Hospital Storage Carousel

Types of Hospital Storage Carousels

Vertical Carousels

One of the most common hospital storage carousel options, the vertical carousel, is an automated storage solution consisting of a series of vertically arranged trays stored in an enclosed system. The trays rotate like a Ferris wheel at the push of a button to bring the desired item directly to the operator at an ergonomic retrieval counter. A vertical carousel system can save up to 80% of floor space compared to traditional bin shelving by utilizing vertical space for supply storage.

Vertical carousels can be equipped with partitions, shelves, and drawers. But you can also transfer your existing bin storage directly to the carousel to simplify and consolidate your medical supply storage. By integrating pick-to-light software and barcode scanning, operators can find and retrieve the supplies they need quickly and accurately. Learn about how hospitals can use vertical carousels for sterile supply storage here.

Horizontal Carousels

Horizontal carousels operate similarly to vertical carousels, except the carriers rotate horizontally rather than vertically. Horizontal carousels are a better option for facilities with low ceilings. And even though horizontal carousels occupy more floor space than their vertical counterparts, their efficient design still offers up to 58% floor space savings compared with traditional shelving.

Like vertical carousels, horizontal carousels rotate to bring the needed supplies to operators at a designated workstation, providing immense time savings since order pickers no longer have to walk to retrieve supplies. For large-scale applications, pods of three or four carousel units can be grouped to operate in tandem for maximum efficiency.

One children’s hospital implemented three horizontal carousels integrated with pick-to-light technology and order processing software in their materials management department. They recovered 42% of their floor space, increased productivity by 87%, and operated the system with a single-order picker. Read about the five key benefits of horizontal carousels here.

Vertical Lift Modules

Like vertical carousels, vertical lift modules are enclosed storage systems containing vertically arranged trays. However, the trays do not rotate like a carousel; instead, the desired tray is automatically extracted and brought directly to the access counter. Where vertical carousels generally store uniformly sized bins, vertical lift modules store supplies of all sizes, including large and bulky equipment.

Vertical lift modules optimize storage density. They are equipped with software that detects tray heights and automatically stores each tray in the location where it would take up the least amount of space. The software makes vertical lift modules the most space-efficient of the storage carousels, achieving up to 85% floor space savings compared to traditional shelving.

Reorganizing your existing supply storage in a vertical lift module or another storage carousel might sound like an overwhelming task. We offer conversion services for all of these automated carousel storage systems. We will transfer your bin storage to your new automated storage solution for a smooth transition that minimizes the interruption of your workflow.

Benefits of Carousel Storage Systems

Space Savings

One of the key advantages of hospital storage carousels is their ability to save space. These carousels—mainly vertical carousels and vertical lift modules—utilize vertical space efficiently, allowing hospitals to store many items in a small footprint. A small footprint is significant in healthcare settings where space is often at a premium. By maximizing vertical space, hospital storage carousels can free up valuable floor space for other essential uses such as patient care or research.

Inventory Management

Hospital storage carousels also provide advanced inventory control capabilities. These carousels have sophisticated software that allows hospitals to track and manage the inventory of items stored within the carousel. Inventory management helps to ensure that items are always in stock, reducing the risk of running out of critical medical supplies. Effective inventory management can improve the efficiency of hospital operations and reduce the risk of stock-outs, which can have severe implications in a healthcare setting.

Ergonomics

In addition to their space-saving and inventory-control capabilities, hospital storage carousels also enhance ergonomics. These carousels reduce the physical strain on healthcare workers by bringing items to an ergonomic height for storage and retrieval. Ergonomics helps to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and improve the overall well-being of healthcare workers.

Productivity

Hospital storage carousels also increase productivity by providing quick and easy access to stored items. By bringing needed supplies directly to the operator, the carousels reduce the time and effort required to find and retrieve items. Pick-to-light software further speeds the process by indicating the precise bin location of the needed item, improving order-filling accuracy. Overall, storage carousels help improve hospital operations’ efficiency, allowing healthcare workers to focus on providing quality care to patients.

Security

Hospital storage carousels can house all types of supplies and equipment, including sterile supplies, pharmaceuticals, and general medical supplies. Protecting this inventory from theft or damage is essential, and carousel storage systems do just that.

Vertical carousels and vertical lift modules store supplies in an enclosed environment with locking doors and horizontal carousels can be enclosed with a safety fence or plexiglass walls with automatic locking access doors. The carousels also have password-protected access controls to ensure that only authorized users can access the carousels.