All fulfilment and distribution centre managers know that the key to a successful business is safe, speedy and accurate product picking and packing. Making a system more efficient is the great aim of every such warehouse. One excellent aid to consider in the pursuit of such efficiency is the installation of carton live shelving.
No Waiting
Carton live shelving utilises a system of rollers on a shelf with a slight incline, meaning that gravity naturally allows goods to roll towards the front of the shelf. An additional advantage of this system is that products are placed on a different aisle to the aisle that they are picked from, meaning no queuing for the pickers while waiting for colleagues to stack shelves. It also allows the first products to be placed to be the first products picked (First In, First Out), which can be especially useful with products that may have an expiration date.
No Reaching
The products slide naturally to the front of the shelf, meaning that pickers do not need to spend time leaning to the back of each shelf, or searching for items. All items can be easily seen, right at the edge of the aisle.
Efficient Use of Space
Tracks can be extremely long (typical length is up to three metres), meaning that they can also save considerable amounts of warehouse space as fewer aisles are needed for the same amount of products. Though there are height limits (needing to be at hand height for picking), there are options available, such as mezzanine levels – which could be combined with a conveyor system, or multi tier shelving; allowing a safe system of secured steps and platforms to allow personnel to access different levels.
Combining with Other Storage
It is also an option to combine areas of carton live shelving with areas of standard pallet racking. In this case, good management can ensure maximum efficiency. Pallets from high up can be regularly accessed, moved to the loading aisle and then goods can be loaded onto the shelving individually. This ensures that the carton live shelving is always full and ready to be picked, but that the bulk of products with high turnover can be stored in very high tiers, making the most of the space available. Of course, the layout for your own warehouse will depend very much on the products you sell, as well as the predicted turnover of different items. WSL can provide advisors who will help you establish the best layout for your warehouse.
Is Carton Live Shelving Right for Your Warehouse?
Carton live shelving can be produced for many different sizes and weights of products, so it is always worth investigating whether they can work for you! In addition, brakes can be fitted, so that particularly heavy or delicate items don’t move too quickly.
For information on carton live shelving, or any other storage needs, call WSL today on 0113 204 5350.