Probably one of the most important factories in the region of Valencia, is the Ford Factory in Almussafes, which is one of the most profitable ones in Europe. While studying at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, many of our professors have worked for or have a very good knowledge of the plant, and you are constantly hearing stories about the plant.

Around the plant, many other companies have grown and rely almost completely on the American car manufacturer. I had the opportunity to start my professional career in one of the companies that worked mainly for Ford. To enter to the plant, you must get a card and follow some basic safety lessons.

After my first week at the company, one of my colleagues asked me if I wanted to go with him to the Factory. He had to check some things at the Battery Plant and after he could show me the basics of the PHEV Manufacturing line, where I was going to focus the majority of my work. I remember how happy I was to be able to see the Factory for the first time, it was my first time seeing a production line and robots in real life.

The Factory is around 2.700.000 square meters, and in order to move around effectively you should go by car, however, only fewer cars are allowed to enter. That day we were not the lucky ones to have one of those cars, and we had to leave the car at the parking and enter to the Factory walking. As we walked, he started to explain the different plants that we encountered, starting from Painting and Body, and ending up in the Battery Plant. On our return walk, we took a small detour and walked a bit around the Assembly plant, and then he showed me what was for him, one of the most fascinating things at the Factory, the ASRS building.

I immediately realized that I had already heard about the world ASRS during one of the subjects of my bachelor, but didn’t fully remember the meaning. An ASRS is an Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems and it consist of a series of racks or shelves that hold the items, in this particular case the body of the cars after being painted. The racks are typically arranged in aisles, and each aisle is served by a crane that can move up and down the aisle to access the racks. All the movements are done automatically and there is a software behind that has been programed.

Below, let’s explain some of the potential benefits and challenges of implementing an ASRS system:

The benefits of using ASRS to store cars:

1. ASRS increase the storage capacity of a warehouse by utilizing vertical space, being particularly useful in urban areas where land is expensive and limited.
2. ASRS can reduce the amount of time and labour required to store and retrieve cars. Cranes can move cars much faster than a human operator.
3. ASRS can reduce the risk of damage to cars during storage and retrieval.

However, there are a few challenges such as:

1. Racks and shelves: they need to be strong enough to support the weight of the cars and be able to fit different car models.
2. Implementation process, it relies in a good programing of the system. The start-up period might be long and costly.
3. Cost: this type of warehouse might need a bigger investment than other alternatives.

Overall, ASRS is a powerful tool for storing and retrieving cars in a warehouse. It can increase the storage capacity of a warehouse while reducing the time and labour required to store and retrieve cars. With proper design and implementation, ASRS can provide a safe, efficient, and cost-effective solution for car storage in a warehouse.

Here below are some videos of ASRS systems.