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Retailers and the warehouses and distributors that support them know that empty shelves lead to lost sales. But, in any period of peak demand—whether in a crisis like a pandemic, hurricane or other disaster; or a holiday season, etc.—retailers’ shelves can become notoriously empty when logistical bottlenecks occur in the supply chain. When warehouses and distributors are driven to get more product to stores and consumers, having a more effective racking system that organizes the product and provides quick access for loading and unloading is essential. In this respect, a pallet flow rack system is exceptional and can be a key tool in helping logistics professionals quickly and reliably meet peak demand whenever first-in, first-out (FIFO) product retrieval is required, while minimizing labor and forklift travel. On top of this, the racking can store up to 100% more product than selective racking and reduce aisle space by 75%. Simply defined, this type of dynamic racking system is designed so that when the pallet in front is removed by a forklift, the pallets behind gently “flow” forward to replace it. Inclined tracks, rollers, and brakes—with an assist from gravity—are used to accomplish this task. New inventory is then loaded at the back end of the rack, facilitating FIFO product rotation, which is particularly valuable for items with expiration dates. Flow storage is useful in many applications including ambient, cooler, and freezer environments, raw materials receiving and storage, work-in-process, buffer storage, finished goods and cross docking. It is also often successfully used in pick module and automatic storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS). Expedite Fulfillment, Minimize Labor In terms of improving shipping logistics, there are significant benefits to using a flow system. Pallet flow rack can drastically reduce the labor required to pick pallets, because a forklift is only needed for initial […]