Frequently Asked Questions
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What is a mother-child shuttle system and how does it work?
A mother-child shuttle system is a fully automated pallet ASRS in which a mother shuttle runs along a track perpendicular to the storage lanes and launches a child shuttle into each lane to store or retrieve pallets. Addverb's Multi-Pro handles pallets up to 1,000 kg in multi-deep racking, navigates aisles with barcode readers and positions loads to within 2 mm. Vertical lifts move pallets between levels. -
Should I choose a mother-child shuttle or a 4-way pallet shuttle?
Choose a mother-child shuttle for multi-deep lanes holding several pallets per SKU with fast, predictable movement along a fixed transfer aisle, and a 4-way pallet shuttle when you need flexible access to many SKUs across the rack. Multi-Pro's mother shuttle travels at up to 3 m/s along its track, which suits high-volume buffers. Cruiser 360 shuttles can move to any lane and level, which suits mixed SKU profiles. -
How many pallets per hour can a mother-child shuttle handle?
Addverb's Multi-Pro mother-child shuttle is rated at 73 pallets per hour on a 30 m track, with the mother shuttle travelling at up to 3 m/s and the child shuttle at 1.1 m/s inside the lanes. Total system throughput rises with the number of levels and tracks, since each level runs its own mother and child pair in parallel. Addverb simulates your inbound and outbound peaks to size the system. -
Can a mother-child shuttle work in a freezer or cold storage?
Yes, Addverb's Multi-Pro mother-child shuttle operates from -30 °C to +45 °C, so it can store and retrieve pallets in deep-freeze warehouses without exposing goods to temperature swings. Multi-deep storage packs more pallets into each cubic metre of cold room, which cuts the volume you need to refrigerate. People no longer need to work inside the freezer to move pallets, which improves safety and working conditions. -
Can a mother-child shuttle buffer pallets between production and dispatch?
Yes, a mother-child shuttle is well suited to buffering finished pallets between production and dispatch, because it stores large volumes in multi-deep lanes and releases them in the sequence your loading plan needs. Addverb's Multi-Pro automates both storage and sequencing, so pallets arrive at the dock in the right order for each truck. That decouples production speed from dispatch timing and reduces forklift traffic around the line end. -
When is a mother-child shuttle not the right choice?
A mother-child shuttle is a poor fit when nearly every pallet is a different SKU that needs random access, because multi-deep lanes work best with several pallets of the same SKU per lane. Multi-Pro carries pallets up to 1,000 kg and runs on a 415 V three-phase supply, so heavier loads or sites without that power need a different design. For highly mixed SKU profiles, a 4-way pallet shuttle usually gives better access.