Today ’ s warehouses can look like something from a sci-fi film , such is the high-tech automation at play these days – yet , warehouse tech began emerging over 120 years ago .

Steel conveyor belt invented

The Swedish ( now multinational ) engineering company Sandvik invented the steel conveyor belt at the turn of the last century . Belt conveyors proved to be durable and reliable , and became a fixture in automated distribution and warehousing , massively increasing productivity .

The forklift truck

Australia-based Clark Equipment Company is credited with creating the first forklift truck way back in 1917 . They were known as ' Clark Tructractors ', and resembled a tractor rather than what we see today . Until the 1950s , warehouses were full of forklifts , with goods typically stored at ground level in huge buildings .

Automated Storage and Retrieval System ( ASRS ) invented

The first ASRS was designed and built by German heavy equipment manufacturer Demag , whose system consisted of racking mounted from the ceiling . ASRSs at this time were giant cranes that traversed large columns of shelves to store and retrieve raw materials . These are still used today by some manufacturers .

16 May 2022