Stack-only containers for automation-driven warehouses
Monoflo International introduced two new containers engineered to bring industry-leading efficiency and durability to automated warehouse operations everywhere: the Foldable Stack-Only (FSO) container and Dual Base Stack-Only (SO) container.
These innovative container designs are scheduled for Q2 production but are already being specified on select projects.
With the rapid rise of warehouse automation continuing to accelerate, distribution facilities face unprecedented operational challenges. From the utilization of limited space to continuous system performance improvement, containers are now a critical element of modern warehouse infrastructure.
“Automated storage and retrieval systems are evolving so fast,” said Automation Group Director Dennis Williams. “When it comes to packaging, we don’t want to just keep up. We’re setting the pace of innovation.”
The Foldable Stack-Only (FSO) container is the first of its kind: a collapsible container engineered to meet the rigorous demands of automated systems. Traditional collapsible containers have long offered logistical space-saving advantages, but they were either too weak, bulky, or unreliable to perform efficiently in high-speed, high-throughput automated systems. Not anymore.
The new Monoflo FSO line delivers the strength, rigidity, and streamlined reliability of traditional stack-only containers while unlocking dramatic space and freight savings. With a 4:1 storage ratio, the FSO offers up to a 75% freight reduction and requires a significantly smaller storage footprint for space-constrained facilities. This new design is engineered to maintain structural integrity and to work interchangeably with fixed-wall containers, improving system flexibility while reclaiming valuable warehouse space and reducing freight costs.
Monoflo’s new Dual Base Stack-Only (SO) container is a one-piece, injection-molded design engineered specifically for automation-driven warehouse environments. Traditional SO containers force a feature/performance tradeoff: welded bases offer superior strength but are heavier and more complex to manufacture, while hybrid bases offer a lighter foundation that’s easier to manufacture but lacks the strength of a welded design. The Dual Base container line balances the best of both worlds, delivering welded-base strength while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Building on the spider-base container designs widely used in European logistics systems, this innovative new SO container features smooth interior and exterior surfaces ideal for fresh food and sanitation-sensitive automation applications. The textured conveyance bottom and angled rib geometry are engineered to improve conveyance and reduce system noise in high-throughput operations.
For industry insiders, these latest advances in automated warehousing containers should come as no surprise. Monoflo International has a legacy of innovation in reusable transport packaging, with decades of leadership in collapsible containers, automation-ready trays, and engineered solutions for high-velocity environments.
That innovation is built on a tradition of close collaboration with customers and integrators. Williams said, “We saw these challenges coming when we saw floor space disappearing, freight costs rising and packaging performance compromises impacting your bottom line…and we had to do something about it.”
As automation continues to expand, the days of warehouse containers as passive packaging are long gone. Today’s containers are engineered to act as precision components of a highly integrated system infrastructure. These latest innovative additions to the automation landscape are poised to deliver a big performance impact to the entire industry.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The January/February issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Grainger. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
