Lesson 3 4 Shelving Bin and Drawer Storage

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 Only Front 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, so does the storage carousel • Moves on a plane – Horizontal plane – Vertical plane

Horizontal Carousel

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

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. 3 -40 • 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. 3 -42 • 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. 3 -43 • 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

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.