Inbound pallet flow
Pallets arrive from production lines and goods-in, then enter the coordinated conveyor network.
Case Study 01 / AUTOMATED STORAGE & RETRIEVAL
AUTOMATED COLD STORAGE
BUILT FOR SCALE.
How integrated pallet conveying, stacker cranes and shuttle systems supported a high-volume bakery operation in an extreme cold-storage environment.
15,000Pallet storage capacity
–28°CFreezer environment
24/7Operation
The challenge
ENGINEERING AROUND
THE CONSTRAINTS.
A leading bakery manufacturer supplying customers across Ireland and the UK was developing a new production facility. The operation needed to handle finished goods from production and goods-in, store up to 15,000 pallets, and support both full-pallet and case-picking workflows.
- Manage inbound loads from production tunnel conveyors and goods-in marshalling
- Handle pallets up to 2.8 metres high and 1,200 kg
- Maintain coordinated movement, retrieval and dispatch in a –28°C environment
- Support continuous operations with reliable sequencing and stock rotation
The engineering approach
FROM CHALLENGE
TO SOLUTION.
IO Systems designed and delivered a fully automated materials handling system combining multi-deep pallet racking, automatic stacker cranes, satellite shuttle cars and a high-capacity pallet conveyor network. Intelligent conveyor distribution and chain transfers position loads correctly as pallets move from inbound routes to storage aisles.
Automated storage
Stacker cranes and satellite shuttles store pallets within the multi-deep racking system.
Order buffering
Orders are prepared in advance and buffered in a dynamic conveyor zone with capacity for a full lorry load.
Dispatch and case picking
Dedicated lanes release pallets in sequence to loading docks, while automatically replenished pick-to-belt aisles support case picking.
Project outcomes
BUILT TO
DELIVER.
Key outcomes described in the project case study:
- High-density storage with high-throughput handling
- Automated pallet movement from production through to dispatch
- Less manual handling and reduced operational risk
- Scalable materials handling infrastructure for future growth
At this scale, performance comes from designing the equipment and control strategy as one complete system — not from treating each machine as a separate purchase.