Lesson 3.4 Shelving, Bin, and Drawer Storage

Small Items Frequent Task for personnel – Electronic parts – Nuts and bolts – Small assemblies Replenish the order picking area – Items picked for shipping – Putting together kits (kitting)

An Everyday Example Assembling nuts and bolts for homeowner use products – IKEA – Sauder Woodworking

Small Item Bin Storage Rack

Shelving Commercial Grade – Higher gauge steel – Hold more weight Residential Grade – Lighter gauge steel – Plastic – Hold less weight

Commercial Mezzanine Application

Supportability Make sure the shelving is sized for the weight you will store Uprights and shelves can be joined by nuts and bolts, rivets, or clips Rivet shelving is very strong and sturdy

Access Determine whether you need to access front of unit, back or unit, or both sides Front Access OnlyFront and Back Access

Drawer Storage Often used for fragile and valuable items Storage drawers usually involve use of storage cabinet Cabinets can be locked Drawers can be lined Good for storing hand tools and gages

Storage Cabinets and Lockers Adapt well to items of varying heights and widths Useful for storing hazardous materials Provide security for personal belongings of staff

Security Lockers, whether they are – Wire mesh – Standard – Hazmat Provide security for the items stored in them

Check your knowledge Hand tools and gages Hazardous materials Nuts and bolts Clothing and uniforms Storage cabinet Lockers Stackable bins Drawer cabinet

Check your knowledge Hand tools and gages Hazardous materials Nuts and bolts Clothing and uniforms Storage cabinets Lockers Stackable bins Drawer cabinets

Lesson 3.5 Carousels

Carousel Powered equipment that got its name from the carnival carousel Just as the carnival carousel goes around and around, so does the storage carousel Moves on a plane – Horizontal plane – Vertical plane

Horizontal Carousel

Space and labor saving device Moves on a horizontal plane Items stored in the baskets or shelves on the carousel The material comes to the personnel picking it for kitting or shipping

Horizontal Carousel Dry cleaning business

Horizontal Carousel Control Warehouse personnel place materials in carousels so they can be accessed by persons seeking to retrieve them at a later time Materials in a carousel can be tracked to maintain the amount of inventory being stored

Horizontal Carousel Retrieval Items are stored in a dense manner Retrieval is at the operator’s fingertips The horizontal carousel has documented locations in it – This makes it easier to locate items

Horizontal Carousel Usage Horizontal carousels support – Order picking – Kitting operations – Serve the storage and retrieval function in warehouse Picking Speed depends on – Speed carousel operates – Length and depth of carousel – Speed of rotation

Vertical Carousel

Moves items on a vertical plane Saves a great deal of floor space Moved shelves and bins in an upward and downward circular motion Self-contained unit with all motions taking place in an enclosure Items are brought to an opening in the cabinet for storage and retrieval Best choice if security and ease of access are both important to the user

Vertical Carousel Computers are used to aid in locating the exact location of items in the carousel Operators stand at opening and call up the location of the shelf or bin in which they want to store or retrieve items

Vertical Carousel Usage Useful in order picking and kitting operations Used where security is critical Offer condensed (dense) storage – Bringing down cost – Provides space savings

Lesson 3.6 Vertical Lift Modules (VLMs)

VLM Vertical Lift Module Resemble a “Dumb Waiter” that was seen in multi story homes of the past VLMs can move items from one floor to another

So, how do they work? SKUs Center Column Moves up and down Using an insertion/extraction Device to move items

How high? VLMs can be constructed to take full advantage of ceiling heights in excess of 14 feet The footprint of a VLM is minimal Saves up to 85% of floor space Ceiling heights in excess of 14 feet

Advantages Why use VLMs – Increased productivity Walking and browsing are eliminated Less stress on body from walking, bending, lifting – Lower levels of required labor – Faster transaction times – Operators and workstations are visible to managers – Uses inventory management software assuring correct SKUs and quantities are available at all times

Security Six-sided “SAFE” for securing valuable SKUs Provides a clean and safe storage location Security enhanced by using Passkeys Passwords

Lesson 3.7 Pick-to-Light Systems

The Problem Materials are stored on shelves, racks, and other types of devices Personnel have to search for materials to pick This searching results in the consumption of valuable time This searching results in human errors

The Solution Pick-to-Light System The concept of Pick-to-Light is simple: – A set of lighted display modules are mounted on the face of racks, carousels, and shelving units – A pick indicator light directs the order picker’s attention to each pick bin where a pick is required – The integrated push button allows the picker to report his/her actions to the system

Here it is!

Where are they used? Pick-to-light systems are used where – High picking speed are crucial – Low error rate are crucial A visible light located on the storage slot indicates where the next item is to be picked The light displays the number of items to be retrieved

Advantages The biggest advantage is that the written pick list is eliminated The time required to read a pick list and search for items is now available to complete more picks

Real Time Inventory Instant feedback from the pick-to-light system results in real-time inventory system – You know how much of a SKU is in inventory at all times

Lesson 3.8 Automated Storage And Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)

AS/RS Acronym for: – Automated Storage and Retrieval System Types: – Man-on-board – Fully automated

Unit Load AS/RS p Fully automated Substantial in size Used for palletized or unitized loads that weigh well over 1,000 pounds Stacking heights up to 150 ft, with most ranging from 60 – 85 ft The storage/retrieval vehicle operates on a rail – Moving up/down and back/forth

Miniload AS/RS p Used almost exclusively to store and retrieve cartons, totes, or small parts and tools Items are brought to the end of aisle where it is collected or replenished Heights ranging from 12 – 20 ft Capacities ranging from 200 – 750 lbs

Microload AS/RS p Used with small containers of parts Used in assembly, kitting, and testing operations

Match each AS/RS with items most likely to be stored on it a.Miniload AS/RS b.Microload AS/RS c. Unit Load AS/RS i.Pallets that weigh 5000 lbs ii.Small containers of parts iii.Parts and tools iv.Cartons and totes

Lesson 3.9 A-Frame Dispensing Systems

A-Frame Dispensing System This type of dispensing system is used for picking mostly small, individual items – Tubes of toothpaste – Bottles of aspirin Common in pharmaceutical distribution centers Unlike other AS/RS systems, this one is geared to individual items instead of pallets

Here is what it looks like.

Here is another drawing

How does it work Personnel load the items into slots in the wall of the device Control system tells slots to dispense items onto a belt The belt moves items to the end of the machine for packaging Items are deposited into plastic totes or cardboard boxes for shipping – You may have seen them in a local pharmacy or grocery store Once the totes are emptied, they are returned to the warehouse for refilling

Lesson 3.10 Mezzanines

Building additional space is often cost prohibitive Remember there is lots of space above the warehouse floor Relatively inexpensive means of providing additional storage or office space Basically creating another floor in the warehouse Building over other activities in the warehouse

Space Mezzanines can be constructed in areas with as little as 14 ft of clear space They can be used for storage, office space, break rooms, or other uses The “beauty” is that they can be built after the fact It increases floor space

Here is what one looks like.