Central Steel & Wire: AGVs slip into metals fulfillment

At Central Steel & Wire’s new 900,000-square-foot warehouse and metals service center near Chicago, a fleet of 20 autonomous, side-loading lift trucks glide through narrow aisles of the site’s new cantilever storage, reliably putting away loads of metal goods that might be 24-feet long and weigh upwards of 7,000 pounds per load.

The units steadily work two shifts per day, automating the process of putting away long containers or “pans” that hold materials like tubes or bar stock into the correct storage locations.

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