Technical Workflow Design for Inbound, Outbound, and Empty Pallet Return in ASRS

In manufacturing warehouses, ASRS design is not only about equipment. The workflow must also match production rhythm. If inbound, outbound, and empty pallet return tasks interfere with each other, system efficiency can be affected.

A well-designed ASRS workflow separates task types, controls operation timing, and uses WMS/WCS to coordinate equipment execution.

Workflow Requirement

In one titanium raw material warehouse project, the process was designed around three major workflows:

• centralized raw material inbound
• raw material outbound to production feeding line
• empty pallet stacking and return

These workflows were arranged in different time windows to avoid task interference.

Centralized Inbound

The warehouse needed to support centralized inbound efficiency of 30 pallets/hour. During inbound, palletized goods pass through:

1. inbound conveyor station
2. profile inspection
3. barcode recognition
4. material information confirmation
5. WMS storage location allocation
6. WCS equipment dispatch
7. conveyor transfer
8. Stacker Crane storage

If a pallet does not pass inspection, it can be sent to a designated area for manual handling.

Raw Material Outbound

For production feeding, the system needed to output one drum of raw material every three minutes on each side of the warehouse. After the Stacker Crane retrieves the pallet, downstream equipment transfers it toward the feeding interface.

This process is connected with AGVs and gantry robots to reduce repeated manual movement.

Empty Pallet Return

After raw materials are consumed, empty pallets or empty drum carriers can be stacked and returned to storage or buffer areas. Empty pallet return is not performed at the same time as inbound and outbound tasks, reducing operational conflict.

The system also includes pallet stacking equipment to improve empty pallet management.

Why Time-Separated Workflow Matters

For manufacturing logistics, task conflict can cause:

• queueing at conveyors
• blocked transfer points
• delayed production feeding
• unnecessary equipment waiting
• reduced system throughput

By separating inbound, outbound, and empty pallet return by workflow logic, the system becomes more stable and easier to control.

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