SSI Schaefer is a German material handling and logistics systems company with a notably broad product range, spanning manual shelving and bin systems at one end through fully automated ASRS and conveyor systems at the other. As part of the Schaefer Group, SSI Schaefer employs approximately 10,000 people globally and has a large installed base in European manufacturing and distribution. In the US market, SSI Schaefer serves industrial parts distribution, retail distribution, and manufacturing intralogistics. This review covers SSI Schaefer's key products, software platform, market positioning, and what logistics operations should understand before evaluating SSI Schaefer.
Key Takeaways
- SSI Schaefer's product breadth spans from manual shelving and bin storage through automated conveyor, ASRS (Cuby shuttle, SCC mini-load), and robotic picking systems — making it relevant at multiple stages of an operation's automation maturity and allowing a single-vendor approach across automation phases.
- WAMAS is SSI Schaefer's WMS and WCS software platform, providing both warehouse management and material flow control for SSI Schaefer-automated facilities, comparable in architecture to Swisslog's SynQ and TGW's SYNAOS.
- SSI Schaefer's industrial intralogistics strength — manufacturing material flow systems, Kanban-managed component supply, and intralogistics AGVs (WEASEL tow train robot) — differentiates it from the ecommerce-focused positioning of Dematic and Vanderlande.
- Cuby is SSI Schaefer's cube storage ASRS (similar in concept to AutoStore), providing high-density tote storage for operations evaluating cube storage technology alongside AutoStore/Swisslog and conventional shuttle ASRS alternatives.
- SSI Schaefer's US presence includes project management and service operations, but the company's largest installed base is in Europe; US operations should verify regional service coverage for their specific facility location.
SSI Schaefer Product Portfolio
Shelving and Bin Storage Systems
SSI Schaefer's roots are in shelving and bin storage products: modular steel shelving, bin storage systems (the FAMI and R3000 product lines), and vertical carousel storage. These products serve operations that are not yet automating their storage but need organized, high-density manual storage infrastructure.
The breadth from manual shelving to automated ASRS within a single vendor relationship allows operations to start with SSI Schaefer shelving and migrate toward automation over time, with SSI Schaefer providing both the initial infrastructure and the eventual automated replacement.
Cuby Cube Storage ASRS
Cuby is SSI Schaefer's cube storage ASRS, a system conceptually similar to AutoStore: storage bins stacked in a dense grid, with robots traveling on rails on top of the grid to retrieve bins from below. Cuby competes with AutoStore (integrated by Swisslog and others) in the cube storage market.
The cube storage design achieves high storage density in a relatively small footprint, at the trade-off of lower throughput per square foot compared to shuttle-based ASRS like the Multishuttle or OSR Shuttle. Cuby is well-suited to operations where storage density is the primary constraint and throughput requirements are moderate.
For operations evaluating AutoStore, Cuby provides an alternative cube storage option from a different vendor, with SSI Schaefer's own engineering and support rather than an AutoStore integrator relationship.
SCC Mini-Load ASRS
SSI Schaefer's SCC (Schaefer Carousel System) and mini-load ASRS provide crane-based automated storage for totes and containers in tall storage aisles. Mini-load ASRS differs from shuttle-based ASRS in that a single crane per aisle serves the full aisle height, retrieving totes from any location in the aisle.
Mini-load ASRS throughput is lower than shuttle-based systems due to the single crane per aisle constraint, but mini-load is lower cost and simpler to maintain. For operations with moderate throughput requirements and sensitivity to capital cost, mini-load ASRS is a viable alternative to shuttle-based systems.
WAMAS Software Platform
Warehouse Management and Control
WAMAS is SSI Schaefer's software platform providing both WMS and WCS functions. WAMAS manages order orchestration, inventory management, and material flow control for SSI Schaefer-automated distribution centers — providing a unified software layer that reduces the integration complexity of separate WMS and WCS platforms.
WAMAS integrates with enterprise ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) for inventory and order data exchange, and manages the physical automation layer (mini-load ASRS, Cuby, conveyor, WEASEL) through the WCS component. For operations deploying SSI Schaefer automation alongside an existing ERP, WAMAS operates as the warehouse execution layer between the ERP and the physical automation.
WAMAS Analytics
SSI Schaefer has invested in analytics capabilities within WAMAS, providing operational dashboards for throughput, utilization, and exception monitoring at the system level. Operations that need management-level reporting beyond the system operational view — client-facing performance reporting for 3PLs, executive supply chain dashboards — typically require a custom analytics layer over WAMAS data.
WEASEL Autonomous Intralogistics Robot
Manufacturing and Intralogistics Tow Train
The WEASEL is SSI Schaefer's autonomous tow train robot for manufacturing intralogistics. WEASEL robots follow a magnetic tape track laid on the floor, pulling trains of carts between production stations, assembly lines, and storage areas in manufacturing environments.
WEASEL is particularly relevant for Kanban-managed manufacturing supply: robot trains collect full containers of parts from the warehouse or supply station and deliver them to assembly stations, picking up empty containers on the return trip. The automated milk run replaces manual tow trains or forklift transport for production supply without requiring fixed conveyor infrastructure.
