AUTOMATION IN MANUFACTURING

(PROFESSIONAL ELECTIVE-V)

UNIT-I
AUTOMATION IN PRODUCTION SYSTEM: Types of automation, reasons for automation,
automation principles and strategies, levels of automation.
MATERIAL TRANSPORT SYSTEMS: Material handling equipment, design considerations
in material handling, material transport equipment.
MATERIAL STORAGE SYSTEMS: Types of material stored in a factory, conventional
methods of storage and equipment, automated storage and retrieval systems
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 The Great Soviet Encyclopedia(1979) https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/
 M.P. Groover, “Automation, Production Systems and Computer Integrated
Manufacturing”, Pearson and PHI
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AUTOMATION IN PRODUCTION SYSTEM:

Automation of production is a process in the development
of mechanized production in which the control and monitoring functions previously perfo
rmed by humans are transferred to instruments and automatic devices.
Automation of production is the basis of the development of modern industry and a gen
eral
trend in technical progress. Its goal is to improve the efficiency of labor and the quality o
f
manufactured products and to create conditions for the optimum utilization of all product
ion
resources. Partial, integrated, and total automation of production are distinguished.
Partial automation of production is defined more precisely as automation of specific productio
operations and is achieved in those cases where process control is practically inaccessible to
human effort because of the complexity or rapidity of the process and where simple automatic
devices can effectively replace human labor. As a rule, working production equipment is
partially automated. As automation equipment is perfected and its range of application is
expanded, partial automation is found to be most effective where the manufacturing
equipment is designed to be automated from the outset.
Partial automation includes automation of control operations.
In integrated automation of production, the production section, the production shop, the plant,
or the electric power station functions as a unified interrelated automated complex. Integrated
automation of production encompasses all of the basic functions of the enterprise, farm, or ser
vice. It is feasible only in the case of highly developed production based on modern technology
and sophisticated methods of control using highly reliable production equipment acting accordi
ng to a prespecified or self-
adaptive program. The human function is limited to overall monitoring and control of the entire
complex.
Total automation of production is the highest stage of automation. It provides for the transfer o
f all functions involving control and monitoring of complex automated production to automatic
control systems. Total automation of production is instituted when the line of production to be
automated is practicable and stable, production conditions remain practically unchanged, and p
ossible deviations can be taken into account beforehand; total automation is also used in inacce
ssible situations or where conditions are hazardous to human health or life.
Factors determining the degree of automation are primarily cost and feasibility under specific p
roduction conditions. Automation of production does not imply a complete displacement of hu
man workers by automatons, but the direction of human labor activities and the nature of the h
uman-
machine interaction do undergo changes. Human labor acquires new qualitative nuances, beco
ming more complex and meaningful. The emphasis in human labor activities is transferred to te
chnical servicing of automatic machinery and analytic and administrative activities.
The work done by a single worker becomes just as important as the work done by an entire sub
division (production section, production shop, laboratory). With the change in the nature of lab
or, the content of workers’ skills changes simultaneously. Many old professions based on heavy
physical labor are eliminated. The proportion of scientific and technical workers in production i
ncreases rapidly, since they are needed not only to keep the complicated equipment functionin
g normally but also to devise and design new and more sophisticated equipment.
Automation of production is one of the basic factors in the modern scientific and technical revol
ution which is opening up unprecedented opportunities for mankind to transform nature, to cre
ate enormous material wealth, and to multiply the creative capabilities of humanity. However,
capitalism, as was pointed out in the basic document of the International Conference of Comm
unist and Labor Parties (June 1969, Moscow), utilizes these opportunities to increase profits an
d to intensify the exploitation of the working people. Automation of production, while perfecte
d in form under the conditions prevailing in capitalist society, remains in essence a means of ex
ploitation and is directed primarily toward maximum utilization of equipment and objects of lab
or in the interests of monopolistic capital and safeguarding its domination.
Rapid nervous exhaustion of workers, a considerable lag in the rise of wages behind the rise in l
abor productivity, and intensification of labor lead to the reproduction of social antagonisms an
d to the engendering of new contradictions. First and foremost, there is the contradiction betw
een the unusual opportunities opened up by the scientific and technical revolution and the obst
acles that capitalism places in the path of their use in the interests of society as a whole by dive
rting the bulk of the discoveries of science and enormous material resources to military purpos
es and squandering national wealth. The increasing alienation of the worker, his subordinate po
sition with respect to the automated machine, oppression on the part of the entire capitalist ad
ministrative system—all of this stimulates increased protest on the part of workers in capitalist
countries against automation of production.
Automation of production under socialist conditions is one of the basic methods of developing t
he national economy. Thanks to the socialist nature of property, planned organization of produ
ction, and the active participation of manual workers and intellectual workers in the manageme
nt and control of the economy, optimum utilization of opportunities to speed up economic dev
elopment and satisfy most fully the needs of all the members of society becomes a realistic pro
spect. These opportunities came to light as a result of the scientific and technical revolution. In
the USSR automation of production not only brings about maximum savings, while creating a w
ealth of material and cultural value for society, but also acts gradually to wipe out, by means of
full employment, the differences between physical and intellectual labor.

