If your production floor is getting crowded and warehouse aisles are clogged with inventory, do you believe the only way out is a costly building expansion or leasing a new facility?

This isn’t a fantasy. It’s an innovative and highly cost-effective solution: installing your Infismash Vertical Lift Module (VLM) in a custom enclosure on the exterior of your building. This strategy of “expanding beyond your walls” is being adopted by a growing number of forward-thinking manufacturing, distribution, and healthcare businesses.

This article will detail the concept of outdoor VLM systems, their core benefits, the industries they’re best suited for, and how they can be the ultimate solution to your space constraints.

What is an Outdoor Vertical Lift Module (VLM) System?

Simply put, an outdoor VLM system places our standard, high-performance Infismash VLM inside a robust, all-weather, custom-built housing that is secured directly to the outside wall of your facility. Your team never has to step outside; they can safely and conveniently access all materials through one or more dedicated access windows built into the wall.

It’s like adding an external, fully automated, high-density vault to your warehouse, while freeing up 100% of the interior space it would have occupied.

The Top 5 Advantages of Moving Storage Outdoors

1. Reclaim 100% of Your Valuable Indoor Floor Space

This is the most immediate benefit. When the VLM moves outside, every square foot of floor space it would have used indoors is now available for high-value activities—whether that’s adding a new production line, expanding your packing and shipping area, or setting up a quality control station. You can increase your operational capacity instantly without any construction.

2. Streamline Internal Workflow and Enhance Safety

Imagine a facility floor with less forklift traffic crisscrossing through storage aisles. Physically separating the storage area reduces internal congestion, minimizes the risk of collisions, and creates a safer, more efficient work environment for your team.

3. Increase Inventory Security

For high-value tools, sensitive electronics, or controlled materials, an outdoor VLM provides an additional layer of physical security. Since the only access point is from inside, you can easily control and track every retrieval with user permissions (like badge scans or logins), ensuring complete inventory control.

4. Expand Your Business Without Disruption

Need more storage capacity next year? No problem. Adding new VLM units externally causes zero disruption to your daily operations inside. Your production can continue uninterrupted while your storage capacity grows. This modular scalability is unmatched by traditional warehouse renovations.

5. Achieve a Faster Return on Investment (ROI)

The cost of building an outdoor VLM enclosure is significantly lower than leasing new space or undertaking a major facility expansion. More importantly, the new revenue generated from the freed-up internal space (e.g., increased production output) allows you to see a return on your investment in a remarkably short time.

Which Industries Benefit Most from Outdoor VLM Solutions?

• Manufacturing Plants: The perfect solution when production machinery fills the floor, leaving no room for parts and components.
• Urban Distribution Centers: In cities where real estate is expensive, leveraging vertical space on an exterior wall is a brilliant move.
• Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities: Move medical supplies, linens, or maintenance tools outside to free up critical space for patient beds and treatment areas.
• Electronics & Aerospace: Can serve as an automated “pass-through” between a cleanroom and the external environment, increasing storage while preventing contamination.
• Facilities with Low Ceilings: When you can’t go up inside, taking your vertical storage outside is the best way to break through the height barrier.

Built to Last: Ready for Any Environment

Worried about the weather? We’ve got you covered. Infismash outdoor VLM solutions are meticulously engineered to handle the elements. Our custom enclosures are built with industrial-grade materials, providing superior protection against rain, wind, sun, and temperature fluctuations. This ensures that the equipment and your valuable inventory remain in a stable, secure environment year-round. We also provide specialized reinforcement options for areas with unique seismic or high-wind requirements.

It’s Time to Think Outside the Walls

If space limitations are holding your business back, an outdoor VLM system offers a compelling and creative path forward. It’s more than just a storage unit; it’s a strategic investment in optimizing your entire operation and increasing the value of your existing assets.

Contact the Infismash team to explore the possibility of moving your storage outdoors and let us design a custom-fit solution for you.