Manufacturing and logistics automation is expanding into case handling, with Nowaste Logistics becoming the first company globally to install AutoStore’s AutoCase solution at one of its warehouses, according to Swisslog Australia and New Zealand.
The solution, supplied by Swisslog, is designed to allow cartons to be stored directly within an AutoStore system when they arrive, rather than being manually buffer-stored on pallets before being decanted into the automated storage system.
The Nowaste Logistics warehouse handles large volumes of apparel arriving from Asia in cartons. According to Swisslog, inbound stock for new seasonal collections can arrive weeks before outbound deliveries begin and may need to remain in storage for up to six months.
“Today, we manage this by buffer-storing the cartons on pallets in pallet racking and replenishing or decanting them into the system as goods are shipped. This requires extensive manual buffer handling,” said Patrik Johnfors, Head of Solution Design & Implementation at Nowaste Logistics.
Under the AutoCase setup, cartons can be stored within the AutoStore system and later retrieved either as complete cases for customer shipments or sent to a picking station for individual order fulfilment.
“AutoCase™ is a solution that is as simple as it is ingenious. It eliminates time-consuming manual work and increases efficiency, speed, and storage density in one of our highly automated warehouses,” Johnfors said.
Swisslog CEO EMEA Giulia Colombi said the installation provides an opportunity to test how automated case handling can broaden the applications of AutoStore technology.
“We see the AutoCase port as an important step forward as it expands the range of applications that can be automated with AutoStore technology,” Colombi said.
The AutoCase solution was launched in autumn 2025 and was installed at the Nowaste Logistics warehouse during the summer. Swisslog said the system is currently being tested with different carton types and sizes before it enters full operation.
Colombi said Nowaste Logistics was selected as the first AutoStore customer to pilot the technology because of its willingness to test new solutions and challenge established operating methods.
The installation is intended to support higher storage density and reduce manual handling, while allowing the same cartons to be used for either full-case shipments or individual order fulfilment within the automated system.
