Dematic Dematic Multishuttle — Specs & Review
Specifications
| Brand | Dematic |
|---|---|
| Model | Dematic Multishuttle |
| Year | 2005 |
| Category | Logistics |
| Autonomy | fully-autonomous |
| Environment | indoor |
| Connectivity | Ethernet, Dematic iQ Software, WMS Integration |
| Country of origin | DE |
Key features
- Rail-guided autonomous shuttle AS/RS system
- Per-level independent shuttle operation
- Extremely high storage density
- High-throughput goods-to-person order fulfilment
- Thousands of totes per hour at scale
- Dematic iQ software integration
- Global deployments in e-commerce, retail, grocery, pharma
What is it?
The Dematic Multishuttle is a rail-guided automated storage and retrieval system where autonomous shuttle vehicles operate within a multi-level racking structure, storing and retrieving totes or cartons at high speed to supply goods-to-person picking workstations. It is among the most mature and widely deployed shuttle AS/RS technologies globally.
Who is it for?
E-commerce and retail fulfilment operations requiring high-density storage combined with high-throughput goods-to-person picking. Grocery and food retail distribution centres where high storage density in temperature-controlled environments reduces HVAC costs. Pharmaceutical distributors requiring precise inventory management at high throughput. Any operation replacing manual pick-from-shelf with goods-to-person automation.
Key specs
- System type: Rail-guided shuttle AS/RS
- Storage units: Totes, cartons, trays (standardised containers)
- Operation: Autonomous shuttles per storage level
- Throughput: Thousands of totes per hour (system scale dependent)
- Integration: Dematic iQ warehouse management software
- Density: Extremely high storage density vs conventional shelving
- Origin: Germany (global deployment)
How goods-to-person works
Instead of pickers walking to stored items (person-to-goods), the Multishuttle retrieves totes from storage and delivers them to stationary picking workstations where pickers select items without walking. Ergonomic workstation design, elimination of walking time, and directed picking via screen or light dramatically increase pick rate per operator hour.
How it compares
Multishuttle competes with AutoStore (bin/robot grid AS/RS), Kardex Remstar (VLMs), Swisslog CarryPick, and Knapp OSR Shuttle. Dematic's scale of deployment, global service network, and integration with its broader conveyor and sortation system portfolio are key competitive strengths.
Limitations
- Very high capital investment vs manual shelving
- System capacity fixed by installed rack structure — expansion requires construction
- Standardised tote sizes required (cannot store all item types directly)
- Single point of failure risk in shuttle or conveyor interfaces requires redundancy planning
FAQ
What is the Dematic Multishuttle?
The Dematic Multishuttle is an automated storage and retrieval system where autonomous shuttle vehicles run on rails within a high-density rack to store and retrieve totes at high speed, delivering them to goods-to-person picking workstations.
How does goods-to-person picking improve productivity?
In goods-to-person picking, the storage system delivers totes to a stationary picker rather than the picker walking to shelves. Eliminating walking time, combined with ergonomic workstations and guided picking, can increase pick rate per operator hour by 2-4x versus conventional manual picking.
How many totes per hour can Multishuttle handle?
Throughput scales with the number of installed shuttle levels, conveyor capacity, and picking workstation count. Large installations can achieve tens of thousands of tote movements per hour. Dematic provides system-specific throughput modelling during project design.
How does Dematic Multishuttle compare to AutoStore?
Both are high-density AS/RS systems for goods-to-person fulfilment. Multishuttle uses rail-guided shuttles in a conventional rack structure; AutoStore uses a bin grid with robots running on top. AutoStore typically offers higher density for the same footprint; Multishuttle offers higher throughput rates and handles a wider range of tote sizes.