Saving space and labor with gravity flow rack
-- Modern Materials Handling, 3/1/2002
While much of what is stored and staged in gravity flow racks is of uniform size, that isn’t the case for Generac Power Systems, Waukesha, Wisc. This manufacturer of long-life power generation equipment needs to accommodate up to 10 different product/pallet profiles ranging in weight from 500 to 2,500 pounds.To accommodate those differences, the Generac project team selected flow rack that is tailored for each of the load profiles.
The system consists of two separate flow rack units facing each other with a central picking aisle between them and leading to the shipping dock. Each flow rack unit is 70 feet wide by 50 feet deep with three levels on one side and two levels with pallets double-stacked on the top level of the opposite side. The system has 1,008 pallet positions in 8,000 square feet of space, including the central picking aisle.
Lanes within the system are configured to accommodate a specific pallet/container profile and weight. This ensures that the loads do not get hung up in the lane as it moves from the back to the front.
The flow racks have provided Generac with 65 percent more warehouse space than a standard static rack system. The organization has also reduced labor costs by 50 percent over what they would have been with an alternative warehouse storage system.
Steel King Industries
www.steelking.com
(800) 553-3096
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Gravity flow rack boosts throughput 30%
03/11/2010Borders gets a productivity bump
03/11/2010Dynamic storage
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08/06/2008Keeping business green
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