By: Mario Fontes, Director of Sales and Marketing, Vidir

For manufacturers, distributors, and maintenance teams alike, optimizing material access has long been a balancing act between space, efficiency, and cost. As the expense of owning, renting, or expanding high square footage facilities continues to climb, many operations are rethinking their reliance on traditional warehouse racking, industrial shelving, and static material handling setups. Automated retrieval systems (ASRS) like vertical lift modules and carousels offer a smarter, more flexible alternative.

Rather than adding more static shelving or warehouse racks, or increasing dependency on forklifts and scissor lifts, organizations are finding that automated storage solutions, such as vertical lift modules (VLM), help them do more within their existing footprint. These systems reduce labor demands and eliminate the "dead air" above materials common in low-density warehouse storage, replacing it with high-density, software managed access.

These systems are not new to the industry, but their relevance is growing. While the format has been widely adopted for over a decade in space-constrained regions like Europe and Japan, North American operations are now rapidly catching up as rising build costs and land scarcity erode the old advantage of simply adding more floor space. Escalating labor costs, limited buildable land, and increasingly complex material handling demands have accelerated the shift toward automation. The carousel format, with its rotating shelves or spools and pick-to-light guidance systems, enables businesses to reclaim vertical space while minimizing manual retrieval processes.

From Workflow Bottlenecks to Seamless Retrieval

Efficient material retrieval goes beyond speed, focusing on safer, more intuitive access that keeps pace with production demands. When retrieval processes are optimized, the ripple effects can be felt across the entire facility, from improved uptime to more consistent product output. Traditional material access methods rely on fixed shelving, often forcing employees to travel long distances, climb ladders, or use forklifts to retrieve items. This not only slows down workflows but also introduces significant ergonomic risks. Automated carousel systems bring the product directly to the operator at an ergonomic height, using a motorized rotation mechanism guided by software-driven inventory control. The result is faster picking, reduced injury risk, and greater inventory accuracy.

These systems are particularly valuable in operations with a high degree of SKU diversity or a demand for quick fulfillment cycles. Carousels can be equipped with inventory management software that tracks usage trends and guides operators to the correct pick location, often using integrated barcode scanners and pick-to-light indicators. This level of control helps reduce picking errors and eliminate time lost to manual searching. By embedding these capabilities into the flow of daily operations, carousels simplify access and provide a foundation for smarter, safer, and more scalable production environments.

‘Storage' alone is no longer a business goal. When carousel systems are embedded directly into production or fulfillment workflows, they stop being a cost center and become active revenue tools, feeding assembly lines or pick‑and‑pack stations rather than sitting in a remote warehouse aisle.

Customization for Industry-Specific Needs

One of the biggest misconceptions about automated carousel systems is that they require a complete overhaul of existing operations. In reality, modern carousels should be designed to integrate smoothly with legacy workflows and WMS/ERP systems. With the right carousel, operators can scan a work order or input a SKU number, and the carousel will automatically rotate to the correct shelf or spool. Some setups allow for pre-programmed batch picking, reducing downtime between jobs. This seamless integration has made carousels particularly attractive to maintenance and repair operations (MRO), where quick access to spare parts and tools can reduce equipment downtime. In some manufacturing environments, carousels are positioned near work cells to provide just-in-time access to parts, supporting lean manufacturing principles.

No two production environments are alike, and carousel systems should be designed with that in mind. The ability to tailor design elements to specific operational demands is what makes these systems especially appealing in industries where space, material type, and flow requirements vary widely. For example, carousels used in retail environments may prioritize small bin organization and high-frequency access, while those in industrial manufacturing settings might support oversized reels or access safety around heavy tooling components. The potential for adjustability in carrier size, configuration, and load capacity allows these carousel systems to serve a wide array of industries, from aerospace and automotive to medical device manufacturing and defense.

True customization begins with adjustments that most equipment makers won't touch: height, width, depth, and load capacity; the core dimensions that determine a system's performance. It's a bit like changing a car's wheelbase to suit its terrain, rather than just choosing a paint color or rim style. From there, elements such as carriers, access points, and process integration are tailored to the exact materials and workflow.

On the software side, some modern carousel systems are driven by custom‑written firmware and user interfaces built with current programming languages like C++, rather than relying on decades‑old legacy platforms. This makes it possible to give operators precisely the interface they need, whether that's simple one‑touch pick prompts or advanced production dashboards, without being constrained by outdated code.

