Automotive Storage / Vertical & Modular Storage for Auto Parts Rooms

Vertical & Modular Storage for Auto Parts Rooms

Automated Vidir vertical lift modules, pan and shelving carousels and tire carousels — plus the modular drawer and mobile storage that pairs with them — for dealership parts departments, service centers, fleet shops and parts warehouses.

Parts technician picking from an automated vertical storage unit in a dealership parts room

85%

Floor space recovered (Vidir VLM)

352

Tires in one tire carousel

132,000 lb

Max VLM machine capacity

2,500 lb

Max carousel carrier load

System TypesLift ModulesCarouselsTire StorageModular StorageChoosingPlanningApplicationsFAQsShop Online

Your Parts Room Is Out of Floor, Not Out of Space

Tall Vidir vertical storage units installed floor to ceiling in a parts storage room
Vertical storage units using the full clear height of a parts storage room

Most parts departments hit the same wall. The SKU count keeps climbing, the building does not, and every extra part goes onto another shelf in another row — which means more walking, longer counter waits and small parts that quietly disappear. Meanwhile the top ten feet of the room stores nothing but air. Where the ceiling is tall but the floor is full, a second level is the other answer — see parts room mezzanines for dealerships and service facilities.

Vertical and modular storage attacks that directly. An automated machine turns clear height into working storage and delivers the part to a person standing still; modular drawers and mobile carriages shrink the footprint of everything that stays on the floor. Material Handling USA supplies and installs Vidir vertical lift modules, pan and shelving carousels and tire carousels, and integrates them with the drawers, shelving and counters already in the room.

This page is the vertical and automated half of auto parts storage. For steel, boltless, bin and counter shelving, static tire racks and pallet rack, see automotive shelving — the two pages are designed to be read together, and most real parts rooms end up using both.

Four Vertical Storage Systems for a Parts Room

Every specification below is Vidir’s published product data. Which machine fits depends on what your inventory looks like, not on which one is newest.

Front view of a Vidir vertical lift module with a tray presented at the access openingVidir Vertical Lift Module (VLM)Two tray towers with a central elevator that pulls a tray to a waist-height access opening. Vidir rates the machine at up to 132,000 lbs total with 600 lb or 1,000 lb tray options and heights past 23′. Height-sensing stores each tray at the pitch its contents actually need, so a parts room recovers the most cubic feet per square foot of floor.
Vidir Pan Carousel with rotating carriers loaded with small parts cartons and binsVidir Pan CarouselCarriers travel on a continuous vertical loop and stop at the operator. Vidir publishes up to 75% floor-space recovery, carrier capacities of 750–2,500 lbs and machine chain ratings of 13,000–39,000 lbs. The best fit for fast-moving counter SKUs where you want a whole shelf of parts presented at once.
Vidir Shelving Carousel with enclosed carriers holding shelved parts inventoryVidir Shelving CarouselA carousel built around shelved carriers instead of pans — useful when boxed parts, filters and packaged accessories are already binned and you want to lift the whole shelf population off the floor. Enclosed, keypad-secured and configurable to your carton sizes.
Vidir tire carousels installed along the wall of a dealership service departmentVidir Tire CarouselPurpose-built vertical tire storage: up to 352 tires in one standard unit, up to 70% of the floor area recovered, tires stored with or without rims, and a security keypad on the forward/reverse controls. Models handle tires up to 28″, 33″ or 44″ diameter.

Not sure which system your parts room needs?

Lay it out yourself in our free Automated Vertical Storage Designer — enter your clear height, SKU mix and footprint and send the configuration to our team. Or call and we will size it with you in a few minutes.

Open the Automated Vertical Storage Designer Request a Quote Call (800) 326-4403

Vertical Lift Modules for High-SKU Parts Inventory

Vidir vertical lift module access opening with a touchscreen control panel
VLM access opening with touchscreen tray controls

A vertical lift module stores trays in two towers with an elevator between them. Ask for a part, the elevator finds its tray and presents it at an access opening at working height. Nothing about the storage side of the machine is visible to the person picking — which is exactly why it works for the thousands of slow-moving parts that make a parts room feel full.

