Flow Racking

Advantages of Flow Racking

Improve productivity
The most evident advantage of using this type of storage system is that it improves the productivity of employees working at a warehouse. Those responsible for managing storage systems would save less time on having to remove and subsequently load products onto the rack. Warehouses would significantly increase their level of productivity because the time it takes to perform this task has been lessened. The employees can focus on the more crucial aspects of warehouse management — whether it be inventory inspection, handling of fragile goods, or signing off on parcels that need to be delivered upon deployment.

Optimize storage space
Not all warehouses are built the same — some need to allocate a large area to accommodate equipment such as forklifts, packing tables, utility carts, and the like. With this in mind, storage space needs to be optimized to achieve better warehouse operations. Using pallet flow racks can greatly assist in maximizing the space of any given warehouse. There would be a reduction in the number of aisles that are needed for storing loads with varying dimensions. Unlike in typical racking systems, warehouse employees would be more equipped to keep track of multiple storage loads all at once, with minimal effort.

Non-time-consuming
In line with improving the overall productivity of warehousing functions, pallet flow racks also present less time-consuming options for employees. One main driver behind this because there is less need to simply navigating the warehouse for storage and unloading. Apart from this, employees also wouldn’t have to devote much time on simply operating multiple forklifts at once, thereby greatly reducing the time spent on maneuvering and turning on the engines.

Good for high-density warehouses
Pallet flow racking is best for utilization in high-density warehouses that receive a bulk of parcels daily. Multiple cartons containing heavy loads will be easier managed through the FIFO mechanism, as mentioned before. In parts of the warehouse where heavy foot traffic is present, there needs to be an efficient method in the transport and transfer of cumbersome loads from one point to another. Pallet flow racking can greatly help in this situation because there’s only a single channel by which items are stored and subsequently unloaded from the racks.

Reduce damaged goods
Damaging in parcels can occur at almost every level of the supply chain and this is especially true for activities that take place in the warehouse. Through better stock organization, warehouses can limit instances wherein products are damaged, or even potentially eliminate other types of unfavorable situations. In the traditional pallet racking process, employees would still have to manually rearrange the units under a given set of conditions. It’s possible that stocks will bump against one another and tumble onto the ground during the process.

High customization
Warehouse managers would also be able to customize the different components of a flow racking system to their benefit. In this way, the essence of what makes pallet flow racking a desirable option for large-scale warehouses is still retained — yet can they incorporate additional elements to tailor fit the system to their needs. Flow racking systems are characterized as having a high-scalability. The storage capacity can be greatly increased to accommodate loads of different sizing. Aside from this, it’s also possible to make modifications to the height on the rack to allow the storage of different types of items.

Components of Flow Racking

Create Better Material Flow With Effective Flow Racking Design

Start with a thorough understanding of the process
We cannot stress this enough. Don’t just know how the process works on paper. Go to the floor and observe the process. Understand the operator’s environment, their tasks, the parts and packaging arriving to them, how product arrives, and the signals (or lack thereof) to create product movement. Talk with the operator to improve your awareness of how the current flow works for them – what would they like to change?

Know your constraints, timeline, and ambition
If you had unlimited space, time, and money, what could you accomplish? Probably nothing. That sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true. Constraints in space and time plus ambition focuses your efforts and helps to set correct expectations. Putting a solution in place to present two new parts tomorrow and creating connected flow with new packaging, carts, and a rack to show how a system could work next month is quite different.

Design for visual management
Visual management is not just about production output and zoning. Visual management is a way of thinking that will change how you design every part of your process. Visual management principles can be built into everything to connect the equipment with the process. It will support the equipment and process working together instead of against each other. How could the flow rack help signal a supervisor that something is wrong? How could the flow rack help the material handler know which parts go in which lane? Better thinking combined with better doing creates better solutions.