Examples range from protecting million‑dollar composite rolls in the plastics conversion industry, eliminating damage and re‑rolling waste, to storing pre‑mounted bus tires for instant swap‑outs, to retail installations where a self‑serve filament ‘candy bar' kiosk replaced shelving entirely and boosted sales.

Some systems are designed to be loaded and picked from different sides, enabling order picking and replenishment to occur simultaneously. Others are enclosed for secure handling of sensitive or high-value items. In other cases, especially in clean or lean manufacturing environments, custom materials or safety covers can minimize contamination and create clearer visual order.

The process of customization should begin with identifying specific pain points influencing your current storage and retrieval systems, such as space limitations, labor constraints, or high-value materials that require restricted access. The end goal is to align the system with the actual production workflow, not force the workflow to adapt to the storage and retrieval system. Ultimately, this focus on customization not only maximizes carousel performance but also ensures the system is solving the right problems, in the right way, for each facility it serves.

The most effective projects often begin with a detailed mapping of the customer's current workflow, right down to carts, totes, and scanning steps, followed by a ‘blue sky' design phase to identify solutions the client may never have considered. From there, the process continues through build, delivery, on‑site installation, training, and final hand‑off, ensuring the new system is fully embedded in day‑to‑day operations.

Heavy Duty Handling and Safety

While not exclusive to heavy-duty operations, carousel systems play a critical role in environments where bulky or heavy materials are handled. Spool and wire carousels, for instance, are engineered to manage dense and often awkwardly shaped loads such as cable reels, tubing, or hoses. These systems rotate vertically or horizontally to bring a specific spool to the forefront, allowing the operator to safely cut material to length without manually lifting or transporting the entire reel. This ‘goods‑to‑people' design, rather than people traveling to the goods, ensures every item is delivered at an ergonomic height inside the machine, drastically reducing climbing, reaching, and lift‑truck traffic.

The automation and ergonomics of these systems significantly reduce the physical strain on workers. In applications where loads might exceed hundreds of pounds, carousels reduce the risk of injury by eliminating the need for manual lifting or forklift use. Moreover, by centralizing and organizing inventory access, they also reduce trip hazards and congestion within the workspace. Automated controls add another layer of safety, preventing operators from accidentally advancing the carousel while retrieving material. Lockouts, light curtain integrations, and safety interlocks further protect users during operation. Depending on the application, these systems can also integrate advanced automation components, from servo motors to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and robotic arms, adapting proven technologies from other industrial automation fields to the carousel format.

As adoption of carousel systems grows, companies like Vidir Solutions have emerged as leaders in customized vertical solutions that support production workflows. Vidir has built a reputation for engineering systems that solve specific, complex organizational and retrieval challenges, with designs tailored to the customer's product mix, floor plan, and safety needs.

Vidir's approach centers on its customization. Whether the system needs to be open or enclosed, accessed from one or both sides, or integrated with existing software, Vidir works closely with customers to design solutions that reflect real-world use cases. Their systems support a wide range of load types, including wire reels, carpet rolls, tires, and mechanical parts, and offer both vertical and horizontal configurations.

Importantly, Vidir doesn't rely on a plug-and-play mentality. Their team typically works with customers to understand workflow inefficiencies, safety pain points, and physical constraints before proposing a design. This collaborative engineering approach results in a more thoughtful deployment with fewer compromises.

A Smarter Use of Space and Labor

As companies navigate labor shortages, rising operational costs, and the need for better workplace safety, carousel systems present a compelling solution. However, there's also a deeper economic factor driving interest: the rising cost of industrial space itself. Whether leasing or owning, the financial burden of high square footage can quickly become unsustainable, particularly as land becomes scarcer and construction costs climb. Expanding a facility is no longer just a logistical decision; it's a cost-benefit analysis where automation frequently wins out. In one dealership example, replacing tire racks with a carousel freed a service bay, worth an estimated $250,000 in annual revenue, turning a $40,000 equipment investment into a near‑instant ROI.

The true opportunity lies not just in reclaiming space, but in reimagining how materials move through an operation. By transforming static storage into dynamic, integrated process tools, automated carousel systems unlock efficiency, safety, and usable space in ways traditional methods can't match. With engineered customization, modern software, and a collaborative design‑to‑installation process, Vidir has set the benchmark for what these systems can achieve. In a market where space, labor, and efficiency pressures will only intensify, the leaders will be those willing to rethink the familiar and to move first.