Vidir rates the VLM at up to 132,000 lbs of stored product with 600 lb or 1,000 lb trays, and drives it with a 10 HP vertical servo motor and a 2 HP horizontal feed. Published retrieval speeds are up to 2.3 ft per second vertically and 0.83 ft per second horizontally. Light curtains and variable height sensors are part of the standard package, the enclosure is full-height, and the machine carries the cCSAus mark with a seismic-ready design and a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Loaded Vidir VLM tray with cartons and divided bins packed by item heightTrays Packed by Height, Not by GuessVidir’s variable height sensor measures each tray as it returns and stores it at the closest available increment. Trays are 25.5″ or 32.5″ deep in 96″, 120″ and 144″ widths, with contents up to 30″ tall, so bumper brackets and boxed electronics can share one machine without wasting pitch.
Operator picking small spare parts from an extended vertical lift module trayOne Pick Face for Thousands of SKUsThe tray comes to the counter at waist height with light curtains across the opening. No ladders, no step stools, no walking the shelves — the reason parts managers see the biggest gains on slow-moving, high-SKU inventory rather than on the top 50 fast movers.
Row of three Vidir vertical lift modules using the full clear height of a buildingUses the Clear Height You Already Pay ForStandard regular-duty VLMs run from roughly 9′10″ to over 23′ tall in the published model table, adding storage volume as they get taller. Two or three units in a row consolidate an entire shelving room into one wall of the parts department.

Representative Vidir VLM Models

A sample of Vidir’s published regular-duty imperial model table with 32″ × 96″ trays. Taller machines add trays and storage volume on the same footprint; additional tray widths and depths are available.

Model Height Width Depth Max trays Storage (cu ft)
VLM118-3296 9′ 10″ 9′ 9″ 9′ 7″ 37 238
VLM146-3296 12′ 2″ 9′ 9″ 9′ 7″ 53 338
VLM181-3296 15′ 1″ 9′ 9″ 9′ 7″ 73 462
VLM216-3296 18′ 0″ 9′ 9″ 9′ 7″ 93 588
VLM251-3296 20′ 11″ 9′ 9″ 9′ 7″ 113 712
VLM286-3296 23′ 10″ 9′ 9″ 9′ 7″ 133 838

Tray pitch is where the volume comes from

Published tray pitches are 2.5″, 4.5″ and 6″ with contents up to 30″ tall, and the height sensor stores each tray at the smallest increment its load allows. Two parts rooms with identical machines can differ by thousands of positions purely on how well trays are packed — so tray layout is part of the design work, not an afterthought.

Vertical Carousels for the Parts Counter

A vertical carousel rotates carriers on a continuous loop and stops the one you asked for at a fixed access bay. Because a whole carrier arrives at once, it is the stronger choice where a counter person picks several lines from the same neighborhood of the catalog, or where parts are similar in size and can share a carrier height.

Vidir publishes up to 75% floor-space recovery for the Pan Carousel, carrier capacities of 750–2,500 lbs, machine chain ratings of 13,000–39,000 lbs, a 23% off-balance load allowance and a retrieval speed of 20′ per minute. Five standard carrier sizes are available with up to 30 cu ft of storage each, in P1913 (13″ H × 19″ D) and P2418 (18″ H × 24″ D) carrier depths and 6 ft, 8 ft or 10 ft carrier widths.

Operator access point of a Vidir vertical carousel delivering a carrier at waist heightErgonomic Access BayAuto-retrieval controls with a manual jog function and an emergency stop bring the requested carrier to a fixed opening. Vidir supplies a stainless steel workbench at the access bay, so counter staff pick, count and stage in one place.
Vidir vertical carousel access bay with divided blue parts bins on the carrierDivided Carriers for Small PartsCarriers come in five standard sizes with up to 30 cu ft of storage each and accept dividers or bins. Fasteners, sensors, clips and connectors get a fixed home instead of migrating between bins on open shelving.
Vidir vertical carousel installed beside a work area on a shop floorFits a Working Parts RoomA P1913 carousel with 10′ carriers has a published overall footprint of about 12′8″ wide by 6′7″ deep. The 23% off-balance load allowance means the machine keeps running when only part of the loop is loaded.
Vidir carousel carriers loaded with small parts bins and cartonsSecured, Enclosed, AuditableFull enclosure plus keypad or password access limits who can retrieve high-theft items such as catalytic converters, sensors and control modules — without building a separate cage.

Pan Carousel Configuration at a Glance

Specification Published Vidir data
Floor space recovered Up to 75% versus the static shelving it replaces
Machine capacity 13,000–39,000 lbs chain rating
Carrier capacity 750–2,500 lbs per carrier
Carrier sizes Five standard sizes, up to 30 cu ft of storage per carrier
Carrier dimensions P1913: 13″ H × 19″ D  |  P2418: 18″ H × 24″ D
Footprint (P1913, 10 ft carriers) About 12′ 8″ W × 6′ 7″ D overall
Off-balance allowance 23% off-balance load capacity
Retrieval speed 20′ (6,096 mm) per minute
Controls Auto-retrieval with manual jog function and emergency stop
Electrical 208V/230V 15 amp or 460V 10 amp, 60 Hz, 3 phase; others on request
Included Full enclosure, stainless steel workbench, cCSAus mark, 2-year warranty

Send us your SKU list and clear height

We will size the carrier configuration, model number and footprint against your parts room and show what the layout looks like before you spend anything.