TYPES OF AUTOMATION
Automated production systems can be classified into three basic types:
1. Fixed automation,
2. Programmable automation, and
3. Flexible automation.

FIXED AUTOMATION
It is a system in which the sequence of processing (or assembly) operations is fixed by the
equipment configuration. The operations in the sequence are usually simple. It is the
integration and coordination of many such operations into one piece of equipment that makes
the system complex. The typical features of fixed automation are:
a. High initial investment for custom–Engineered equipment;
b. High production rates; and
c. Relatively inflexible in accommodating product changes.
Examples of fixed automation include mechanized assembly and machining transfer lines.
PROGRAMMABLE AUTOMATION
In this the production equipment is designed with the capability to change the sequence of
operations to accommodate different product configurations. The operation sequence is
controlled by a program, which is a set of instructions coded so that the system can read and
interpret them. New programs can be prepared and entered into the equipment to produce
new products. Some of the features that characterize programmable automation are:
a. High investment in general-purpose equipment;
b. Low production rates relative to fixed automation;
c. Flexibility to deal with changes in product configuration; and
d. Most suitable for batch production.
Examples of programmed automation include numerically controlled machine tools and
industrial robots.
FLEXIBLE AUTOMATION
It is an extension of programmable automation. A flexible automated system is one that is
capable of producing a variety of products (or parts) with virtually no time lost for changeovers
from one product to the next. There is no production time lost while reprogramming the
system and altering the physical setup (tooling, fixtures, and machine setting). Consequently,
the system can produce various combinations and schedules of products instead of requiring
that they be made in separate batches. The features of flexible automation can be summarized
as follows:
1. High investment for a custom-engineered system.
2. Continuous production of variable mixtures of products.
3. Medium production rates.
4. Flexibility to deal with product design variations.
The essential features that distinguish flexible automation from programmable automation are:
1. the capacity to change part programs with no lost production time; and
2. the capability to changeover the physical setup, again with no lost production time.
For these approaches to be successful; the variety of parts that can be made on a flexible
automated production system is usually more limited than a system controlled by
programmable automation.
The relative positions of the three types of automation for different production volumes and
product varieties are depicted in the following figure.

REASONS FOR AUTOMATION

 To increase labor productivity. ...
 To reduce labor cost. ...
 To mitigate the effects of labor shortages. ...
 To reduce or eliminate routine manual and clerical tasks. ...
 To improve worker safety. ...
 To improve product quality. ...
 To reduce manufacturing lead time. ...
 To accomplish processes that cannot be done manually
 To avoid the high cost of not automating

AUTOMATION PRINCIPLES AND STARTEGIES

USA PRINCIPLE:
Understand, simplify and automate the process

Following the USA Principle is a good first step in any automation project.
The USA Principle is a common sense approach to automation projects. Similar procedures have
been suggested in the manufacturing and automation trade literature, but none has a more
captivating title than this one.

USA stands for:

1. Understand the existing process
2. Simplify the process
3. Automate the process.
It may turn out that automation of the process is unnecessary or cannot be cost justified after it
has been simplified.

If automation seems a feasible solution to improving productivity, quality, or other measure of

performance, then the following ten strategies provide a road map to search for these
improvements.

TEN STRATEGIES FOR AUTOMATION AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

1. Specialization of operations

The first strategy involves the use of special-purpose equipment designed to perform one
operation with the greatest possible efficiency.This is analogous to the concept of labor
specialization, which is employed to improve labor productivity.

