Conventional pallet rack
with 1,118 storage locations.
Material Flow Process
Input
All incoming items are palletized for storage.
Cases are stacked on pallets, and the pallets are placed on the input conveyor.
Each pallet passes through an automatic load checker that checks weight, height, and balance.
STV delivers pallets for storage in the pallet buffer.
Output
Orders are routed to one of two flow lines — pallet loads or case loads.
Orders for full pallets are sent directly to the proper shipping berth.
Larger orders that are still less than a pallet load are sent to a u-shaped picking area where product is picked by case layers using a pick-to-light system; items are then sent directly to the shipping area.
Individual case orders are picked in the third-floor mezzanine area using a paperless pick-to-light system.
Cases are sent along a high-speed conveyor and sorted automatically into one of 19 chutes where they are stacked on a pallet for loading onto trucks.
Slow moving items are stored in conventional rack shelving using forklifts and an automatic elevator.
Bulk items which turn quickly, are stored conventionally
near the shipping area. Putaway locations are computer assigned
and unified location numbers effectively create a virtual
storage rack for these items.
