You’ve just moved in a new facility for your growing company. As you plan to layout and outfit the facility, you’ve realized you’re not utilizing the vertical cube to store your raw materials, finished goods, tooling, spare parts, etc. Looking at the vertical cube is critical in the early stages as we’ve seen many customers move into a new facility only to realize  they need more space within six to twelve months.

In the old days (before EH&S), you’d get very tall shelving and access the upper levels with rolling step ladders. As the push for better ergonomics, more productivity, and increased operator safety became more prevalent, new technologies and equipment, including autonomous solutions, emerged to take advantage of the vertical cube. These technologies provided greater storage density, improved ergonomics, greater operator safety, and increased speed and accuracy of picking.

Taking advantage of your vertical cube

Highlighted below are various methods of using the vertical cube without the hazard of rolling step ladders.

MEZZANINES

Mezzanine with shelving

Installing a mezzanine inside your facility is a cost-effective way to increase the utilization of your vertical space. Structural mezzanines are not the most cost-effective way to go vertical. However, they do offer the weight capacity to support pallet storage, modular offices, and other heavy items up on the mezzanine deck. A staircase provides personal access to the second level. A pallet drop gate delivers pallets or replenishment loads to the mezzanine deck. If needed, spiral conveyors can also move product from the top floors to the bottom.

Shelving supported pick module

A shelving-supported pick module is a more economical means of taking advantage of the vertical cube within your facility. They’re utilized when the items you need to store and pick fit best in totes and cartons and aren’t very heavy. As with all mezzanines, stairs are needed to access the mezzanine deck, and replenishment is done with a pallet drop.

Racking supported pick module

Racking-supported pick modules follow the same design as shelving-supported pick modules, except the racking structure allows for greater weight capacity per shelf. All mezzanines enable you to utilize the vertical cube of your facility but don’t increase the speed and accuracy of your pickers. Having to go up and down stairs to pick orders may slow down the picking process.

A great benefit of either option is the ability to add a second level to your shelving. The system can also be built for future growth for a third and fourth level as your company grows.

GOODS TO PICKER SOLUTIONS

Vertical lift modules

Vertical lift modules (VLMs) store product on trays. A common tray size is 96” wide x 34” deep. Storage trays, handled by an elevator, deliver them to the pick window and store them in the appropriate location at elevation. VLMs have an advantage over VCs in handling heavier loads and odd-shaped items.

Vertical Carousels

Vertical carousels (VCs) have been called Ferris wheels or pizza ovens for the circular rotation of the storage shelves. Vertical carousels work best when the stored products are similar in size, shape, and weight and are typically stored in totes. When an item is needed, the picker enters the shelf number the product resides on, and the machine rotates to deliver it to the pick window. VCs can include software that significantly increases the speed and accuracy of picking.

AUTOMATED STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS

ASRS

ASRS systems are also goods to picker solutions but usually operate at a higher rate of speed when there’s a need for higher throughput. ASRS systems typically store the SKUs in a tote. The totes stored on special shelving segments are both long and tall. The picker at the front of the ASRS enters the order to be picked. An automated crane travels down the aisle to retrieve the tote and deliver it to the pick window. ASRS systems are almost always computer controlled for speed and accuracy of picking.

Stacking tote based ASRS systems

Traditional ASRS systems utilize shelving to store the totes. Stacking tote-based ASRS systems stack totes on top of each other. A metal grid built on top of the stacked totes allows autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to move to the right stack and retrieve the needed tote. The AMR then delivers the tote to the pick window to pick the required SKU. This system allows for a much higher storage density and relies on SKU popularity as the basis for which totes are stored closer to the pick window.

Radioshuttle

With a semi-automated storage and retrieval system, you can maximize your warehouse space while boosting your operational efficiency. This cost-effective high-density pallet racking system is controlled by a remote to load and unload pallets in specific lanes. It also maintains maximum selectivity between all levels.

Ready to utilize the vertical cube?

There are many ways to take advantage of the vertical cube within your facility, whether the goal is to reclaim floor space, add more revenue-generating equipment, move offices off the production floor, or increase the speed and accuracy of your picking. Reach out to a trusted material handling specialist. They will guide you to the best solution for your particular needs. R.I.P. rolling step ladders.