How to Automate Mixed-Size Automotive Spare Parts Storage

Automotive spare parts warehouses are rarely simple. One warehouse may need to store small components, large parts, bumpers, oil products, irregular parts, and return parts at the same time.

This creates a key challenge: no single storage system can handle all materials efficiently.

In the FAW Toyota spare parts warehouse project, DELIECN used a multi-system design to match different parts with different storage methods.

Why Mixed-Size Storage Is Difficult

Automotive spare parts vary widely in size, weight, packaging, and turnover frequency.

A small fast-moving part may need high-frequency picking. A bumper may need a dedicated storage area because of its shape. A large part may require pallet or carrier storage. An irregular part may not be suitable for an Automated Shuttle System at all.

If all parts are stored in one general area, the warehouse may face:

• poor space utilization
• long picking routes
• difficult location management
• low storage accuracy
• unstable outbound response
• excessive manual handling

The better method is to divide storage by material characteristics.

DELIECN Multi-System Solution

In this project, DELIECN matched different automotive spare parts with different Warehouse Systems.

Large automotive spare parts were stored in the Pallet Four-Way Shuttle ASRS. This area supported dense automatic storage using Shuttle Robots, lifters, racking, and conveyors.

Small and fragmented spare parts were stored in the Mini-FlyBox ASRS. Standardized totes supported Automated Retrieval and goods-to-person picking.

Relatively standardized large parts were stored in VNA racking with VNA forklift operation.

Bumpers were stored in a dedicated narrow-aisle racking area.

Irregular parts, low-frequency parts, and multi-size components were stored in Mezzanine Racking, which provided more flexible manual-assisted storage.

Oil products were managed in a separate area according to storage needs.

Why Zoning Matters

Warehouse zoning is not simply dividing space. It determines how materials move, how they are picked, and how equipment can be scheduled.

A mixed-size spare parts warehouse should avoid forcing all materials into one automation mode. Instead, automation should be applied where it adds real operational value.

In this project, the different zones worked together through WMS/WCS, AMR/AGV transfer, conveyors, and workstations.

Customer Value

This mixed-size design helps customers:

• store large, small, and irregular parts more appropriately
• reduce unnecessary manual movement
• improve picking flow
• support higher SKU complexity
• avoid over-automation for unsuitable materials
• connect multiple storage zones into one operation system

Why This Case Matters

For automotive spare parts warehouses, the most important design question is not “which equipment is the best?” It is “which equipment is suitable for each type of part?”

The FAW Toyota project provides a useful reference: pallet shuttle ASRS for large parts, tote ASRS for small parts, VNA racking for specific large parts, mezzanine storage for irregular parts, and AMR/AGV transfer for cross-zone flow.