Storage Systems

Housewares DC

Proven picking methods and equipment team up for high-throughput handling at this medium-volume facility

Quick handling of orders is top priority at this facility, whose E-Commerce customers want immediate delivery of products. To maximize picking throughput and efficiency, stock items are located by activity level and type (ie full case, broken case) in this DC for housewares. Full pallet loads are received in, with the fastest-moving items going directly into pallet flow rack for case picking or a replenishment aisle for case flow rack. High-volume, piece-to-belt picking is done from case flow rack and case-to-belt from pallet rack on a two-level mezzanine. Reserve storage and medium and low-volume case picking using reach trucks is done from selective pallet rack on either side of the picking mezzanine. An in-aisle takeaway conveyor transports picked items to a sortation system at the dock, where items are sorted and palletized by order, then staged for loading onto trucks for customer delivery.

• Multi-tier mezzanine picking frees up floor space for additional staging and storage - levels can be added as required

• Carton and pallet flow rack provides the maximum number of pick faces over the smallest distance, leading to highly efficient picking operations

• To optimize picking throughput, items can be zoned within carton flow rack (the fastest moving items stored in the most accessible picking locations)

• Assignment of random storage locations within zones optimizes efficiency

• Light displays can be added to picking locations to boost productivity further

• Takeaway conveyor shortens pick path and minimizes handling

• Selective pallet rack located in picking mezzanine facilitates quick replenishment of case picking operation and FIFO rotation of inventory

• Locating picking mezzanine in center of facility minimizes travel distances for replenishment operations

• Arrangement of picking operations allows very slowest-movers to be picked off-line, maintaining high throughput overall

THE NEW PICKING TECHNOLOGY
KISS YOUR OLD STEEL WHEELS GOOD-BYE!