Dense freezer storage, freezer-rated automated picking, and PES orchestration of all cold zone equipment — one system for your entire cold chain operation.
Arctic Series continuous operation
Workers required in the freezer zone
Temperature zones covered
Orchestration system for all zones
Cold chain operations face challenges that compound on each other. Freezer staffing is brutal — turnover is relentless and OSHA requirements are significant when workers spend 8 hours at −20°F. Freezer space costs significantly more per square foot than ambient — every wasted cube is expensive. And outbound accuracy is unforgiving — temperature-sensitive product can’t wait on the dock.
Turnover in freezer positions runs disproportionately high. Nobody wants to spend a shift at −20°F. OSHA cold stress regulations add compliance overhead. The staffing problem compounds every other operational challenge.
Freezer space is the most expensive real estate in the building. Every aisle dedicated to forklift access, every wasted cube, every inefficient storage configuration is money spent on refrigeration you’re not using.
Temperature-sensitive product can’t wait on an ambient dock. Pallets must leave the freezer in the right sequence for the right truck at the right time. One sequencing error means a temperature compliance failure.
RackBot is a 4-way pallet shuttle ASRS rated for continuous operation at −20°F. High-density storage without dedicated crane aisles — more pallets in less floor space, in the zone where space costs the most.
Rack-at-the-dock architecture means retrieved pallets travel roughly 25 feet to the dock face — not 150 meters down a traditional freezer aisle. PES manages every retrieval, sequences outbound pulls, and coordinates handoffs to the pick system automatically. Nothing waits on a forklift driver.
Deep-lane pallet shuttle racking — RackBot operates on the rails at every level, eliminating dedicated forklift aisles and maximizing cube utilization.
Higher cost per sq ft vs. ambient warehouse space
Pallet retrieval to dock with rack-at-the-dock architecture
Continuous operational rating — no exceptions
Dedicated crane aisles required
Prime’s cold chain picking architecture uses a freezer-rated layer picker or case picker that operates directly inside the freezer zone — alongside RackBot ASRS — so workers never have to enter the cold environment at all.
This is the key distinction from conventional cold chain picking. The automation goes into the freezer. Your people work in ambient conditions. The “nobody in the freezer” outcome is a function of where the picking equipment operates, not where product gets staged.
Pallets built and picked inside the cold zone — freezer-rated equipment handles retrieval and picking so workers operate in ambient conditions throughout.
Deep-lane ASRS pulls from storage at −20°F on PES command
Layer or case picker operates inside the cold zone — no human required
Mixed SKU or single SKU — PES sequences for outbound compliance
Right truck, right door, right time — temperature compliance maintained
At a live Regional Distribution & Manufacturing Operation, PES controls cranes operating inside the freezer zone via PLC device wrapper — without Prime robots physically entering that zone.
The crane has a PLC. PES wraps it. WorkFlow Studio orchestrates it alongside Arctic Series robots in the cooler and the pick system in the freezer — one system, one view, every temperature zone. Prime’s orchestration reaches into equipment zones where even Arctic Series robots don’t go.
If your freezer already has cranes or other equipment with PLCs or APIs, PES can wrap them and fold them into the orchestrated workflow — without replacing them.
PES-controlled cranes operating inside the freezer zone via PLC wrapper, coordinated with Arctic Series robots in the cooler — all from a single WorkFlow Studio view. — Regional Distribution & Manufacturing Operation
Arctic Series AMR operating in a live cold chain deployment — PES orchestrates robot movement, crane operation, and pick sequencing from a single WorkFlow Studio view.
MobilePallet AMR · MobileShelf AMR · All 17 station types
Arctic Series MobilePallet · Arctic Series MobileShelf
RackBot ASRS · Freezer-rated picker · Cranes via PLC wrapper
Outbound conveyor and automated pallet wrapping — PES times every pallet movement from freezer retrieval through dock staging.
Cold chain outbound isn’t pick-and-ship. Pallets must leave the freezer in the right sequence for the right truck at the right time — product that sits on an ambient dock loses temperature compliance.
PES orchestrates the entire outbound sequence as an engineered constraint — from freezer retrieval timing through dock lane assignment and truck loading order.
PES times freezer retrieval to match truck departure windows — product stays cold until the dock is ready.
Right truck, right door, right sequence — orchestrated automatically. No manual staging decisions.
Single SKU and mixed SKU pallets sequence for truck loading automatically. Compliance built in, not checked after.
Most cold chain automation vendors cover one zone well. Prime covers three — with the same orchestration layer, the same software platform, and one vendor accountable for all of it.
| Zone | Hardware | PES Capability | Key Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AmbientStandard | MobilePallet AMR · MobileShelf AMR · All 17 station types | Full native orchestration — all workflows, all station types, WorkFlow Studio | Goods-to-person, palletizing, mixed-order fulfillment, outbound staging |
| Cooler34–38°F | Arctic Series MobilePallet AMR · Arctic Series MobileShelf AMR | Native PES orchestration — same WorkFlow Studio, same Site Manager | Cooler picks, ambient-to-cool handoffs, continuous cold operation |
| Freezer−20°F | Arctic Series RackBot ASRS · Freezer-rated layer/case picker · PES-controlled cranes via PLC wrapper | PLC device wrapper — freezer cranes orchestrated without Prime robots in zone | Dense pallet storage · Humanless picking inside cold zone · Compliance sequencing |
Dense freezer storage, freezer-rated automated picking, PES control of freezer equipment, and automated outbound sequencing — delivered by one vendor, on one system, from ambient through −20°F.
Arctic Series robots handle cooler and freezer zones. RaaS financing makes cold chain automation an operational expense, not a capital project.
RackBot ASRS at −20°F — 4-way shuttle, no dedicated crane aisles, rack-at-the-dock. Maximum cube utilization in the most expensive space in your building.
Freezer-rated layer picker and case picker operate inside the cold zone. Workers never enter. Picking is automated where the product actually lives.
PES controls cranes inside the freezer via PLC device wrapper — without Prime robots in that zone. Existing capital equipment becomes part of the orchestrated system.
PES orchestrates the complete outbound sequence — retrieval timing, dock lane assignment, truck load order. Temperature compliance engineered in, not checked after.
MobilePallet AMR and MobileShelf AMR in Arctic Series configuration — −20°F rated, cooler and freezer capable. Same PES orchestration as ambient fleet.
Robotics as a Service — operational expense model. Cold chain automation without the capital outlay. One monthly cost covers hardware, software, and ongoing support.
Whether you’re dealing with freezer staffing, space efficiency, or outbound accuracy — or all three — we’ll walk you through exactly what Prime can do for your operation.
We respond within one business day. No sales pressure.
