European suppliers of materials handling automation are pushing to enter the U.S. market. Perhaps the most recent of these new entries is viastore systems.

This supplier of automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) has European revenues of $107 million, according to Juergen Conrad, president and CEO of U.S. operations. His job, he says, is to "persuade American users of the benefits of automated materials handling." As advances have continued, the cost of AS/RS equipment has dropped in the past 10 years. Further, AS/RS adds value in two ways, he says.

One area is in the equipment itself. A recently developed double-deep lateral belt transfer system allows stored cartons of different sizes to be handled individually. The system can pluck either carton from double deep storage, doubling storage density without limiting throughput. Software and controls are the second area of added value, he says. By providing command and control capabilities, the movement of materials is better coordinated.