2. Combined operations

Production occurs as a sequence of operations.

Complex parts may require dozens, or even hundreds, of processing steps. The strategy of
combined operations involves reducing the number of distinct production machines or
workstations through which the part must be routed.

This is accomplished by performing more than one operation at a given machine, thereby
reducing the number of separate machines needed.Manufacturing lead time is reduced for
better customer service.

3. Simultaneous operations

A logical extension of the combined operations strategy is to simultaneously perform the

operations that are combined at one workstation. In effect, two or more processing (or
assembly) operations are being performed simultaneously on the same workpart, thus reducing
total processing time.

4. Integration of operations

Another strategy is to link several workstations together into a single integrated mechanism,
using automated work handling devices to transfer parts between stations. In effect, this
reduces the number of separate machines through which the product must be scheduled.With
more than one workstation, several parts can be processed simultaneously, thereby increasing
the overall output of the system.

5. Increased flexibility

This strategy attempts to achieve maximum utilization of equipment for job shop and medium
volume situations by using the same equipment for a variety of parts or products. It involves
the use of the flexible automation concepts.

6. Improved material handling and storage

A great opportunity for reducing nonpro-ductive time exists in the use of automated material
handling and storage systems.Typical benefits include reduced work-in-process and shorter
manufacturing lead times.

7. On-line inspection

Inspection for quality of work is traditionally performed after the process is completed. This
means that any poor quality product has already been produced by the time it is inspected.
Incorporating inspection into the manufacturing process permits corrections to the process as
the product is being made.This reduces scrap and brings the overall quality of product closer to
the nominal specifications intended by the designer.

8. Process control and optimization

This includes a wide range of control schemes intended to operate the individual
processes and associated equipment more efficiently. By this strategy, the individual process
times can be reduced and product quality improved.

9. Plant operations control

Whereas the previous strategy was concerned with the control of the individual manufacturing
process, this strategy is concerned with control at the plant level. It attempts to manage and
coordinate the aggregate operations in the plant more efficiently.Its implementation usually
involves a high level of computer networking within the factory.

10. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM)

Taking the previous strategy one level higher, we have the integration of factory operations
with engineering design and the business functions of the firm.CIM involves extensive use of:

 Computer applications,
 Computer data bases, and
 Computer networking throughout the enterprise.

AUTOMATION MIGRATION STRATEGY:

Owing to competitive pressures in the marketplace, a company often needs to introduce a
new product in the shortest possible time. The easiest and least expensive way to accomplish
this objective is to design a manual production method, using a sequence of workstations
operating independently.

The tooling for a manual method can be fabricated quickly and at low cost. If more than a
single set of workstations is required to make the product in sufficient quantities, as is often
the case, then the manual cell is replicated as many times as needed to meet demand.

If the product turns out to be successful, and high future demand is anticipated, then it makes
sense for the company to automate production.
The improvements are often carried out in phases. Many companies have an automation
migration strategy, that is, a formalized plan for evolving the manufacturing systems used to
produce new products as demand grows.

A typical automation migration strategy is the following:

Figure 1 – A typical automation migration strategy. (1) Phase 1: manual production with single
independent workstations. (2) Phase 2: automated production stations with manual handling between
sta- tions. (3) Phase 3: automated integrated production with automated handling between stations.
Key: Aut=automated workstation.
Phase 1 – Manual production

Manual production using single station manned cells operating independently.This is used for
introduction of the new product for reasons already mentioned: quick and low cost tooling
to get started.

Phase 2 – Automated production

Automated production using single station automated cells operating independently. As

demand for the product grows, and it becomes clear that automation can be justified, then
the single stations are automated to reduce labor and increase production rate.

Work units are still moved between workstations manually.

Phase 3 – Automated integrated production

Automated integrated production using a multistation automated system with serial

operations and automated transfer of work units between stations.

When the company is certain that the product will be produced in mass quantities and for
several years, then integration of the single station automated cells is warranted to further
reduce labor and increase production rate.

LEVELS OF AUTOMATION
The concept of automated systems can be applied to various levels of factory operations. One
normally associates automation with the individual production machines. However, the
production machine itself made up of subsystems that may themselves be automated. we can
identify five possible levels of automation in a production plant.

