Automation has been introduced in the warehousing and storage industry recently, and the market is still in its initial stages. As the market witnesses growth and adoption of automation, competition is set to get tougher, with competitors expected to come up with innovation in this field in a very short span of time. The advent of IoT has become a path-breaking business operations methodology. With IoT and pick-by-light technology integrated into automated storage systems, business providers can provide end users with highly customized solutions for stocking different varieties and sizes of products in the warehouse in a very efficient manner. A warehouse needs to store different varieties of the same product and different package sizes of the same product to cater to different consumer segments in the market.
Robotics is expected to play a supplementary role in IoT and pick-by-light technology in the automated storage system. In such a system, all the entities can be connected with each other and communicate as soon as an input command is given by the operator from a remote location or the same location on a monitor. A sensor mounted on the robotic device would initiate the movement in the direction where the item needs to be picked or stored. Pick-by-light technology at the output will guide the robot to the accurate location of the product. Once the product is extracted or inserted from or into the storage location, the result will be updated at the main server via a sensor. An efficient pick-by-light technology, where color coding can be used to differentiate between various SKUs and the broad product line of the mix coupled with sensors, will help update the numbers at the operator end can prove to be very effective for the future growth of this market. Companies are adapting robotics solutions to simplify processes and increase business efficiency. For instance, in Singapore, third-party logistic firms such as LF Logistics and DHL are opening high-tech spaces to help retailers cope with growing volumes of online orders. For example, DHL’s US$ 160 million Advanced Regional Center includes a specialized automation system with robotic shuttles to pick up and store products from 72,000 locations. Thus, integrating robotics with ASRS technology is considered a trend in the market.
The automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) market in Asia Pacific is subsegmented into India, China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. Japan, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Indonesia, among others, have a plethora of manufacturing industries, including electronics, food & beverage, chemicals, textile, automobiles, and healthcare businesses. The manufacturing sector in countries in Asia Pacific has experienced a huge shift over the years. It is now known to rapidly adopt innovation accelerators such as robotics and emerging cloud and mobility technologies. According to an issue by The Economics Times in December 2022, India is expected to add 30 million square feet of space for building new warehouses. The demand for additional space for warehousing is due to the growing manufacturing sector and e-commerce activities. Furthermore, government policies such as Make-in-India encourage the setup of manufacturing plants in India, as well as in other fast-developing countries. Governments of these countries are encouraging the manufacturing sector to make their nations self-sufficient, which will allow them to export the surplus produce. A busy manufacturing hub requires deployments of storage houses, and efficient and automated storage houses improve accuracy and achieve space savings by vertically stacking up the products.
The cold chain logistics industry in Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness significant growth in the coming years. With two of the fastest-growing economies in the region, such as China and India, the industry accelerated the cold chain warehousing industry. However, plant operators in this industry are facing challenges such as decreasing manpower availability and growing costs. Thus, to gain traction in the market, cold chain operators are looking for automated logistics solutions that help improve warehouse efficiency at lowered costs. Cold store warehouses stock raw materials, work-in-progress products, finished goods, etc. ASRS machines help ensure proper storage and inventory control of perishable or temperature-sensitive products with reliable and safe product handling
The Asia Pacific Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) Market is segmented into type, end use industry, and country. Based on type, the market is categorized into unit load ASRS, mini load ASRS, vertical lift module, vertical carousels, horizontal carousels, autoStore, and others. The vertical lift module segment registered the largest market share in 2022.
Based on end use industry, the market is segmented into automotive, food & beverage, e-commerce, chemicals, aerospace, retail, pharmaceuticals, and others. The e-commerce held the largest market share in 2022.
Based on country, the market is segmented into Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. China dominated the market share in 2022.
SSI Schafer; Swisslog Holding AG; System Logistics SpA; Bastian Solutions LLC; Daifuku Co Ltd; Kardex Holding AG; KNAPP AG; Vanderlande Industries BV; and Autocrib Inc are the leading companies operating in the automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) market in the region.