RHEON Improves Parts Logistics with AutoStore

67% smaller storage footprint and 40% improved workforce efficiency for production and service parts logistics.

Introduction

RHEON Automatic Machinery Co., Ltd. is a global manufacturer of food processing machinery, known for equipment used in the production of Japanese sweets, bread, pastries, and other food products. Founded in 1963, the company operates internationally and supports customers across more than 130 countries.

Workers at the RHEON warehouse prepare orders. The AutoStore installaiton has saved 67% space in their existing location. 

As operations expanded, the company faced increasing pressure within its internal parts logistics workflows. Growth in production and service parts created challenges related to storage capacity, picking efficiency, and operational consistency. Manual shelf-based storage and paper-driven workflows limited productivity and created operational bottlenecks.

To modernize its internal logistics operation and support future growth, RHEON implemented the AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system at its Kamikawachi Plant, empowered by Okamura. The solution improved storage density, streamlined parts handling, and enabled a more efficient goods-to-person workflow for warehouse employees.

The Challenge

RHEON had already introduced automation across several manufacturing processes, but parts logistics remained highly manual. The company’s production model includes made-to-order machinery designed around individual customer specifications, creating operational complexity across assembly and spare parts management. 

As the number of stored components increased, existing shelf-based storage methods became increasingly difficult to manage efficiently. Operators relied on paper lists and manual retrieval workflows that required extensive walking and experience-based knowledge of storage locations. 

The company also faced growing pressure on available storage space. Conventional floor-based shelving occupied significant warehouse area while limiting scalability for future growth. 

An operator using one of the AutoStore CarouselPorts. The AutoStore system has helped the working environment for the RHEON employees with greater efficiency and comfort due to the ergonomic design. 

Operational consistency became another important challenge. Picking accuracy and efficiency depended heavily on experienced employees, making training and standardization more difficult as operational demands increased.

RHEON needed a solution that could:

• Improve picking efficiency

• Increase storage density

• Support accurate and reliable parts retrieval

• Create a more ergonomic working environment

• Standardize workflows across employees

• Support future operational growth without proportional increases in manual handling complexity

The AutoStore Solution

RHEON selected AutoStore to modernize parts storage and picking operations while maximizing storage efficiency within the available facility footprint. 

The system uses a dense cube-based Grid structure that stores approximately 10,000 SKUs in compact Bins. By utilizing vertical storage and automated retrieval, the system achieved a 67% reduction in required storage space, from 850 m² to 280 m².

Robots travel across the top of the Grid, retrieving Bins and delivering them directly to employees at CarouselPorts. This goods-to-person workflow minimizes walking and reduces repetitive manual movement throughout the warehouse.

The AutoStore system supports both production parts and long-term service parts used to maintain machinery over extended product lifecycles. This flexibility was important for RHEON’s operation, which must manage both assembly components and spare parts inventory simultaneously.

The installation also demonstrates AutoStore’s ability to integrate with broader warehouse and production workflows. RHEON currently operates the system alongside cart-based transportation processes and is evaluating additional integrated automation technologies, including delivery Robots and conveyor-based transport systems, to further streamline goods flow between logistics and production areas. The modular AutoStore architecture enables companies to expand and adapt automation workflows over time without disrupting existing operations.

Results

AutoStore significantly improved operational performance across RHEON’s parts logistics workflows.

67% reduction in required storage space, from 850 m² to 280 m², enabling the company to optimize available facility space without expanding the warehouse footprint.

The goods-to-person workflow improved workforce efficiency by 40%, helping warehouse employees complete picking tasks more efficiently while reducing unnecessary walking and repetitive manual movement.

Operational consistency also improved substantially. Picking tasks that previously depended heavily on experienced employees can now be performed effectively after just 1 day of employee training.

40% fewer staff are now required for picking operations compared with the previous workflow. Today, 6–7 operators can complete workloads that previously required approximately 10 employees. This enables teams to manage growing parts volumes more efficiently while maintaining operational performance.

AutoStore also improved picking accuracy by reducing dependence on manual shelf searches and experience-based workflows.

The system stores both production parts and long-term service components inside a compact Grid where Robots retrieve Bins and deliver them directly to employees at CarouselPorts. The installation supports assembly parts, long-tail service inventory, and low-volume, high-mix components while enabling significantly higher storage density compared with conventional shelving.

RHEON currently operates the system alongside cart-based transportation workflows and is evaluating additional automation opportunities, including delivery Robots and conveyor-based transport, to further improve goods flow between logistics and production areas.

Beyond immediate operational improvements, the system established a scalable automation platform that supports future logistics development and continued business growth.

“Picking operations that once depended on experienced employees can now be handled consistently after just one day of onsite training.”

Robots moving across the Grid of RHEON's AutoStore system. It has been integrated with RHEON's existing automation technology for seamless workflows.

The Benefits of the AutoStore System

AutoStore provided RHEON with a scalable goods-to-person automation platform capable of supporting both current operations and future growth.

The system improved picking consistency, reduced unnecessary walking, standardized workflows across employees, and enabled teams to manage increasing inventory volumes more efficiently.

By combining high-density storage with automated retrieval, AutoStore helped RHEON improve operational responsiveness while creating a more ergonomic and efficient working environment for warehouse employees.

The modular system design also gives RHEON flexibility to expand automation capabilities over time as operational requirements evolve. 

Conclusion

By implementing AutoStore at its Kamikawachi Plant, RHEON transformed its parts logistics operation into a more efficient, scalable, and standardized workflow. 

The system achieved a 67% reduction in required storage space, improved workforce efficiency, simplified picking operations, and established a stronger foundation for long-term operational growth. 

With AutoStore, RHEON now operates a modern goods-to-person logistics environment capable of supporting both production and service parts management with greater efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. 

Project Specifications

Installation type: Brownfield 
Robots: 9 x R5 Robots 
Workstations (Ports): 3 CarouselPorts 
Bins: 10,328 Bins 
Integrated technology/automation: Cart transport workflows; delivery Robots and conveyor integration under evaluation 
Partner: Okamura