GUANGDONG XIEDA INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
Professional manufacturer of storage space
language
News
News
The Evolution of Intelligent Automated Warehouse Technology: From Mechanical Warehousing to Digital Twins
Keywords:
Publish Time:
2025-10-05
The technological evolution of intelligent automated warehouses has consistently revolved around three core objectives: "enhanced space utilization, optimized operational efficiency, and upgraded management precision." Accompanied by iterative advancements in industrial automation and information technology, these innovations have led to four pivotal breakthroughs, solidifying intelligent automated warehouses as a cornerstone of modern logistics and manufacturing infrastructure.
I. The Early Stages of Mechanization (1950s–1960s): Primitive Exploration of Space Utilization
Technical Background and Core Breakthrough
After World War II, the scale of industrial production expanded, highlighting the contradiction between traditional flat warehouses—characterized by "limited stacking capacity and inefficient access"—and creating a growing demand for three-dimensional storage systems. At this stage, the technological core was Mechanical Structure Innovation By combining shelf height enhancement with simple handling equipment, we’ve initially broken through the limitations of conventional flat-floor warehousing.
- Shelf Technology : Upgrading from single-layer steel-structure shelving to multi-level unit-type racks, the height has surpassed 10 meters for the first time, increasing storage capacity per unit area by more than twice compared to conventional flat warehouses.
- Access Device : The United States pioneered the development of bridge-type stackers, which use tracks to achieve two-dimensional "horizontal-vertical" movement, replacing manual forklifts for high-rise storage and retrieval operations—but still require manual assistance for positioning (with an error margin of ±50mm).
- Control Method : Utilizing relay logic control, it can only perform basic operations such as device start and stop, with no data logging or scheduling capabilities.
Representative Applications and Industry Impact
- In the 1950s, the U.S. military first implemented a simple automated storage and retrieval system to store missile components, addressing the challenge of high-level access to heavy materials.
- In the 1960s, Japan introduced and refined technology to increase shelf height up to 15 meters, applying it to the storage of automotive parts and paving the way for the practical implementation of industrialized solutions.
- This stage has significant limitations: automation is at zero (relying entirely on manual operations), warehouse space management is chaotic (lacking a precise coordinate system), and it currently only achieves "three-dimensional utilization of physical space"—without realizing process automation.
Automated Stereoscopic Warehouse
II. The Automation Molding Era (1970s–1990s): The Integration of Computer and PLC Technologies
Technological breakthroughs and equipment iterations
The maturity of computer technology and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) has driven the transformation of automated warehouses from "mechanical storage" to "automated systems," with key breakthroughs evident in three areas:
- Controlling Technological Innovation In the 1970s, Germany pioneered the application of PLCs in automated warehouse control, replacing relay logic to achieve precise three-dimensional positioning—specifically, "X-Y-Z"—for stacker cranes, with an accuracy error of no more than ±10mm. In 1975, a German automobile manufacturer completed the world's first automated three-dimensional warehouse, where computer systems orchestrated stacker cranes to manage seamless inbound and outbound operations within a closed-loop process.
- Specialized Development of Equipment ：
- Stackers are categorized into single-column (light-duty) and double-column (heavy-duty) models, with lifting heights exceeding 20 meters and storage/retrieval speeds reaching up to 150 meters per minute.
- Aisle-type racking has become the mainstream, with accompanying conveyor systems enabling continuous operations from "receiving into storage" to "dispatching from storage."
- Information Management Begins In the 1980s, barcodes combined with early WMS (Warehouse Management System) applications enabled "batch recording—location binding" for goods, reducing error rates by 80%.
China's Localization Exploration
- In 1973, China initiated the development of its first computer-controlled automated warehouse, which became operational in 1980 (standing 15 meters tall and designed to store mechanical parts). However, due to economic constraints, its application remained limited.
- From 1985 to 1995, by introducing technology from Germany and Japan, we developed a second-generation automated warehouse system controlled by PLCs, which was applied in high-end industries such as pharmaceuticals and tobacco. Over time, market adoption gradually expanded to around 100 systems.
III. The Era of Intelligent Upgrades (2000s–2010s): IoT and Device Flexibility
Driven by core technology
The application of the Internet of Things (IoT), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and intelligent algorithms is driving automated warehouses to leap from "automation" toward "intelligence," with key breakthroughs including:
- Perception and Traceability Technology : RFID tags replace barcodes, enabling end-to-end traceability across the entire chain—from individual items to pallets and storage locations. After implementation in the pharmaceutical and food industries, traceability efficiency has improved by more than threefold.
