When we’re talking about product storage, discussions of cube utilization typically focus on warehouse operations and revolve around different types of pallet racking and fork trucks. Selective, double deep and push back are some of the racking options serviced by narrow aisle and very narrow aisle fork trucks.

Vertical Lift Module

But what is often overlooked when maximizing the cube of a facility is the manufacturing side of the house.

Manufacturing areas and their equipment typically don’t utilize the vertical cube, as most of the operations are on the ground level. Couple this with the fact that manufacturing space is among the most expensive in the building, and you have a tremendous opportunity to maximize the cube and your ROI.

Manufacturing areas are typically very congested, not lending themselves easily to forklift traffic. How do we utilize the vertical cube without forklifts?

• Vertical Carousels (VC) – Kardex Remstar VCs are mechanized rotating shelves that are a true “Goods to Picker” solution delivering the product to the picker in a controlled, secure and ergonomic manner. They’re kind of like a ferris wheel for product.
• Vertical Lift Modules (VLM) – Another “Goods to Picker” solution is Kardex Remstar VLMs. They’re very popular because of their flexibility in that, unlike VCs that store the product on shelves, VLMs store a broad array of products on a tray that, when called for, get delivered to an access window for storing or picking. VLMs can go up to 98’ tall and hold as much as 1,400 lbs. per tray.

Shelving Supported Pick Module

• Shelving-Supported Pick Modules – Create a two or three-level high pick module to double or triple your shelving storage capacity.
• Wide Span Mezzanines – Extend over the top of the manufacturing area to use this new-found space for storage, supplies or office space.

What will you do with your new found space? Expand production? Bring in new manufacturing equipment? Or buy yourself another five years before you need to expand.

Cube utilization in your manufacturing environment, it just makes sense.

Do you need to get better utilization of your existing storage capacity? Let Abel Womack’s Sales and Engineering team work with you to determine which solution works best for your application and help develop the ROI. They’re often very compelling.