Types and Selection of Intelligent Stereoscopic Containers - Differences between Vertical Rotating Containers and Vertical Lifting Containers

2025-12-29 11:07:23

Intelligent stereoscopic containers are mainly divided into two types: Vertical Rotating Containers and Vertical Lifting Containers. These two types of intelligent three-dimensional containers are key material storage and picking systems in internal logistics of enterprises, especially suitable for the automated warehousing needs of manufacturing warehouses and production lines, which can effectively improve material management and picking efficiency.

1、 Vertical rotating container

Vertical Carousel (VCM) first appeared in the late 1950s, inspired by the Ferris wheel at the carnival. This system is mainly used to store items with small volume, similar weight, and consistent size. Vertical revolving containers move items by rotating chains to achieve storage and retrieval of items.

Features:

Simple design: Based on the design concept of Ferris wheel, the structure is intuitive and easy to understand.

Storage restriction: Suitable for storing items of the same size and weight to avoid the problem of unbalanced loading.

2、 Vertical lifting container

Vertical Lift Module (VLM) is a more advanced and complex vertical storage mechanism introduced after the vertical revolving container. It uses the most advanced software, has high flexibility, can install additional devices, and has independent trays for storing items. The vertical lifting container does not need to rotate when retrieving items, and can directly extract the pallets through the pallet extractor.

Features:

Fast speed: Compared to Vertical Rotating Containers, vertical lifting containers run faster.

No load balancing requirements: It can handle items of various sizes, weights, and random distributions without worrying about unbalanced loading.

High picking efficiency: using automatic retrieval methods, saving time, and equipped with visual aids and additional devices (such as laser pointers) to improve operation speed and accuracy.

Flexible installation: The modular design makes transportation and assembly more flexible.

High cost: Due to advanced technology and superior performance, the price of vertical lift containers is relatively high.

3、 The difference between vertical revolving container and vertical lifting container

Speed: The operating speed of a vertical lifting container is higher than that of a vertical rotating container.

Load balancing: Vertical rotating containers require careful consideration of the issue of unbalanced loading, while vertical lifting containers do not have this limitation.

Picking efficiency: Vertical lifting containers can significantly improve picking efficiency through automatic retrieval methods and visual aids.

Installation time: The segmented design of the vertical lifting container makes it more flexible in transportation and assembly, while the flexibility of the vertical rotating container is relatively poor.

Cost: The price of vertical revolving containers is relatively low, while vertical lifting containers are relatively expensive due to advanced technology and superior performance.

4、 Selection suggestions

When choosing between a vertical revolving container and a vertical lifting container, the following factors need to be considered:

Requirement: Determine the appropriate container type based on the weight, size, and sorting frequency of the stored items.

Budget: Although vertical lifting containers have superior performance, their prices are relatively high and need to be balanced according to the budget.

Future planning: Consider the future development direction and changes in demand of the enterprise, and choose container types that can adapt to future development.

In summary, both vertical revolving containers and vertical lifting containers have their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of which type of container to use depends on the specific needs and budget of the enterprise.