Request a Quote Call (800) 326-4403

Automated Tire Storage for Dealerships and Tire Shops

Technician pulling a tire from a Vidir tire carousel at ergonomic picking height
Tire delivered to the operator at waist height instead of overhead

Tires are the worst-behaved inventory in an automotive facility: heavy, awkward, seasonal and impossible to stack neatly. The Vidir Tire Carousel replaces stacked tires and static racking with motorized vertical carriers that rotate the size you want down to waist height at the touch of a button.

Vidir publishes up to 70% floor-space recovery, up to 352 tires on a single standard carousel, storage with or without rims, a 13,000 lb chain rating, carrier capacities of 1,000 lbs (T39/T45) or 2,000 lbs (HT54) and a retrieval speed of 26.5′ per minute. Two tire dividers per carrier and 2″ mesh guarding front and back are standard, and the forward/reverse controls sit behind a security keypad.

Because the whole tire population lives inside one guarded machine, the seasonal changeover stops being a floor-space crisis — and nobody carries a 60 lb tire down a ladder.

Row of Vidir tire carousels storing tires vertically in a tire storage roomHigh-Volume Tire ProgramsMultiple carousels in a row give a dealership or tire shop hundreds of accessible positions along one wall. Retrieval speed is published at 26.5′ per minute, so a size is at the opening in seconds instead of after a ladder trip.
Red Vidir tire carousel loaded with truck tires in a service facilityTruck, Ag & Oversize TiresThe heavy-duty HT54 models handle tires up to 44″ in diameter with 2,000 lb carriers and a variable frequency drive, covering light truck, commercial and equipment tires that nobody should be lifting off a rack by hand.

Representative Vidir Tire Carousel Models

Selected models from Vidir’s published imperial table. Tire quantities assume 7″ wide tires on 28″ models, 9″ on 33″ models and 11″ on 44″ models, so your count depends on your actual tire mix.

Model Max tire dia. Height Width Depth Carriers Tires
T39148-0740-12 28″ 13′ 2″ 14′ 9″ 6′ 8″ 7 147
T39188-0940-15 28″ 16′ 6″ 17′ 9″ 6′ 8″ 9 243
T39228-1140-18 28″ 19′ 10″ 20′ 9″ 6′ 8″ 11 352
T45200-0944-15 33″ 17′ 11″ 17′ 9″ 7′ 6″ 9 189
T45244-1144-12 33″ 21′ 7″ 14′ 9″ 7′ 6″ 11 187
HT54193-0663-12 44″ 17′ 7″ 14′ 11″ 9′ 1″ 6 78
HT54319-1063-12 44″ 28′ 1″ 14′ 11″ 9′ 1″ 10 130

Sizing tire storage?

Give us your tire count by size and your clear height and we will come back with the model, the footprint and the installed price — plus what the recovered floor area is worth in service bays or sales space.

Request a Tire Storage Quote See the Vidir Tire Carousel Call (800) 326-4403

Modular Storage That Pairs With Automated Units

Automation is not the whole answer. In a working parts room the machine handles the dense, high-SKU middle of the catalog while modular drawers, mobile carriages and counter modules handle everything with a different problem — and the combination is what actually clears the floor.

Open modular drawer with adjustable dividers holding small automotive componentsModular Drawer CabinetsCompartmentalized drawers with partitions and dividers replace deep shelves full of half-empty boxes. Single-drawer interlock keeps a loaded cabinet from tipping, and lockable drawers cover the small high-value parts that walk.
Diagram comparing the footprint of modular drawer cabinets with open shelvingDrawers vs. Shelving FootprintDrawer modules store the same small-parts population in a much smaller footprint than open shelving because the storage height matches the part, not the shelf. That is what frees the floor area a carousel or VLM then occupies.
Blue high-density mobile shelving carriages storing auto parts on floor railsHigh-Density Mobile ShelvingShelving on carriages that roll on floor rails, closing the aisles you are not standing in. The practical middle step for seasonal tires, cores and slow movers when an automated machine is not yet justified.
Modular drawer cabinets and workbench behind a dealership service counterCounter & Workstation ModulesModular benches, drawer bases and staging shelves finish the pick face: the carousel or VLM delivers, and the counter module is where the order is verified, kitted and staged for the technician.