- Equipment Flexibility Innovation ：
- The four-way shuttle system was introduced (after 2005), breaking through aisle limitations and increasing storage density by 50% compared to traditional aisle-based warehouses.
- AGV seamlessly integrates with the automated warehouse, enabling JIT material delivery between the warehouse and production lines—this innovative solution has already been pioneered by manufacturing companies such as BYD and Lenovo.
- System Integration Upgrade : WMS integrates seamlessly with ERP and MES systems, creating a closed-loop data system spanning "production - warehousing - logistics." Lenovo's intelligent logistics system, established in 2000, has become a domestic benchmark.
The global industrial landscape takes shape
- Japan has become the world's largest country in terms of automated warehouse capacity (reaching 30,000 facilities by 2010), leading in the fields of miniaturization and precision equipment.
- China entered a period of rapid development (with market demand averaging 90 sets per year from 2005 to 2010), during which companies like Beizi Technology and KunChuan Intelligent achieved the localization of core equipment.
IV. The Digital Integration Era (2010s to Present): Deep Penetration of AI and Digital Twins
Disruptive technological breakthrough
The maturation of 5G, artificial intelligence, and digital twin technologies has propelled automated warehouses into a new phase characterized by "autonomous decision-making, dynamic optimization, and full-chain collaboration." Key highlights of the core technologies include:
- Empowering with intelligent algorithms ：
- Reinforcement learning algorithms optimize storage location allocation, resulting in a 17% increase in outbound efficiency after Cainiao Network implemented the solution.
- The cluster scheduling system enables 200 AGVs to work collaboratively, reducing the collision rate to below 0.01%.
- Digital Twin Implementation ：
- Ange Technology launched its 3D monitoring system in 2018 and upgraded it to a digital twin platform in 2020, enabling real-time visualization of warehouse equipment status and providing accurate fault alerts (with an accuracy rate of 83%).
- Siemens' digital twin model reduces the system debugging cycle by 22%.
- Green and High-Density Technologies ：
- The application of permanent-magnet synchronous motors enables stackers to achieve 20% energy savings, while the photovoltaic energy storage system helps the cold-chain warehouse achieve a 35% self-sufficiency rate in daytime electricity consumption.
- CATL's 22-meter-high battery automated warehouse utilizes multi-extension shelving and a high-speed stacker crane to achieve an hourly throughput capacity of 400 pallets.
The Boom in China's Market and Global Trends
- Rapid Expansion in Scale: From 2019 to 2024, China’s installed capacity of automated warehouses surged from 6,000 units to 11,000 units. By 2025, the market size is projected to surpass 30 billion yuan, with an annual compound growth rate of 19%.
- Scene-depth penetration: E-commerce (Cainiao Asia No.1), new energy (CATL), and pharmaceuticals (Sinopharm Holdings) have become core application areas, achieving a sorting accuracy rate of 99.8%.
- The technology gap is narrowing: Domestic stacker positioning accuracy has reached ±2mm (on par with international standards), yet the service life of hot-rolled steel rails still lags behind imported products by 40%.
The Core Logic of Technological Evolution and Future Directions
The Iterative Pattern of Four Major Dimensions
|
Evolutionary Dimension
|
Mechanization Period (1950s–60s)
|
Automation Era (1970s–90s)
|
The Intelligent Era (2000s–2010s)
|
The Digital Era (2010s to Present)
|
|
Control Technology
|
Relay Logic
|
PLC Programming
|
Embedded Systems
|
AI Algorithms + Digital Twins
|
|
Storage format
|
Unit Load Pallet Racks
|
Aisle-style racking
|
Intensive shelving
|
Flexible Modular Shelving
|
|
Equipment Core
|
Bridge-type stacker
|
CNC Stacker
|
Four-way Shuttle + AGV
|
Maglev Shuttle + Collaborative Robot
|
|
System Capability
|
No data management
|
Single-machine automation
|
System Integration
|
End-to-End Intelligent Automation
|
Future Development Trends
- Flexible Upgrade The fully automated changeover warehousing system will cater to the diverse product demands of cross-border e-commerce, with the first pilot implementations expected to be realized by 2025.
- Deepening Green Technology Natural refrigerant cooling and laser cutting energy-saving processes will further reduce the carbon footprint throughout the product’s entire lifecycle.
- Globalization Collaboration Chinese enterprises are accelerating their technology exports, with projects like Anke Technology’s fiberglass initiative in Egypt already setting benchmarks overseas.
Hot Products
Related Articles
Get a free quote
We welcome any inquiry you may have. Tell us about your project to get a free quote.
National Service Hotline
Contact Email
Foshan City, Nanhai District, Shishan Town, Guanyao Ligang Zixia Industrial Zone
Scan to view the website