Selective Rack + Carton Flow Rack + Cantilever Rack – A Case Study 

Solution at a Glance: 

• Services Provided: Assessment, Design, Project Management, Installation  
• Products Provided: Selective Rack, Carton Flow Rack, Cantilever Rack
• Location: Medina, OH

Concern: Inadequate Storage System for Diverse Inventory 

An auto component manufacturer was moving their storage system to a newly built extension of their building. The new expansion provided 7 ft. more vertical storage than their existing space. 

The company stocks a high number of SKUs that range significantly in size and shape. However, the company’s existing material handling system was not customized to their large SKU range. This caused wasted ‘air space’ in many of the selective rack bays. They wanted to eliminate this issue by building a material handling system tailored to their range of products, thereby maximizing density and selectivity. 

Additionally, the company predicted growth over the next five years. However, their budget only allowed them to address their immediate needs.  

Solution: Layout Options for Immediate and Future Needs

REB designed several layout options. All options included numerous bay elevations tailored to different product sizes to maximize the company’s vertical storage. The company reviewed the designs with REB and determined which is ideal for their operation. 

Additionally, REB included a design option for future reconfiguration to a very narrow aisle (VNA) layout. This design allowed the company to stay within their current budget while giving them a plan to stay in the same facility when they need to expand.

To execute the VNA design, the system will need to be removed and reinstalled with narrower aisles. This will shrink the footprint of the existing racking and allow for additional new racking to be installed. The result will be a denser system.  

Solution: Material Handling System Specific to Diverse Inventory 

REB project managers executed the project in two phases so the company could maintain operations.  

The first phase included standard selective rack. To accommodate the large range of product sizes, six elevations were included in the 7,500 pallet positions of selective rack. Additionally, double deep selective rack was included for longer palletized products.

Because the company stores small items in bins for handpicking, carton flow was integrated into the system. Carton flow is a gravity flow system. This allows the small items to always flow to the front of the bin for easy access. Additionally, the slanted decking provides high visibility of these items.

Phase two required a storage solution for longer products such as flat sheet steel. It was determined that cantilever rack is the best solution to maximize density and selectivity of these items. Due to the height restriction of their overhead crane, REB designed a double-sided cantilever system with seven storage levels on each side. This allows for an increase in storage capacity while remaining within height restrictions. Each level of the cantilever rack supports a maximum weight of 6,000 lbs. 

Outcome: Optimized Storage Facility  

The company’s new material handling system is now uniquely designed to maximize their increased vertical storage capacity. Integrating selective, carton flow and cantilever racking systems allows for products of varying sizes to be easily stored and picked.

Because of the very narrow aisle design REB project designers provided, the company is reassured that they will be able to accommodate for future growth without needing to relocate. 

How You Can Improve Productivity in Your Facility  

If you need to update your storage facility to increase your storage density and throughput, contact REB today.   

Our dedicated team of material handling experts will work with you to provide a solution that optimizes your storage and distribution operation. We are highly experienced in identifying inefficiencies and implementing improved systems.  

We’d appreciate the opportunity to help you further, whether that be more information or a quote. Fill in the contact form on this page or call us at (800) 252-5955 to get in touch with a REB representative.