Small Parts Storage System - Shelving

Shelving is a very basic storage method which affords the user significant flexibility in the type and quantity of goods stored and at a relatively low capital investment. Consequently, shelving is by far the most popular samll parts storage technique used in warehouse. Most of these applications are well justified. The warehouse planner, however, must not approach the specification of a shelving system with any less care than that of an automated storage/retrieval system. An examination of the shortcomings of typical shelving installations reveals why.

Shelving is not an inherently space-efficient storage technique. Cubic space utilization within a typical shelving installation is often less than 50 percent. There are two primary reasons for this poor space utilization. First, shelving installations often make poor use of the vertical space available in a warehouse. Installation of 84-inch-high shelving in a facility with 20 feet of available clear stacking height is all too common. The result is significant unused, wasted space.

The second problem is that every individual shelf opening has the potential for poor utilization of space. It is not unusual to see a typical shelf opening that is 36 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 12 inches high being occupied by a 6-inch-cubed box. Many shelves are occupied more by air than product.

These space utilization problem directly result in increased warehouse costs related to the amount of shelving required and the amount of warehouse space required to house the shelving. Additionally, they directly lead to emplyee productivity losses in that the warehouse personnel must travel greater distances within the shelving system to access shelf locations. The point is that proper shelving specificaion can minimize such problems. Shelving is a simple storage system, but the warehouse planner must not be simpleminded in its application.

Pallet Racking, Live Storage

Utilising the free motion energy of gravity, Pallet Live Storage systems provide guaranteed 'first in-first out' (FIFO) stock rotation, improved use of storage space and improved picking and loading speeds.

The pallets rest on sloping roller conveyor track and roll forward when a pallet is removed from the picking face at the front of the installation, creating a storage space on the loading face at the rear of the installation.

Pallet Live Storage is used in conjunction with conventional counter balance or reach trucks.

Cantilever Racks

Cantilever Racks offer a powerful material-handling tools that requires no external bracing. It features either single upright or double upright design that allows for storage of oddly shaped materials or supplies with exceptionally long measurements.

Cantilever Rack offer more use of the vertical cube and help reduce the costs of expansion and moving. Their specific value lies in their ability to store items that cannot be stacked or easily organized in crates or shelving.

Cantilever racks can sit back against the wall with arms extended, giving easy access to manual loading or forklift maneuvering and do not a separate aisle or special access point to reach.

All racks offer a great deal of durability because of a powder coat finish that makes them very tough under hard working conditions.

Single-sided uprights customize easily to a number of individual applications. Double-sided uprights allow for faster manual loading and forklift access. One cantilever rack can store many different types of items because of the adjustable nature of the arms.

Pallet Stacking Frames

Pallet stacking frames are either frames attached to standard wooden pallets or self -contained steel units made up of decks and posts. Stacking frames are portable and enable the user to stack material several loads high. When not in use, the frames can be disassembled and stored in a minimum amount of space.

Stacking frames are commonly used when loads are not stackable and when other racking alternatives are not justifiable. Also, because stacking frames can be leased, they are popular when there is a short-term spike in inventory and the frames are needed to increase storage density in what is normally open floorspace.

A single stacking frame costs between $100 and $300. The storage density losses due to honeycombing described earlier for block stacking also apply to stacking frames.

Pallet Management System

Benefits of pallet management systems:

• Availablilty of pallets is improved and therefore increased asset utilization. The advanced decision making is easier and thus, saving time and money


• Expensive pallets could be purchased at a more efficient level and therfore reducing significant amount of capital


• Warehouse space could be better utiilize and therfore creating a huge saving in warehouse space

Please refer to the below picture for a better overview of Pallet management system:

Click on the picture for a bigger and clearer view

Therefore with a good pallet management system, we could achieved better storage system in the warehouse

Lean-Lift

Lean lift is a fully automated storage retrieval system that brings the required package to the retrieval zone in a few seconds. This could reduce cycle times drastically. Lean lift could reduce the storage system by 60% where it utilizes the available ceiling height which is similar to a high-bay, therefore storing on a height optimised basis which could save space in storage.


The control system of the lean lift is able to communicate with the host computer on a real time basis and therefore allowing the inventory status is readily available. This way, shortages are avoided and inventory can be reduced efficiently.

Vertical Carousels are a general class of storage machine that utilizes chain and track / linkages that rotate box structure shelving modules in a vertical plane.

Vertical carousels resemble a ferris wheel in dynamics, the individual shelving modules are kept horizontal on their path around the vertical track with the use of mechanism.

This is basically using the combination of the chain path of the machine and the secondary GUIDE TRACK and STABALIZING ARMS to shelves the items.

Vertical carousels are available in many load carrying capacities, shelf module dimensions and overall height.

Vertical carousels range from household kitchen pantry consolidation to large industrial units loaded to many tons and heights of 40 feet and more.

Vertical carousels are suited for consolidating the storage of like sized small parts in a small footprint, as the technology is somewhat expensive on a purely volumetric basis.

My personal reflections:

I remembered during my SIP period, my warehouse manager also told me that COURTS (S) is also using this storage system for certain inventories. The advantage for this system he told me is that this system enables FIFO. Which helps to clear the most early stocks first. this helps to prevent obsolete inventories.