Bearings for Automated Storage Systems

The Engineering Behind a Warehouse That Moves on Its Own

An Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) moves inventory throughout a distribution center with minimal manual intervention, transporting loads vertically and horizontally through entire warehouse aisles. RBC Bearings identifies ASRS as one of the documented applications within its material handling solutions portfolio. RBC's material handling portfolio also includes conveyor belts, roller conveyors, cart conveyors, forklifts, and container handling equipment—all systems that face similar challenges related to speed, heavy loads, and contaminated operating environments. Among the latest products in this portfolio are RBC Track Runners—ball bearing and tapered roller bearing assemblies available with either straight or flanged outside diameters, with custom configurations available upon request. These bearings are specifically designed for guide rail systems used in high-speed material handling equipment, such as those found in ASRS installations. RBC states that its experience in the material handling industry enables it to deliver engineered solutions for some of the sector's most demanding operating conditions, including high speeds and heavy loads, extreme temperatures, and contaminated environments—conditions that ASRS equipment encounters continuously while operating almost nonstop within modern distribution centers. The ability of an automated warehouse to move products efficiently, without requiring operators to walk through aisles searching for inventory, depends largely on guide bearings that maintain precise motion cycle after cycle while withstanding the continuous operating demands of today's logistics environments. At BIOSA, we frequently work with material handling customers facing this same challenge: maintaining precise motion in guide rail and conveyor systems that operate nearly continuously, where every minute of unplanned downtime has a direct impact on logistics performance.