The UK’s fastest shelving and racking supplier, Rapid Racking, are investing in a wide ranging update of storage systems and facilities in 2 of their 3 Kemble based warehouses in order to meet their recently launched next day service promise.
Having implemented next day delivery for all products, and faster delivery for bespoke or technical projects such as Two-Tiers, Rapid Racking’s Design Engineer, David Jennings, and Warehouse and Distribution Manager, Shaun Evans, created a more efficient storage plan to support the service changes and improve overall workflow in the warehouse.
Rapid Racking now stock hundreds more product lines on site to ensure customer orders are picked the same day and despatched faster than ever. The company has invested in a series of changes to their warehouse storage space to meet two main objectives: to manage the increased stock holding and to increase warehouse efficiency to meet their next day promise.
The first stage of the project involved re-organising the existing stockholding; segmenting fast moving SKUs and slower moving SKUs so that pick locations are logical for pick travel routes, and therefore much more efficient.
David Jennings and Shaun Evans planned a storage layout that incorporated additional Pallet Racking, Pallet-Live Racking and Cantilever Racking. The Cantilever Racking is arranged in two sections. The first is for the bulk storage of pallet racking posts in lengths of up to 8m. These posts are assembled into frames of different depths and these frames are then stored in the second area of Cantilever Racking enabling Rapid Racking to pick and supply a comprehensive range of pallet racking frames for next day delivery.
The second warehouse was fitted with additional Pallet Racking and a new Pallet-Live system. The Pallet-Live is an adaption of conventional Pallet Racking whereby beam levels are fitted with conveyor rollers on an inclined support bed. In this particular case the system is four pallets deep. Pallets are loaded into the system and flow down to a front pick face. Subsequent pallets follow the initial one and the pallets are stored very close together giving great density of storage. The rate of flow of the pallets is carefully controlled with brake rollers, and a pallet separator device ensures that the front pallet can be safely unloaded whilst the remaining pallets are temporarily held back to avoid line pressure on the pallet being unloaded. At the hand pick levels, operators can pick from the front pallet and once this is emptied a new full pallet flows into position. The system provides vast improvements in storage capacity relative to footprint but crucially gives improved efficiency in pick and replenishment operations. Safety is also enhanced as the pick and replenish operations are now separated.
Pick travel routes throughout the whole organisation have been minimised and the order fulfilment process has been greatly accelerated, for the benefit all customers. Rapid Racking’s warehouse re-layout is due for completion this week.
Rapid Racking
Tel: 01285 686868
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