Device level. This is the lowest level in our automation hierarchy. It includes the actuators,
sensors, and other hardware components that comprise the machine level. The devices are
combined into the individual control loops of the machine; for ex· ample, the feedback control
loop for one axis of a CNC machine or one joint of an industrial robot.
Machine level. Hardware at the device level is assembled into individual machines. Examples
include CNC machine tools and similar production equipment, powered conveyors, and
automated guided vehicles. Control functions at this level include performing the sequence of
steps in the program of instructions in the correct order and making sure that each step is
properly executed.
Cell or system level. This is the manufacturing cell or system level, which operates under
instructions from the plant level. A manufacturing cell or system is a group of machines or
workstations connected and supported by a material handling system, computer. and other
equipment appropriate to the manufacturing process. Production lines arc included in this
level. functions include part dispatching and machine loading. coordination among machines
and material handling system, and collecting and cvaluating,inspection data.

Plant level. This is the factory or production systems level. It receives instructions from the
corporate information system and translates them into operational plans for production. Likely
functions include: order processing, process planning, inventory control, purchasing, material
requirements planning, shop floor control, and quality control.

Enterprise level. This is the highest level consisting of the corporate information system. It is
concerned with all of the functions necessary to manage the company: marketing and sales,
accounting, design, research, aggregate planning, and master production scheduling.
MATERIAL TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
Material Handling Equipment
Broadly material handling equipment’s can be classified into two categories, namely:

a. Fixed path equipments, and

b. Variable path equipments.

a) Fixed path equipments which move in a fixed path. Conveyors, monorail devices, chutes and
pulley drive equipments belong to this category. A slight variation in this category is provided
by the overhead crane, which though restricted, can move materials in any manner within a
restricted area by virtue of its design. Overhead cranes have a very good range in terms of
hauling tonnage and are used for handling bulky raw materials, stacking and at times palletizing

b) Variable path equipments have no restrictions in the direction of movement although their
size is a factor to be given due consideration trucks, forklifts mobile cranes and industrial
tractors belong to this category. Forklifts are available in many ranges, they are maneuverable
and various attachments are provided to increase their versatility.

Material Handing Equipments may be classified in five major categories.

1. CONVEYORS
Conveyors are useful for moving material between two fixed workstations, either
continuously or intermittently. They are mainly used for continuous or mass production
operations indeed, they are suitable for most operations where the flow is more or less
steady. Conveyors may be of various types, with rollers, wheels or belts to help move the
material along: these may be power-driven or may roll freely. The decision to provide
conveyors must be taken with care, since they are usually costly to install; moreover, they
are less flexible and, where two or more converge, it is necessary to coordinate the speeds
at which the two conveyors move.
2. INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS
Industrial trucks are more flexible in use than conveyors since they can move between
various points and are not permanently fixed in one place. They are, therefore, most suitable
for intermittent production and for handling various sizes and shapes of material. There are
many types of truck- petrol-driven, electric, hand-powered, and so on. Their greatest
advantage lies in the wide range of attachments available; these increase the trucks ability
to handle various types and shapes of material.
3. CRANES AND HOISTS
The major advantage of cranes and hoists is that they can move heavy materials through
overhead space. However, they can usually serve only a limited area. Here again, there are
several types of crane and hoist, and within each type there are various loading capacities.
Cranes and hoists may be used both for intermittent and for continuous production.
4. CONTAINERS
These are either ‘dead’ containers (e.g. Cartons, barrels, skids, pallets) which hold the
material to be transported but do not move themselves, or ‘live’ containers (e.g. wagons,
wheelbarrows or computer self-driven containers). Handling equipments of this kind can
both contain and move the material, and is usually operated manually.
5. ROBOTS
Many types of robot exist. They vary in size, and in function and maneuverability. While
many robots are used for handling and transporting material, others are used to perform
operations such as welding or spray painting. An advantage of robots is that they can
perform in a hostile environment such as unhealthy conditions or carry on arduous tasks
such as the repetitive movement of heavy materials.
The choice of material-handling equipment among the various possibilities that exist is not
easy. In several cases the same material may be handled by various types of equipments, and
the great diversity of equipment and attachments available does not make the problem any
easier. In several cases, however, the nature of the material to be handled narrows the choice.