What to Look For When Purchasing Flow Racking

Customization
There is no one-size-fits-all solution in manufacturing because your processes are unique to your organization—even if you’re making something that someone else is making. So don’t let someone sell you a generic flow rack that’s not customized to your process and the materials it will be flowing. A good flow rack can accommodate your specific materials to support what your process needs, whether it is over-the-line delivery or unpackaged part presentation to operators.

Flexibility
Production needs change constantly – volume, line balancing, product mix. Your flow racks should be able to accommodate those changes quickly, whether that means reduced width, additional lanes, or different materials to flow. Look for flow racks with construction that allows for change, such as tube and joint construction, which you can easily right size with a few simple tools.

Reusable Components
The most effective continuous improvement is done quickly by the people doing the work. If you want this continuous improvement to happen and see results, your plant equipment needs to be flexible with reusable components. When a rack is no longer needed, it should either be changed and repurposed or disassembled into parts to be used in another design without having to buy something new. Here’s another instance where tube and joint construction is a good option; tubes and joints can be disassembled and reused in new applications very easily, and kept as inventory for when the need arises.

Ergonomics
Operator ergonomics is a crucial part of employee safety, as repetitive use injuries are common in manufacturing, as well as cross training. One-size-fits-all flow racks often fit nobody well and hamper cross training efforts because operators are naturally different sizes. Keeping all product in the ergonomic golden zone makes everything easy to reach for all people.

Serviceability
Fixtures and equipment can take a beating on the production floor and suffer from the wear and tear of daily use. Some companies still weld their flow rack structures, which can seem cheap on the front end, but any damage requires substantial rework and they are not flexible when changes are needed. Make sure that you purchase flow racks that won’t become obsolete or unserviceable. You can do this by ensuring that there are easily obtainable replacement parts and that the company you purchase the racks from can provide service, should you ever need it.

5 Common Flow Racking Implementation Mistakes that Impede Performance

 

Choosing the Wrong Style Track

When it comes to flow rack options, there are typically two styles of track to choose from: dedicated lane and universal bed. While they are both track styles that are commonly used in flow rack systems, they have different features that make them ideal for certain applications. For example, dedicated lane tracks utilize carton flow rollers and are great for predictable box sizes such as storing shoes, liquor, or apparel. On the other hand, universal bed carton flow tracks are ideal for unpredictable box sizes, offering great flexibility.

 

Choosing the Wrong Track Width

Choosing the wrong track width can result in several efficiency-killing consequences. Firstly, it prohibits workers from placing SKUs in the optimum location. In addition to putting a wrinkle in productivity, incorrect track width wastes space when the SKU is undersized compared to the track it’s in. Most businesses can operate efficiently with a mix of two widths of track. Typically, lanes work better when they are slightly undersized compared to box width. Tracks sized in this manner are easier to pick from because workers can easily and safely slide their hands underneath and it doesn’t waste horizontal space.

 

Choosing the Wrong Lane Depth

Ensuring the depth of the track aligns with what you’re storing is another factor that is easy to overlook. With a flow rack that is too shallow, the system may need to be replenished more frequently, which costs valuable time and resources. While a rack that is too deep wastes vital floor space because it stores more inventory than necessary for the required throughput. If the rack is too full of inventory, it can result in unwanted additional operating costs. The alternative is that the rack remains partially empty for the majority of the time, resulting in wasted space.

 

Not Optimizing Space between SKUs

Spacing SKUs is another key consideration to make when implementing a flow rack. Keeping the proper spacing between boxes (approx. 2”) helps maximize horizontal storage, ensuring there is enough space to pick boxes up from their sides. This is important because if boxes are too close, it makes them hard to pick. On the other hand, if boxes are too far, it wastes valuable horizontal space.

 

Incorrectly Sizing Beams

From time to time, facilities need to repurpose existing pallet rack structures where the beams may be sized for heavier loads. These taller beams take up valuable vertical space. in order to ensure warehouse space optimization, make sure the beams are properly sized for the anticipated load. This tip alone could be the difference between three, four, or even five levels of storage, which could yield a 20-30% increase in storage density.