS facilities and AutoStore systems offer the most effective utilisation of floor space and warehouse volume, especially when tray shuttles or robot vehicles travel on a very narrow grid. They offer an ultra-high storage density and achieve top-notch picking speeds.
Improving picking performance
BITO is your partner in planning and building high-capacity storage systems for picking individual items and unit loads. Carton live storage racks, multi-tier storage, mezzanine floors, and AS/RS systems are perfect for this purpose. Simultaneous picking on several levels is possible with multi-tier installations and mezzanines, resulting in high picking rates. Fast movers are best handled in live storage racking systems. There are partially automated systems that are serviced with a stacker crane to feed new supplies into the live storage lanes. Fully automated systems work according to the "goods-to-person" principle and enable peak picking performances thanks to being operated with an IMS or a WMS.
“Person-to-goods” and “goods-to-person” picking solutions
Manually serviced systems usually work according to the "person-to-goods" principle. They offer a number of advantages such as flexibility, lower investment costs and simple troubleshooting without major consequences. Automated warehouses work according to the "goods-to-person" principle. This approach saves walking distances, increases picking performance, improves workplace ergonomics and minimises error rates. However, flexibility is reduced due to dedicated picking positions. The investment costs are relatively high and a machine failure can lead to a chain reaction involving warehouse downtime.
Storage according to turnover frequency and random storage
With multi-tier facilities and mezzanines, goods can be stored taking turnover frequencies into account. This means that fast-moving items are stored on the lower storage levels and slow movers on the upper levels. In AS/RS systems, the goods are stored randomly (no allocation of fixed storage positions), because storage and retrieval are controlled by a warehouse management system. Access times are generally very short.
Scalability
Manually serviced storage facilities can be adapted relatively easily and cost-effectively provided there is enough storage space left. In the case of multi-tier systems and mezzanines, it may be possible to add new floors. Automated small parts warehouses are usually modular in design and can therefore be scaled up. However, the investment costs are relatively high.
High load capacities
Shelving systems, multi-tier installations and mezzanines can be designed for heavy-duty applications. BITO Shelving type S has been designed for heavy loads, with a shelf load capacity of 300 kg maximum and a bay load capacity of 1,600 kg maximum. The load capacity of the mezzanine floors is more than 1,000 kg/m².
Partial or full-scale automation
BITO offers solutions for manual as well as partially and fully automated product handling. Carton live storage racking with stacker crane replenishment is an example of a partially automated solution, whereas an AS/RS system operates fully automated.<o:p></o:p>
FIFO stock rotation
Conventional static shelving and carton live storage racking provide goods in First In – First out (FIFO) order. They enable compliance with best-before dates, e.g. for food or pharmaceutical products. AS/RS systems which are controlled by an inventory management system, can also provide goods on a First In - First Out (FIFO) basis.<o:p></o:p>
Separate aisles for loading and retrieval
Products in carton live storage racking are loaded from the rear and move gravity-driven to the front of a racking unit for order picking. This ensures perfect FIFO product rotation and prevents that replenishment staff and order pickers do not get in each other’s way.
Permanent inventory control
In automated warehouses that operate with an IMS or a WMS, stocktaking is carried out on a regular basis. Shortages are automatically reordered. The exact quantity of goods and the corresponding storage location is known at all times.
One-stop solution
As a full-range supplier, BITO provides not only shelving and racking systems, but also a wide variety of storage and handling bins and containers as well as metal and plastic trays for AS/RS systems. Automated warehouses are built in cooperation with renowned manufacturers of AS/RS systems.
Broad range of accessories
The BITO portfolio includes a wide range of components and accessories for shelving and racking systems such as frames, beams, various shelf options, dividers, shelf ledges, storage and handling bins, etc.
Sustainability
BITO shelving and racking systems are manufactured with a focus on sustainability. This means that we select top-quality, environmentally friendly raw and auxiliary materials, use energy-efficient machines and opt for resource-saving production processes.