Multidisciplinary Engineering for the Utilization of Traditional Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) for Firefighting in Warehouses

ASRS is usually installed in a factory or warehouse to increase storage capacity, floor space utilization, labor productivity in storage operations and stock rotations etc. ASRS systems are custom-planned for each individual application, and they range in complexity from relatively small mechanized systems that are controlled manually to very large computercontrolled systems that are fully integrated with factory and warehouse operations. The purpose of the present paper is to gain experience in multidiscipline engineering through the design, fabrication and implementation of ASRS model in a capstone (graduation) project. The scope of the project was extended by considering the fire fighting in ASRS warehouses. In the present project, the students designed, manufactured and implemented an ASRS model. The model was automatically controlled by a microcontroller-based electronic circuit. The students succeeded in designing, building and testing their model. Based on their practical experience, they proposed a new technique for firefighting in ASRS warehouses.