Mixed materials under one roof
A total for the building tells you nothing about which material is running low. Purchasing and production need the number per material.
You can’t manage what you can’t measure
Warehouse Material Volume Measurement Zone by Zone
One building, many materials, every zone measured.
CRATUS measures bulk material volume and weight in warehouses and multi-bay storage buildings zone by zone. Fixed LiDAR sensors cover each bay, an edge computer splits the building into the zones you define, and the dashboard reports volume and weight for every zone and every material separately.
- One system for
- LiDAR
- Edge
- Software
- AI
Zone by zoneEvery bay reported separately
ZonesDefined around your layout
- Zone by zoneVolume and weight reported for each bay or zone you define
- Per materialDifferent materials in different bays stay separate
- Whole buildingAll zones merged into one site total
- Edge → cloudOne edge computer per building, one dashboard for all sites
The challenge
Why a building total is not enough.
Multi-bay buildings hold different materials, grades or customers side by side. A single number for the building hides what you need to know.
Push walls and partitions
Bays are separated by walls, and piles spill over them or sit against them. Measuring a bay needs coverage of its own walls and corners.
Constant loader traffic
Loaders, trucks and people move through the building all day. A measurement taken at the wrong moment includes a loader bucket as material.
CRATUS measures zone by zone, so every bay, material and customer allocation has its own number.
See the approachHow zones work
Zones follow your building, not the sensors.
Sensors measure one continuous surface across the building. Zones divide it into the areas you report on.
- Physical baysAreas between push walls or partitions.
- Open-floor sectionsAreas of an open floor marked by lines, columns or doors.
- Virtual zonesAreas assigned to a material, grade, customer or contract.
- Building totalAll zones combined, by material and overall.
Our approach
From laser return to inventory number.
In a warehouse the unit of measurement is the zone: sensors measure one continuous surface across the building, and the zones you define turn it into a number per bay and per material.
LiDAR sensing
Fixed LiDAR sensors cover each bay with their own laser light, so walls, corners and the back of deep bays are measured whatever the lighting. Sensor types and positions are chosen per bay; the zones are drawn in software on top of the measured surface.
- Coverage chosen per bay
- Wide field-of-view and directional LiDAR
- Cleaning or air purge where dust is heavy
Edge computing
One edge computer merges the sensors in the building into one surface and splits it into the zones you define. It computes volume for every zone, so only results, not raw video, leave the building, over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular.
- One surface for the building
- Zones defined in software
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular
Software & dashboards
Volume and weight for every zone and every material on one dashboard, rolled up into building and site totals, with several buildings on the same dashboard and reports and exports for the systems you already run.
- Per-zone and per-material reporting
- Building and site totals
- Per-zone alerts
AI
AI separates loaders, trucks and people from the material surface, so a busy bay does not count a loader bucket as material, and flags changes that do not match the plan.
- Vehicles and people filtered
- Measurements scheduled around shifts
- Unexpected changes flagged
What we deliver
Zone-by-zone measurement for storage buildings.
Zones follow your layout, not the sensor layout.
Zones you define
Physical bays, sections of an open floor, or virtual zones for a customer or grade. Zones can be changed as the layout changes.
Software
Bay-by-bay coverage
Sensor positions chosen per bay, so walls, corners and the back of deep bays are covered.
Sensing
Per-material reporting
Each zone tagged with its material and bulk density, so volume and weight roll up by material across the building.
Software
Building and site totals
All zones combined into building and site totals, with multiple buildings on one dashboard.
Edge · Software
Traffic filtering
Loaders, trucks and people separated from the material surface so busy bays still report clean numbers.
AI
Per-zone alerts
Low or high thresholds set per zone and material.
Software
The CRATUS VMS system
Building blocks, combined per structure.
Sensor types and positions are chosen per bay; the zones are defined in software on top of them.
CRATUS VMS
Wide-FOV LiDAR node
Overall surface coverage
- Wide field of view
- Works in the dark
- Ceiling or wall mount
Covers a large share of a bay from one mounting point, so a bay between push walls is measured as one surface.
CRATUS VMS
Directional LiDAR
Targeted, longer reach
- Narrow field of view
- Long range
- Aimed at one feature
Added where a bay’s walls, corners or deep back need a closer look, so the whole bay is covered.
ASSET-Rx
Edge computer
ASSET-Rx EDGE middleware
- Multi-sensor merge
- Per-zone volume
- Ethernet · Wi-Fi · cellular
Runs at the building, merges the sensors into one surface and divides it into your zones, so only per-zone results leave the building.
CRATUS VMS
VMS dashboard
Cloud or local
- Subscription
- Unit, site or company license
- Reports & exports
Volume and weight per zone and per material, with building and site totals. Choose a cloud subscription or a local license per unit, per site or company-wide.
CRATUS VMS
Universal mounting bracket
For trusses, walls and ceilings
- Fits common structures
- Sets the sensor angle
- Service-friendly
Holds each sensor at the angle chosen in the coverage model on the truss, wall or ceiling of the building.
CRATUS VMS
Air purge collar
For extremely dusty sites
- Uses site compressed air
- Keeps the window clear
- Optional add-on
For dusty warehouses with compressed air on site: keeps the sensor window clear between scheduled cleanings.