For manufacturing operations using SSI Schaefer for both storage shelving and production supply automation, WEASEL provides intralogistics automation from the same vendor relationship.
SSI Schaefer's Market Position
Industrial and Manufacturing Intralogistics
SSI Schaefer's strongest market differentiation from pure ecommerce-focused integrators is in industrial manufacturing intralogistics. German and Central European manufacturing companies (automotive suppliers, machine manufacturers, electronics manufacturers) are a core SSI Schaefer customer segment where Kanban supply automation, material flow systems, and production intralogistics are primary requirements.
For US manufacturing operations evaluating intralogistics automation — particularly operations with European parent companies that have existing SSI Schaefer relationships in Europe — SSI Schaefer's manufacturing intralogistics capability is a meaningful differentiator.
Retail and Distribution
In retail and ecommerce distribution, SSI Schaefer competes with Dematic, Vanderlande, and Swisslog. The Cuby cube storage ASRS and SCC mini-load provide alternatives to the shuttle-based systems that the largest integrators lead with. SSI Schaefer's positioning in this segment is primarily as a value-alternative to the largest tier-one integrators, with system cost and single-vendor product breadth as differentiators.
What Operations Need to Know Before Engaging SSI Schaefer
US Service Coverage
SSI Schaefer has US operations with project management and service capability, but the US installed base is smaller than European. US operations in regions with lower SSI Schaefer field service density should verify service response coverage and technician travel time expectations for their facility location.
Product Range vs. Depth
SSI Schaefer's broad product range (from manual shelving to full ASRS) means any single product category has less depth than specialists. Vanderlande is more focused on sorters; Knapp is more focused on pharmaceutical ASRS; Swisslog is more focused on AutoStore. SSI Schaefer's depth in any single automation category is shallower than specialist competitors.
Pricing
SSI Schaefer pricing varies widely by product: manual shelving systems start in the low thousands; Cuby and WAMAS deployments start at $1 million to $3 million for mid-size operations; larger mini-load and integrated system deployments scale to tens of millions. Contact SSI Schaefer for project-specific quotations.
Conclusion
SSI Schaefer's breadth across the automation maturity spectrum — from manual storage through automated ASRS and manufacturing intralogistics — makes it a relevant vendor for operations that want to source multiple automation phases from a single relationship. WAMAS provides the unified WMS and WCS layer that simplifies the software stack for SSI Schaefer deployments. For US operations, verifying regional service coverage and comparing SSI Schaefer's product depth to more specialized competitors in the target automation category are the primary evaluation steps before project commitment.
Analytics and Management Reporting Over Your SSI Schaefer Investment
SSI Schaefer WAMAS deployments generate operational data — throughput, system utilization, picking workstation performance, exception rates — that WAMAS operational dashboards surface at the system level but do not present as the management and client-facing reporting that distribution center leadership needs.
LOW/CODE Agency builds custom logistics analytics applications that pull WMS and WCS data from WAMAS and other logistics platforms into management dashboards and client-facing reporting. If your SSI Schaefer automation generates data that is not reaching your leadership as useful reporting, schedule a consultation with our Senior Partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SSI Schaefer known for?
SSI Schaefer is known for a broad product range spanning manual shelving and bin storage through automated ASRS (Cuby cube storage, SCC mini-load), conveyor, WEASEL intralogistics robots, and WAMAS WMS and WCS software. SSI Schaefer has particular strength in European industrial manufacturing intralogistics.
What is SSI Schaefer Cuby?
Cuby is SSI Schaefer's cube storage ASRS, where storage bins are stacked in a dense grid and robots travel on top of the grid to retrieve bins. Cuby competes with AutoStore in the cube storage ASRS category, providing an alternative cube storage option without using the AutoStore product and integrator network.
What is WAMAS software?
WAMAS is SSI Schaefer's warehouse management and control system platform, providing both WMS (order and inventory management) and WCS (physical automation control) functions for SSI Schaefer-automated facilities. WAMAS integrates with enterprise ERP platforms and manages SSI Schaefer automation equipment through the WCS component.
What is the WEASEL robot?
The WEASEL is SSI Schaefer's autonomous tow train robot for manufacturing intralogistics. WEASEL follows magnetic tape tracks on the floor, pulling carts between production stations and storage areas for Kanban-managed production supply automation.
How does SSI Schaefer compare to Dematic?
Dematic is more US-focused with a broader AMR portfolio (iGo line) and stronger US service coverage. SSI Schaefer has a broader product range (including manual shelving and manufacturing intralogistics) and a larger European industrial reference base. Both offer shuttle ASRS and conveyor systems; Dematic's US service density is higher than SSI Schaefer's.
What industries does SSI Schaefer serve?
SSI Schaefer serves industrial manufacturing (particularly German and European manufacturing companies), retail distribution, ecommerce, and automotive supply chain operations. The company's manufacturing intralogistics capability is a differentiator in the manufacturing segment versus ecommerce-focused integrators.