Scaling automated storage and retrieval systems

What integrators need from their motion systems ?

Robotic automation is only as good as the motion behind it – and nowhere is that more visible than in automated storage and retrieval systems, where robots are pushed to cover long distances, at speed, without losing accuracy. As French system integrators and manufacturers scale up robotic cells to handle heavier loads and longer strokes, the actuator choice behind the robot arm is becoming as critical as the robot itself.

“We see this challenge repeatedly across the French market,” said Sébastien Richard, Sales Manager France, at Rollon. “Integrators are being asked to build automated storage and retrieval systems that scale in load and travel distance without sacrificing accuracy, and too often the actuator is treated as an afterthought rather than the component that determines whether the whole cell performs reliably in the longer.”

The challenge: precision at scale

For robotic system integrators, the demands of automated storage and retrieval systems rarely stay modest for long. What starts as a straightforward pick-and-place brief often evolves into something far more demanding: longer travel distances, heavier loads, tighter cycle times, and, critically, no tolerance for drift in accuracy as the system scales.

One recent project, where global linear motion specialist, Rollon, supported Turn-Key Solutions (TKS), a robotic systems integrator, illustrates the point well. The brief called for two robots to move parts vertically up to 30 feet and horizontally over 60 feet, in continuous, high-frequency operation, as part of an automated storage and retrieval system. Loads reached 136 kg, with positional accuracy specified to 1.5 mm – a demand profile that will be familiar to any integrator handling heavy-duty, high-throughput automation.

TKS needed reliable equipment that could endure a heavy-duty schedule, while still holding precise accuracy and speed. The actuator is what determines whether the cell delivers on throughput and reliability and is the deciding factor between a system that runs continuously under heavy load and one that cannot sustain the accuracy the application demands.

The solution: Rollon ROBOT 220

To meet the brief, Rollon’s ROBOT 220 belt-driven actuator was recommended as it is ideally suited to long-stroke, high-dynamic applications. Its load capacity, suitable for the 136 kg pallets involved, combined with proven performance on the vertical lift axis under continuous, high-frequency use, made it the right choice for this automated storage and retrieval system.

Sébastien Richard continued: “Long-stroke, high-load actuation isn’t a catalogue decision – it has to be engineered into the cell from the start, alongside duty cycle, contamination risk and maintenance access. That’s where we work closely with integrators, well before a project reaches the build stage, to make sure the actuator is specified to the application rather than adapted to it afterwards.”

“What stood out in this project wasn’t just the actuator’s technical spec, but its role as an enabling component within a fully integrated robotic cell – one supporting material handling, assembly and machine tending, not just a single isolated task. That’s a pattern Rollon sees echoed across robotics and automation projects in France: as cells are asked to do more – cover longer lines, handle heavier loads, add new stations – the motion system underneath has to be capable of scaling with them, without requiring a redesign every time requirements shift.

“This is particularly relevant for French integrators working across sectors where floor space is at a premium and vertical storage density is increasingly the answer – warehousing and logistics, automotive parts handling, and heavy manufacturing among them. In each case, the actuator isn’t a background component; it’s what determines whether a robotic cell can be trusted to run unattended, at full load, for years rather than months.”

A practical takeaway for integrators

For system integrators navigating similar demands, the message from this project is a practical one: specifying the right actuator requires forward thinking. A well-chosen linear motion system gives a robotic cell room to expand, without the compromises that come from retrofitting an underspecified system later.

As robotic automation continues to mature across French manufacturing and logistics, that distinction is likely to become one of the defining factors in how successfully automated storage and retrieval projects perform over their working life.