Project Background
With the rapid growth of global automobile exports, especially new energy vehicles, modern ports are facing increasing pressure on vehicle storage capacity, operational efficiency, and land utilization. As one of the most important transportation methods for imported and exported vehicles, sea freight requires ports to process and temporarily store massive quantities of automobiles every day.
Against this backdrop, a major port operator in China recently launched the country's first fully automated rack-supported high-rise vehicle warehouse project. The intelligent vehicle storage system was designed to solve the growing contradiction between limited terminal land resources and continuously increasing vehicle throughput.
As the core automation equipment supplier, China JSSL Company provided advanced double-column stacker crane systems for the project, helping the customer establish a benchmark intelligent automotive logistics warehouse for the port industry.
Customer Challenges
Traditional open-air vehicle parking yards have long been the primary storage solution for imported and exported vehicles. However, as vehicle export volumes continue to increase, this conventional storage model is facing several critical challenges:
Limited Land Resources
Large-scale vehicle storage requires vast parking areas, while available land within port terminals is extremely limited.
Low Storage Density
Traditional flat parking methods cannot fully utilize vertical warehouse space, resulting in poor storage efficiency.
Vehicle Damage Risks
Outdoor storage exposes vehicles to rain, dust, wind, and environmental contamination, increasing the risk of exterior damage and reducing product quality protection.
High Labor Dependency
Manual vehicle searching, parking, and retrieval operations consume significant manpower and operational time.
Environmental Pressure
Frequent vehicle movement inside port areas generates large amounts of exhaust emissions, creating environmental and sustainability concerns.
To address these issues, the customer sought an intelligent warehouse automation solution capable of delivering high-density storage, automated vehicle handling, and digital warehouse management.
(Automated Vehicle Storage System)
China JSSL Company Solution
Leveraging extensive experience in automated warehouse systems and stacker crane engineering, China JSSL Company developed an advanced automated vehicle storage solution for the smart port project.
The system integrates:
Double-column stacker cranes
Rack-supported ASRS warehouse
Intelligent conveyor systems
WMS warehouse management system
WCS equipment control system
Automated vehicle transfer technology
The automated high-rise vehicle warehouse adopts a rack-supported structure with:
Warehouse height: 32 meters
Storage levels: 13 floors
Total storage capacity: 6,160 vehicle positions
8 automated inbound and outbound stations
Compared with traditional outdoor parking yards, the project improves storage density by more than 10 times while significantly increasing operational efficiency and vehicle safety.
(High Density Vehicle Storage)
Core Technologies & Equipment
Heavy-Duty Double-Column Stacker Crane
China JSSL Company supplied eight high-performance double-column stacker cranes specifically designed for automated vehicle handling applications.
Key technical specifications include:
Maximum load capacity: nearly 3 tons
Equipment height: 30 meters
Travel speed: up to 150 m/min
Automated parking time: approximately 2 minutes per vehicle
The system supports multiple vehicle sizes, including:
Sedans
SUVs
Mid-size vehicles
Large-size passenger vehicles
This flexible design allows future expansion and broader vehicle compatibility.
(Double Column Stacker Crane)
Intelligent Safety Protection System
Considering the high value and sensitive nature of export vehicles, the project integrates multiple intelligent safety technologies, including:
Overload protection
Anti-fall safety system
Cargo dimension detection
Rope break protection
Position monitoring
Emergency stop functions
Automatic fault alarms
Buffer systems
Anti-sway intelligent control
These technologies ensure stable, reliable, and secure warehouse operation.
(Automated Storage and Retrieval System)
Advanced Structural Engineering
The stacker crane columns adopt reinforced welded box structures with internal stiffeners to improve:
Torsional rigidity
Structural strength
Operational stability
Vibration resistance
The equipment is manufactured according to international standards including FEM, EN, GB, and JB specifications, ensuring long-term operational reliability.
Operational Workflow
The intelligent vehicle warehouse operates through a fully automated process:
Step 1 – Vehicle Entry
Drivers move vehicles into the warehouse entry station following intelligent guidance instructions.
Step 2 – Pallet Transfer
After parking on the designated pallet, the conveyor system automatically transports the vehicle to the stacker crane station.
Step 3 – Automated Storage
The stacker crane automatically picks up the pallet and transports the vehicle to the assigned storage position.
Step 4 – Intelligent Retrieval
For outbound operations, the system automatically retrieves vehicles and transfers them to the designated delivery point.
The entire inbound process takes only around two minutes, significantly improving handling efficiency compared with traditional manual operations.
Project Results & Benefits
1. Ultra-High Storage Density
The high-rise ASRS warehouse increases vehicle storage density by more than 10 times compared with conventional outdoor parking methods.
2. Improved Land Utilization
The project effectively solves the shortage of storage space within busy port terminals.
3. Faster Vehicle Turnover
Automated handling greatly improves vehicle inbound and outbound efficiency during peak export seasons.
4. Lower Labor Costs
Fully automated vehicle storage reduces manpower requirements and minimizes human operational errors.
5. Enhanced Vehicle Protection
Indoor automated storage protects vehicles from weather exposure, dust, and accidental collision damage.
6. Green & Low-Carbon Operations
Reduced vehicle movement inside the port minimizes exhaust emissions and supports sustainable port development.
7. Intelligent Digital Management
The integrated WMS and WCS systems enable real-time monitoring of vehicle inventory, location, and operational status, improving warehouse visibility and operational accuracy.
(Intelligent Logistics Solution)
Future Industry Trends
As global automotive exports continue to expand, intelligent vehicle storage systems are becoming an important direction for future smart port construction.
The successful implementation of this automated vehicle ASRS project demonstrates the huge potential of:
Smart port logistics
Automated vehicle warehouses
High-density automotive storage
Intelligent intralogistics systems
Green logistics infrastructure
China JSSL Company continues to focus on intelligent warehousing and automated logistics technologies, helping global customers build smarter, safer, and more efficient logistics facilities for future supply chain development.