Automated Pallet Storage FAQs

No internal lighting is required for Taxi operation. The Taxis navigate to pallet locations using system instructions linked to pallet data, including batch ID and storage location.

The batch ID is registered at the inbound conveyor using either a manual barcode reader or an integrated scanner positioned at the light curtain.

The light curtain verifies pallet dimensions before entry into the system. It uses laser sensors to check pallet length, width, height, slats, blocks, under hang and overhang.

Pallets can be fed into the system by forklift, AGV, powered pallet truck or direct conveyor feed from a production line.

The Moffett Automation Taxi can operate in temperatures from -25°C to 50°C, supporting ambient, chilled and frozen storage environments.

The Moffett Automation Taxi is powered by a 100Ah lithium battery, with operating time of up to 8 hours in ambient storage and approximately 6.6 hours in chilled storage.

The system uses automatic opportunity charging. When a Taxi has available time, it assigns itself to a designated charging station within the layout. A full charge takes approximately two hours.

The number of Taxis depends on warehouse size, layout and throughput requirements. As a general guide, one Taxi can handle approximately 15 pallets per hour, depending on system design and operating conditions.

The warehouse control system manages Taxi traffic. Each journey is broken into smaller movement tasks, and the system checks whether a route is clear before allowing a Taxi to move.

Moffett Automation provides a frontend interface showing orders, machinery status, pallet locations and live Taxi movements in real time.

The Moffett Automation storage manager assigns pallet locations based on configurable rules, including pallet height, pallet type, SKU, zone, availability and operational priorities.

Vertical transfer units, or VTUs, allow the Taxi and pallet to move between storage levels. The number of VTUs required depends on warehouse size, layout and throughput targets.

The Moffett Automation Taxi can move autonomously in multiple directions through the racking structure while carrying a pallet, supporting flexible movement across the automated storage system.

• Movement: Free-roaming Taxis vs. fixed-aisle cranes.
  Moffett Taxis can move dynamically throughout the storage system, with VTUs providing vertical movement between levels. A stacker crane operates within a dedicated aisle, following a fixed horizontal and vertical path.
• Infrastructure: Distributed automation vs. large fixed machinery.
  Moffett distributes pallet movement across multiple smaller autonomous Taxis and VTUs. A stacker-crane system relies on larger, fixed cranes and the infrastructure required to support their dedicated operating aisles.
• Redundancy: Multiple Taxis vs. individual crane/aisle dependency.
  With multiple Taxis operating within the system, pallet movements can be distributed across the fleet. In a crane-based system, each crane is generally responsible for its designated aisle, creating greater dependency on that individual piece of equipment.
• Scalability: Add Taxis/VTUs vs. additional fixed infrastructure.
  Moffett systems can be scaled by increasing the number of Taxis and/or VTUs as operational requirements grow. Increasing capacity in a crane-based system may require additional cranes, aisles or associated infrastructure.
• Retrofit: Greater flexibility for existing facilities.
  The Moffett system can be designed around existing building constraints, making the architecture suitable for retrofit projects where creating new dedicated crane aisles may be more challenging. Stacker cranes can also be retrofitted, but their fixed operating envelope needs to be accommodated within the facility.
• Best suited: Flexible, scalable applications vs. purpose-built fixed layouts.
  Moffett’s architecture is particularly suited to facilities where flexibility, scalability, retrofit potential and distributed automation are important considerations. Stacker cranes can be well suited to purpose-built facilities with established layouts, predictable flows and storage requirements that align with fixed crane aisles.

At Moffett Automation, we manage every stage of the system development and delivery process entirely in-house. From the initial design and engineering of the hardware through to software development, manufacturing, assembly, installation and ongoing support, our teams work together throughout the entire process.

This end-to-end approach gives us greater control over the quality, performance and development of every system we deliver. Our in-house engineering and software teams can work closely together to design solutions around each customer’s specific requirements, while our dedicated support teams provide ongoing assistance long after the system goes live.

By keeping the expertise and development process in-house, we can continuously improve our technology, respond quickly to customer requirements and provide support throughout the complete lifecycle of the system, from initial concept through to 24/7 operational support.

• Movement: Free-roaming Taxi vs. mother vehicle + child shuttle
  Our shuttles move autonomously through the storage structure, with VTUs allowing them to move between levels. In a mother-daughter system, A larger mother vehicle provides the main horizontal movement and transports a smaller daughter shuttle into the individual deep-storage lanes.
• Access: Location-independent vs. lane-based access
  Moffett’s Taxi can move to different storage locations without being permanently assigned to one particular deep-storage lane. A mother-daughter system generally relies on the mother shuttle reaching the appropriate lane before deploying the child shuttle into it.
• Redundancy: Distributed Taxis vs. dedicated mother-shuttle routes
  Moffett’s multiple Taxis can share movement across the storage system. In a mother-daughter architecture, the child shuttles are dependent on the mother vehicle or transport infrastructure to reach their required lane. Consequently, the architecture can create greater dependency around particular mother-shuttle routes. This is a difference in system design rather than a claim that a mother-daughter system lacks redundancy.
• SKU profile: Multiple-SKU flexibility vs. high-volume deep storage
  Mother-daughter systems can be particularly attractive where there are relatively few SKUs with large quantities of each SKU. Moffett’s architecture is designed for greater selectivity and can be advantageous where there are many SKUs requiring frequent access.