One system
Sensors, edge, software and AI from one team
CRATUS designs the coverage, supplies the sensors and edge computer, runs the software and supports the system after commissioning. One point of contact from site survey to the daily inventory number. Browse the VMS systems for bulk solids.
All CRATUS productsCRATUS VMSStack
AI
- Surface filtering
- Change alerts
- Usage trends
Software
- Dashboard
- Reports
- Exports
Edge
- Sensor merge
- Volume per zone
- Connectivity
Sensing
- Wide-FOV LiDAR
- Directional LiDAR
- Brackets & purge
What to send us
These details let CRATUS build a coverage model for your structure.
- Building layout: bays, push walls, partitions and open-floor sections
- Zones you want reported: physical bays, floor sections or virtual zones for a customer or grade
- Material in each zone and, if known, its bulk density
- Size of the building: width, length, wall and roof height
- Fill method: auger, conveyor, truck or loader
- Reclaim method: loader, bottom reclaim, gravity or pump-out
- Combustible dust or explosive gases present?
- 120 VAC and 12 VDC available near the building?
- Internet access, or cellular coverage at the site
- Number of buildings now, and potentially later
How we work
Modeled first, then installed.
Every building is different, so we start with a coverage model of your layout and materials. Sensor types, counts and positions are set per bay before anything ships, and zones are drawn on top of them.
- 01
Share your layout
The bays and open areas of the building, the materials in each, how they are filled and reclaimed, plus power, connectivity and dust conditions.
- 02
Coverage model
CRATUS models the building and its materials to choose sensor types, counts and positions per bay before anything ships.
- 03
Install
Brackets, power and network, with instructions and remote support for your contractor or ours.
- 04
Commission & calibrate
Reference scans, zone set-up and bulk density per material, checked against a known quantity where one is available.
- 05
Monitor & support
Dashboard, reports and alerts per zone, a lens-care schedule and engineering support for the life of the system.
Standards & practices
Planned around site safety.
Warehouses for bulk materials often involve combustible dust, and the rules depend on the site. Area classification comes first; the installation is planned around it.
- NFPA 61Dust hazards in agricultural and food processing facilities
- NFPA 652Fundamentals of combustible dust
- NFPA 654Combustible particulate solids in manufacturing and handling
- NEC Articles 500–503Hazardous (classified) locations
- OSHA 1910.272Grain handling facilities
- IEC 60825-1Laser product safety; we specify eye-safe laser classes
- IEC 60529Ingress protection (IP) ratings for dust and water
- ISA/IEC 62443Security for industrial networks and devices
Area classification and compliance decisions rest with the site owner and the authority having jurisdiction. CRATUS plans the installation around these requirements and documents it to support your review; we don’t self-certify.
The basics
What does zone-by-zone measurement mean?
It means volume and weight are reported for each area of the building separately. A zone can be a physical bay between push walls, part of an open floor, or a virtual area assigned to a material, grade or customer.
Can zones be changed later?
Yes. Zones are defined in software on top of the measured surface, so they can be redrawn when bays are repurposed or the layout changes, without moving sensors.
Do you need one sensor per bay?
Not always. The sensor count depends on bay size, wall height, roof height and how high the material is stacked. The coverage model for your building sets the count before anything ships.
Warehouse operations
What happens when loaders are working in a bay?
The system separates vehicles and people from the material surface, and measurements can be scheduled around shifts. Results reflect material, not equipment.
Can different materials be stored side by side?
Yes. Each zone carries its own material and bulk density, so volume and weight are reported per material even when bays sit next to each other.
What about material that spills over a push wall?
It is measured where it lies. Zone boundaries define which zone the spilled material counts toward, and the change is visible in the history.
Installation & site
What does a warehouse installation need on site?
120 VAC near the edge computer, 12 VDC for the sensors and a network connection. Where 12 VDC, an enclosure or internet access are not available, CRATUS can supply the power supply, enclosure and a cellular modem.
What does dust do to measurements in a busy warehouse?
A scheduled cleaning of the sensor window is standard on dusty sites, and AI filtering keeps airborne dust and moving equipment out of the measurement. Where dust is extreme and compressed air is available, an air purge collar keeps the window clear between cleanings.
Can it be used in a warehouse with combustible dust?
Yes, with the right planning. Area classification comes first; the installation is then planned around it, including where equipment is placed and when it is energized. CRATUS documents the installation for the site owner and the authority having jurisdiction.
Working with CRATUS
What do we send for a warehouse proposal?
A layout of the building with its bays, the material in each, and how they are filled and reclaimed. CRATUS builds a coverage model and replies with a proposal that shows the sensor layout and expected performance, followed by a quote with options.
Can our integrator or IT team be involved?
Yes. Warehouse teams, integrators and IT can work with CRATUS directly; CRATUS provides installation instructions, network requirements and remote support during commissioning.
Talk to a CRATUS engineer
How many bays and materials are in your building?
Send us the building size, bay layout and what is stored where. A CRATUS engineer will reply with a zone plan and a coverage approach.
Illustrations are not to scale. Specifications subject to change without notice.