Transport Equipment

Transport equipment is used to move material from one location to another (e.g., between
workplaces, between a loading dock and a storage area, etc.) within a facility or at a site.

The major subcategories of transport equipment are:

A. Conveyors. Equipment used to move materials over a fixed path between specific
points.

B. Cranes. Equipment used to move materials over variable paths within a restricted area.

C. Industrial Trucks. Equipment used to move materials over variable paths, with no
restrictions on the area covered by the movement (i.e., unrestricted area).
D. No Equipment. Material can also be transported manually using no equipment.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS IN MATERIAL HANDLING:

FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION IN MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM DESIGN

The material handling system design process is iterative. The analyzer has to go back and forth
between the different steps until a satisfactory design has been obtained and can be
implemented. The major factors for consideration in material handling system design are:

1. Material

i. Form – gas, liquid, semi – liquid, solid

ii. Nature – bulk, unit load, individual items, fragile, sturdy, bulky
iii. Characteristics – chemical, electrical, mechanical
iv. Quantity – pieces, pounds, gallons, other

2. Move

i. Source and destination – receiving, stockroom, ware house, same floor, other floor,
other department
ii. Route – location , range, path, cross traffic
iii. Distance – horizontal, vertical, inclined
iv. Frequency – intermittent, uniform, regular, irregular, unpredictable
v. Speed

3. Methods

i. Unit or load – bulk, items, containers

ii. Manpower – one, several, many, none
iii. Equipment – conveyor, forklift truck, crane etc.

Factors Affecting the Selection of Material Handling equipment

The following factors are to be taken into account while selecting material handling equipment.

1. PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIAL

Whether it is solid, liquid or gas, and in what size, shape and weight it is to be moved, are
important considerations and can already lead to a preliminary elimination from the range
of available equipment under review. Similarly, if a material is fragile, corrosive or toxic this
will imply that certain handling methods and containers will be preferable to others.
2. LAYOUT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUILDING
Another restricting factor is the availability of space for handling. Low-level ceiling may
preclude the use of hoists or cranes, and the presence of supporting columns in awkward
places can limit the size of the material-handling equipment. If the building is multi-storied,
chutes or ramps for industrial trucks may be used. Layout itself will indicate the type of
production operation (continuous, intermittent, fixed position or group) and can indicate
some items of equipment that will be more suitable than others. Floor capacity also helps in
selecting the best material handling equipment.
3. PRODUCTION FLOW
If the flow is fairly constant between two fixed positions that are not likely to change, fixed
equipment such as conveyors or chutes can be successfully used. If, on the other hand, the
flow is not constant and the direction changes occasionally from one point to another
because several products are being produced simultaneously, moving equipment such as
trucks would be preferable.
MATERIAL STORAGE SYSTEMS
Types of materials stored in a factory:
Storage is an essential function in an automation system. The material storage system allows
materials to be stocked for a specified period of time, before they are re-introduced, or are
introduced for the first time, into the automation system.
The types of stored material are related to :
Product (e.g. raw materials,purchased parts, work-in-process, finished products, and scrap and
rework)
Process (e.g. process refuse, such as process waste products; and tooling),
Overall support functions in the factory (e.g. maintenance spare parts, office supplies, and plant
records).
Each of these material types is typically stored under different conditions and controls.
STORAGE LOCATION STRATEGIES
Storage location strategies organise stock in a storage system, and have a considerable impact
upon storage system performance.Two basic strategies that are deployed are: randomised
storage, and dedicated storage.It should be noted that both strategies take advantage of stock-
keeping-units (SKUs), which uniquely identifies an item type. Inventory records keep a count on
the quantities of each type of SKU that has a place in the storage system.

Randomised storage:Items are stored in any available location in the storage system,
typically in the nearest available open location. For retrieval, SKUs are taken from storage on a
first-in-first-out policy so that the items held in storage the longest are moved out first.Less
storage space is generally required for randomised storage systems, although this affects
throughput rates by reducing them, sometimes significantly.