Choosing Between Vertical and Modular Systems

Match the system to the problem, not to the brochure. This is the shorthand we use when we walk a parts room.

What you are dealing with What usually fits Why
Thousands of slow-moving SKUs, mixed item heights Vidir vertical lift module Height-sensed trays store each item at its own pitch, so nothing pays for headroom it does not use
Fast counter picking of similar-sized parts Vidir Pan or Shelving Carousel A whole carrier arrives at once, so multi-line orders are picked from one presentation
Tires in volume, seasonal changeover Vidir Tire Carousel Purpose-built carriers, dividers and guarding; up to 352 tires per standard unit
Small parts lost in bins and boxes Modular drawer cabinets Divided drawers match the part size and lock; the fastest, lowest-cost density win
Cores, seasonal stock and dead inventory High-density mobile shelving Closes the aisles you are not standing in without any powered equipment
Bulky panels, assemblies and boxed bulk Pallet, wide-span or cantilever rack Belongs on rack with forklift access — see automotive shelving
High-theft components (converters, modules, sensors) Enclosed carousel or VLM with keypad access The machine is already a locked, auditable enclosure — no separate cage needed
No floor space left at all Vertical storage first, then a layout review Recovering 70–85% of a storage footprint is usually cheaper than expanding the building

Where vertical storage is the wrong answer

If your parts room is only holding a few hundred fast-moving SKUs, or the clear height under obstructions is under about 10′, an automated machine will not pay for itself — drawers, mobile shelving and a better counter layout will. We will tell you that. A quote you should not buy costs everyone time.

How We Plan a Vertical Parts Room

1

Count what you actually store

SKU count, positions, weights, item heights and pick frequency. Item height variation is what decides between trays and carriers.

2

Measure the building

Clear height under obstructions, column grid, slab, available electrical service and the path to get a machine into the room.

3

Model the layout

We lay the machine, counter and remaining shelving out together and show the square footage that comes back — before you commit.

4

Specify and quote

Model number, carrier or tray configuration, controls, software, guarding, freight and installation, quoted as one number.

5

Install and migrate

Set, commission and then load in waves by SKU velocity so the counter never stops serving technicians.

What to Have Ready Before You Ask for a Quote

  • SKU count and how many storage positions you use today
  • Heaviest and tallest items you expect to store in the machine
  • Clear height under lights, ducts, sprinklers and door tracks — not to the roof deck
  • Tire count by diameter and width if tire storage is in scope
  • Available electrical service at the wall you plan to use
  • Whether the layout has to keep operating through the install
  • Your DMS, ERP or WMS if inventory integration matters

Verify the building before you verify the machine

Slab flatness and capacity, seismic requirements, door and route access for delivery, and service clearance above the unit decide more projects than the spec sheet does. Vidir lists the VLM as seismic-ready and cCSAus marked, but local code and the authority having jurisdiction always have the final say — we confirm the details with the factory before anything is released.

Where Vertical Auto Parts Storage Goes to Work

Same machines, very different problems — the configuration is what changes.

Vidir vertical carousel installed in a parts department storage areaDealership Parts DepartmentsThousands of low-velocity SKUs, a fixed building and a service drive that cannot wait. Vertical storage takes the small-parts population off the shelving line and gives the counter a single pick face.
Long row of Vidir vertical carousels in a parts distribution warehouseParts Distribution CentersMultiple machines feeding a pick-and-pass line consolidate the slow-moving half of the catalog that consumes most of the shelving square footage.
Vidir tire carousel installed in a service center tire storage roomTire & Quick-Lube ShopsTire carousels replace stacked tires and leaning walls with a secured, indexed vertical store that one person can work safely.
Enclosed Vidir Pan Carousel standing in a warehouse storage bayFleet & Municipal ShopsMixed fleets carry parts for equipment that is nothing alike. An enclosed carousel keeps that inventory controlled and accounted for in a shared shop.
Cutaway view of a Vidir vertical carousel showing carriers loaded with partsHeavy Truck & Equipment DealersHeavier carriers and taller machines handle dense, awkward components that damage shelf beams and hurt people when they are stored overhead.
Vidir pan and shelving carousel loaded with parts bins, cartons and traysCollision & Body ShopsTrim, clips, fasteners and small refinish supplies are exactly the population that disappears on open shelving and is easiest to control in divided carriers.

