Pallet Flow Rack for Beverage Distributor – A Case Study

Solution at a Glance:

Services Provided: Rack Design, Permitting Support, Installation
Products Provided: Pallet Flow Racking
Location: Ft. Worth, TX

Concern: Lower Profits Due to Lack of Material Handling System

An energy drink supplier was stacking pallets of beverages on the floor. While this eliminated the expense of building a rack system, costs were incurred through reduced pick rates, increased errors, and lower throughput.

The company needed a better solution for storing products. The material handling system had to satisfy four key characteristics of their inventory: high throughput, constant circulation, date sensitive, and palletized.

Solution: Pallet Flow Rack System

Based on the characteristics of the inventory, REB determined that a pallet flow system best fits the company’s needs. REB designed the pallet flow system to hold 324 pallets with a 2,200 lb. average pallet weight. It is a three-level system consisting of:

• 15 lanes with five (5) pallets wide x fifteen (15) pallets deep x three (3) pallets high
• 9 lanes with three (3) pallets wide x eight (8) pallets deep x three (3) pallets high
• 9 lanes with three (3) pallets wide x three (3) pallets deep x three (3) high

The system incorporates polycarbonate wheels, with heavier-duty wheels in the loading zone. Ramp stops and speed controllers are also integrated for improved product management.

Outer flow rails have wheels that inline on 4” centers. This setup provides consistent rolling contact and stability for the outermost sections of the pallet. The center rails have wheels staggered on 2” centers. Staggering wheels on 2″ centers ensure that no matter how the pallet deck boards line up, there’s always a wheel underneath for support. This prevents sagging and hang-ups.

Structural steel rack beams are included at the charge and discharge ends of the system. Structural steel provides high strength and durability, making it ideal for these areas that experience a lot of forklift activity.

All other racking components included are roll formed steel. Roll-formed rack is a less durable but also less expensive option than structural and is ideal for most standard warehouse storage applications. This combination of structural and roll formed steel rack provides high durability where needed while also keeping the pallet flow rack system within budget.

Solution: Project Management Services for Pallet Flow System

REB managed the project from conception to completion. The project manager’s responsibilities included:

• Execute testing of the company’s pallets on a pallet flow rack sample. This real-life demonstration is done at the manufacturing plant to guarantee that the pallet flow design provides smooth and effective gravity flow of the company’s pallets.
• Obtain commitments on lead times and set a firm project schedule including completion date.
• Order and transport all materials from multiple manufacturers.
• Acquire necessary permits.
• Manage all subcontractors and monitor installation.

Outcome:

The first-in, first-out design of the pallet flow system allows for constant product movement and safeguarding that no inventory spoils or goes to waste. Additional benefits the new material handling system provides include:

Higher density: Replacing floor stacking with a pallet flow rack system allows the company to store more pallets vertically than is possible with floor stacking. As a result, their overall storage footprint is smaller, allowing for growth.

Increased pick rates and improved inventory management: Products that were previously stacked on the floor are now organized within designated pallet flow lanes. This decreases the time it takes employees to locate all pallets needed for a pick, as well as making it easier to track inventory. Additionally, the gravity flow characteristic of pallet flow rack makes each pallet readily available in the front picking aisle of the system, improving pick times.

Higher throughput: The increase in pick rates and storage capacity allows the company to receive and distribute more pallets daily.

Do you have unique storage requirements that must be met?

At REB Storage Systems International, we look at each project as unique. While many have similarities for which we can leverage our experience and knowledge, each client has unique needs that must be met.

REB has the flexibility to integrate products from multiple manufacturers based on the requirements of your rack system including pricing and lead time. This combined with in-house design, planning, and permitting support expertise allows us to provide you with your specific storage solution.

To receive storage solutions that optimize your unique requirements, fill in the contact form or call (800) 252-5955.