Dedicated storage:SKUs are assigned to specific locations in the storage facility, so that pre-
defined reservation of SKUs can take place, and the system may be designed to accommodate
maximum levels of particular SKUs held in inventory. The basis for specifying the storage
locations is usually done by: storing items in part number, or product number sequence; storing
items as per activity level, with more active SKUs being placed closer to input/output stations;
or storing items according to their activity-to-space ratios, with higher ratios being located
closer to input/output stations.More storage space is generally required for dedicated storage
systems, although with the consequent advantage of higher throughput times being achieved.

Conventional methods of storage and equipment

Conventional storage methods and equipment to support the various strategies outlined above, are
detailed in Table
Automated storage and retrieval systems
Automation—when applied to storage systems—tends to minimise human interaction with the
storage function; this, in turn, requires an examination of the level of automation that may be
required for a particular storage system, and the methods of application that must be used to
achieve a successful amalgamation of storage capabilities, coupled to automation processes.
Less automated systems, still with a considerable level of human interaction (for example, to
handle storage/retrieval transactions), may also be utilised: in such cases, automation must be
built around the human element remaining in the system. Highly automated storage systems,
meanwhile, usually relegate the operator to the role of data management, whilst automation
carries-out the rest of the workload of the system.
Automated storage can be divided into the following headings:

 Automated storage/retrieval systems

 Carousel storage systems.
Automated Storage/Retrieval Systems An automated storage/retrieval system (AS/RS) is a
storage system that performs storage and retrieval operations with speed and accuracy under a
defined degree of automation. Different levels of automation may be applied. At one extreme,
the AS/RS is completely automated. This can include a full compliment of totally automated,
computer-controlled storage functions that are integrated into overall factory or warehouse
operations. At the other extreme it may use human workers to control equipment and perform
storage/retrieval transactions. Using modular components, available from AS/RS vendors, the
AS/RS system is custom-designed to fit the requirements of the plant in which it is installed.
An automated storage/retrieval system (AS/RS) is a storage system that performs storage and
retrieval operations with speed and accuracy under a defined degree of automation.
The basic equipment of the AS/RS include a rack structure used for storing loads, plus a
storage/retrieval (S/R) mechanism with three dimensions of motion (x, y, z). Additionally, the
AS/RS maintains one or more storage aisles that are serviced by the S/R mechanism. The S/R
mechanism is used to deliver materials to the storage racks and to retrieve materials from the
racks. Each aisle has an input/output station where storage deliveries are transferred into the
system, or out-of the system; these stations are known as pickup-and-deposit (P&D) stations.
P&D stations may be manually operated or connected to an automated transport system, such
as a conveyor or an AGVS .
An AS/RS consists of a rack structure and storage/retrieval mechanism that operates to deliver
materials into and out-of the storage system, via pickup-and deposit stations.
Different types of AS/RS

Unit load AS/RS:

A large automated system designed to handle unit loads stored on pallets or other containers.
Computer-controlled, with automated S/R customised for unit load handling. Basic form of AS/RS, with
all those below being variations of this initial type.

Deep-lane AS/RS :

High-density unit load storage system. Used with large quantities of stock, but where the number of
separate stock types (SKUs) is relatively small. Loads are stored one behind another, with up to ten loads
in a single rack, in the deep-lane system. Access is ensured by the ‘flow-through’ system, whereby loads
are input on one side of the rack by an S/R machine, and retrieved on the other side by another S/R
machine.

Mini-load AS/RS: Used to handle small loads that are contained in bins or drawers in the storage
system. The S/R machine retrieves the bin and delivers it to a P&D station at the aisle’s end, so that
individual items may be withdrawn. The P&D station is usually operated manually. The bin is then
returned to its location in the storage system.

Man-on-board AS/RS

In this system a human operator rides on the carriage of the S/R machine, so as to allow for the manual
retrieval of items directly from their storage locations. This allows for increases in system throughput.

Automated item retrieval system

Have the same functionalities as mini-load AS/RS, but the items are stored in lanes rather than bins or
drawers. When an item is retrieved, it is pushed from its storage position so that it drops onto a
conveyor for delivery to the pickup station. Replenishment of the storage system is accomplished using
a first-in/first-out inventory rotation policy.

Vertical lift storage modules (VLSM)

Also known as vertical lift automated storage/retrieval systems (VLAS/RS). Here the same principles as
the above AS/RS types are followed, except that instead of a horizontal aisle, the aisle is vertical