German storage system manufacturer Kasto, which is also a well-known producer of sawing machines, has introduced a pick-by-light option for its computer-controlled industrial warehouses. This is available in the UK and Ireland through the company’s Milton Keynes-based subsidiary (www.kasto.com).

With the new function, a beam of light is projected onto an item in a cassette or on a pallet of material that has been called up to an output station, allowing the operator to identify it quickly.

This saves time and prevents picking errors (the system is particularly helpful with storage systems that have cassettes or pallets sub-divided into multiple compartments).

The function, which is integrated into the Kasto control, identifies the article that needs to be retrieved (or stored) for a particular job, allowing the operator to identify the correct compartment and location at a glance and reliably pick (or place) the item without error.

Pick-by-light is available on various Kasto storage systems. The first to be equipped with it was the UniTower, which is offered in two variants — one for long stock, the other for sheet material and containers.

The single or double tower systems, which can be either free-standing inside the factory or installed outside in an adjacent weatherproof building, are of modular design and can be customised easily.

Each storage space can carry a load weighing up to five tonnes, depending on the system design. The base version of the UniTower has a usable width between 600 and 1,240mm, enabling the storage system to be matched to the available space. Bar or tube from 3,400 to 14,600mm long can be accommodated.

Meanwhile, the UuiTower B — for storing sheet metal and flat products — accommodates material between 2,000 and 8,000mm long. The usable width is between 1,000 and 2,000mm; and in addition to sheet, pallets, boxes and other containers can be stored. Tower heights up to 20m are routinely built in both variants.

Kasto’s conveyor systems, as well as machine tools, can be connected to the storage and retrieval stations, ensuring automatic and efficient material flow in production environments.

UniTower storage systems are controlled by Kasto’s own ProControl, which features an intuitive touch-screen graphical user interface.