Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a horizontal carousel system?
A horizontal carousel system is a goods-to-person picking machine made of shelved bins that rotate on an oval track, bringing the required item to an operator at a fixed pick station instead of sending the operator to the shelf. Addverb's Corzie stores small and medium-sized SKUs at high density, carries up to 90 kg per shelf and rotates at 0.4 m/s. It combines automated storage, retrieval and picking in one compact, modular unit. -
What is the difference between a horizontal carousel and a vertical carousel?
A horizontal carousel rotates bins around a long, low oval track at floor level, while a vertical carousel rotates shelves up and down like a Ferris wheel inside a tall enclosure. Horizontal carousels such as Corzie suit fast picking of many small SKUs across several units in a pod. Vertical carousels suit sites short on floor space but with ceiling height to spare. -
How many picks per hour can a horizontal carousel handle?
Addverb's Corzie horizontal carousel is rated at up to 400 SKUs per hour, because the carousel rotates the next bin into position while the operator is still picking the current line. Arranging two or more carousels in a pod raises the rate further, since one unit pre-positions while the operator picks from another. Actual rates depend on order profile, lines per order and slotting. -
Can a horizontal carousel pick several orders at once?
Yes, Addverb's Corzie supports batch picking, so operators pick items for several orders in one rotation and consolidate them into separate order totes at the same station. Multiple pick stations can work in parallel to raise output during peaks. Pairing the carousel with put-to-light displays at the consolidation point tells operators exactly which tote each item belongs in, which keeps batch picking accurate. -
What kinds of products suit a horizontal carousel system?
A horizontal carousel system suits small and medium-sized items stored in bins or on shelves, such as spare parts, electronic components, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and e-commerce SKUs, with each Corzie shelf carrying up to 90 kg. It works best for operations with many SKUs and frequent small order lines. Bulky, long or heavy items are better handled by pallet or carton storage systems.