Want the layout before the price?

Send us your room dimensions, SKU counts and tire volume. You get a layout showing the machine, the counter and the remaining shelving, the square footage recovered, and the installed price — design included at no additional cost.

Request a Quote Open the Vertical Storage Designer Call (800) 326-4403

Auto Parts Room Vertical Storage FAQs

What is the difference between a vertical lift module and a vertical carousel in a parts room?
A vertical lift module stores flat trays in two towers and uses a central elevator to bring one tray to the access opening, which suits deep, mixed inventory where items vary a lot in height. A vertical carousel rotates fixed carriers on a continuous loop and presents a whole carrier at once, which suits fast counter picking of similar-sized parts. Vidir publishes up to 85% floor space recovery for the VLM and up to 75% for the Pan Carousel, so both are large gains — the decision is usually driven by item height variation, pick rate and available clear height.
How many tires does a Vidir tire carousel hold?
It depends on the model and tire size. In Vidir’s published model table the 28″ class runs from 147 tires on a T39148-0740-12 up to 352 tires on a T39228-1140-18, the 33″ class stores 119–189 tires, and the heavy-duty HT54 models for tires up to 44″ store 65–130 tires. Quantities are based on 7″, 9″ and 11″ wide tires respectively, so your real count depends on your actual tire mix.
How much floor space will a vertical storage system actually free up in my parts room?
Vidir publishes up to 85% floor-space recovery for the vertical lift module, up to 75% for the Pan Carousel and up to 70% for the tire carousel. Those figures compare the machine footprint with the static shelving or tire racking it replaces, so the honest answer for your building comes from a layout: we count the SKUs and positions you actually store, size the machine against your clear height, and show the square footage that comes back.
What clear height and utilities does an automated vertical unit need?
Clear height drives the model. Regular-duty VLMs in the published table range from about 9′10″ to over 23′ tall, tire carousels from 13′2″ to 28′1″. Allow service clearance above the machine and confirm slab flatness and capacity. Vidir lists 480V three-phase 20 amp for the VLM and 208V/230V 15 amp or 460V 10 amp three-phase options for the Pan and Tire Carousels, with other electrical available on request. We confirm all of it against your building before release.
Can these systems connect to our dealership management or inventory system?
Vidir supplies inventory management software for its vertical storage systems and supports integration work with enterprise systems, and the VLM ships with a 12″ touchscreen HMI for tray control. What is realistic for your DMS or WMS depends on that system’s interfaces, so we scope integration with the factory before it is quoted rather than promising a connector that does not exist.
Is a carousel or VLM safe for parts staff to operate?
They are designed to remove the ladder and the overhead lift, which is where parts-room injuries come from. The VLM package includes light curtains and variable height sensors; the Pan Carousel is fully enclosed with auto-retrieval, a manual jog function and an emergency stop; the tire carousel adds 2″ mesh guarding front and back plus a security keypad on the forward/reverse controls. Everything is delivered at waist height.
What does automated vertical storage cost, and how is it justified?
Pricing depends on the model, height, carrier or tray configuration, controls, software and installation, so we quote per layout. The business case is normally built from three numbers: the square footage returned to service or sales use, the labor hours removed from walking and searching, and the shrink and mis-picks removed by a secured, indexed store. If a building expansion is on the table, compare the machine against the cost per square foot of that expansion.
Do I still need shelving, racks and drawers if I install a carousel?
Almost always yes, and that is the point of a mixed layout. Fast movers stay at the counter on bin shelving, small parts belong in modular drawers, bulky panels and assemblies belong on pallet or cantilever rack, and the automated machine takes the dense, high-SKU middle of the catalog. Our automotive shelving page covers the static side of the same parts room.
How long does an installation take and what disruption should we expect?
A single machine is normally a short, staged install: prep and utilities, delivery and set, erection and commissioning, then load-in. The schedule risk is not the machine — it is clearing the area, coordinating electrical, and migrating inventory without shutting the counter. We plan the migration in waves by SKU velocity so the parts department keeps operating while trays or carriers are being populated.
Which brands does Material Handling USA supply for vertical storage?
We supply Vidir vertical storage — vertical lift modules, Pan and Shelving Carousels, tire carousels and specialty vertical lifts — alongside the shelving, modular drawer and rack lines we already install in parts rooms. All specifications on this page come from Vidir’s published product data.

Get More Out of the Parts Room You Already Have

Tell us your SKU count, tire volume and clear height. We will size the Vidir system that fits, show the floor space it returns, and quote the machine, freight and installation as one number.

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