Pallet picking is a continuous challenge as each year it seems Consumer Product Company marketing groups create more items while customers want smaller quantities of each item necessitating the break down of unit loads and construction into mixed-case, picked pallets.
In Part 2, we will look at the remaining three and examine the pros and cons as well as the investment required, its flexibility, and the impact on labor. There are several techniques used to accomplish this goal:
1. The first method we will review is layer pallet picking - layers form a subset of all case picks. Layer pallet picking uses a clamp truck - Tygard or Cascade clamp - to pick up one or more layers from one pallet and transfer to another. Labor requirements include one person to take inventory to and from the layer pick lane and another person to operate the layer pick forklift - a minimum of two. On the one hand the investment is small for the equipment, but there are also system requirements needed to segregate the picks - layer and non-layer. Another consideration is the number of SKU's that can be picked is limited by the space, lanes, and volume of layers for each item. So while labor cost is low, the chances of damage to the product is increased, there is a limitation to the number of SKU's, and fluctuation in volume can cause a lot of wasted time.
2. The second system is called the automated gantry layer pallet picking. Simply stated, an overhead gantry shifts over pallets of goods picking up layers. It is low labor, but can be costly to operate as it needs an expensive conveyor system for the indexing of pallets and high technical support is required.
3. Dispenser Based pallet picking. Cases are fed into magazines, which dispense them in sequence to build a good picked pallet. Palletization is done with a palletizer or robot. This process has low labor, low flexibility, high investment and will only handle 250 SKU's. The pros and cons: limited number of SKU's; high complexity; high technical support needed.
Clearly there are opportunities to mix and match some of these technologies. For example, use of a layer picker to feed cases into the magazine type picker. Every day, it seems, as labor becomes more expensive and more scarce, there are more pallet picking technologies that are becoming cost effective. Every one is looking for the ideal pallet picking solutions.
When you consider a Warehouse consultant, Transportation | Warehouse Optimization have been working with some of the top companies in America, finding practical solutions that have resulted in saving millions of dollars. They take a long-term view and keep the client as top priority. Contact them at www.WarehouseOptimization.com for transportation cost reductions or solutions to warehouse challenges. While visiting their website, sign up for their exclusive free Truck Loading Manual that can SAVE YOU MONEY and offer you the perfect Operator Manual for lift truck drivers. Transportation | Warehouse Optimization - Solutions that work. Solutions that save. - 15246
In Part 2, we will look at the remaining three and examine the pros and cons as well as the investment required, its flexibility, and the impact on labor. There are several techniques used to accomplish this goal:
1. The first method we will review is layer pallet picking - layers form a subset of all case picks. Layer pallet picking uses a clamp truck - Tygard or Cascade clamp - to pick up one or more layers from one pallet and transfer to another. Labor requirements include one person to take inventory to and from the layer pick lane and another person to operate the layer pick forklift - a minimum of two. On the one hand the investment is small for the equipment, but there are also system requirements needed to segregate the picks - layer and non-layer. Another consideration is the number of SKU's that can be picked is limited by the space, lanes, and volume of layers for each item. So while labor cost is low, the chances of damage to the product is increased, there is a limitation to the number of SKU's, and fluctuation in volume can cause a lot of wasted time.
2. The second system is called the automated gantry layer pallet picking. Simply stated, an overhead gantry shifts over pallets of goods picking up layers. It is low labor, but can be costly to operate as it needs an expensive conveyor system for the indexing of pallets and high technical support is required.
3. Dispenser Based pallet picking. Cases are fed into magazines, which dispense them in sequence to build a good picked pallet. Palletization is done with a palletizer or robot. This process has low labor, low flexibility, high investment and will only handle 250 SKU's. The pros and cons: limited number of SKU's; high complexity; high technical support needed.
Clearly there are opportunities to mix and match some of these technologies. For example, use of a layer picker to feed cases into the magazine type picker. Every day, it seems, as labor becomes more expensive and more scarce, there are more pallet picking technologies that are becoming cost effective. Every one is looking for the ideal pallet picking solutions.
When you consider a Warehouse consultant, Transportation | Warehouse Optimization have been working with some of the top companies in America, finding practical solutions that have resulted in saving millions of dollars. They take a long-term view and keep the client as top priority. Contact them at www.WarehouseOptimization.com for transportation cost reductions or solutions to warehouse challenges. While visiting their website, sign up for their exclusive free Truck Loading Manual that can SAVE YOU MONEY and offer you the perfect Operator Manual for lift truck drivers. Transportation | Warehouse Optimization - Solutions that work. Solutions that save. - 15246
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