A few years ago, I looked out a Chicago hotel room window at the sub-roof of a skyscraper hotel. A long run of pipes and air ducts cut the roof in half, so that anyone who needed to work on it would have to walk a long way around or climb over. Since there were obvious points of maintenance and other equipment on both sides of the obstructions, I’m guessing that maintenance workers were doing exactly that. They needed a crossover, and a roof top isn’t the easiest place to install one, particularly post-construction.
How to Position Crossovers on Rooftops
June 9, 2020
by Scott Stone
Tags: Space Optimization
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
Download Our Guide To Carton Flow
May 28, 2020
When conducting storage and picking operations the use of carton flow rack not only saves space and makes picking faster, but it also reduces wasted motion. People don’t need to walk as much between pick positions, so they spend more time doing productive work like picking and packing.
There are many options and configurations for carton flow, and to help you navigate those choices, we’ve published a guide to carton flow rack.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
How to Add Carton Flow to Pallet Racks
May 21, 2020
by Scott Stone
Above: flow storage installed on pallet rack beams in a distribution center
To increase warehouse productivity, reducing the time it takes for people to execute a task is always going to pay off. One way to do that is to concentrate on picking areas so that people are able to get what they need faster and more efficiently. A common gravity flow application is to mount shelves of flow storage on pallet rack so you can mix & match gravity flow and bulk pallet storage in the same structure for both existing and new rack systems.
Whether you’re adding flow storage to an existing rack system or building it from new, this guide should help you get started.
Tags: order fulfillment, picking
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
The Effect of Work Position on Picking, Assembly, Packing and Shipping
May 14, 2020
by Scott Stone
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a common reported source of missed or restricted work in America. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, WMSDs account for over 33% of all worker compensation costs.
Tags: workstations, ergonomics
Posted in Storage, Organization & Workstations|
Shoptalk: Choosing the Right Flexible Conveyor Skatewheel
May 7, 2020
In this installment of Cisco-Eagle’s Shoptalk series, Cameron explains how to select the proper skatewheel for your flexible conveyor. You can use flexible conveyors at docks, shipping areas, packing departments and other places where temporary, mobile conveying is needed. You can extend, retract and roll them to fit into spaces where fixed conveyors aren’t practical.
Tags: Shoptalk
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
First-In, First-Out Storage Considerations
May 5, 2020
by Scott Stone
Above: a distribution center pallet flow application enforces FIFO picking protocol
In the age of eCommerce, fast shipping and obsolescence, first-in/first-out (FIFO) storage strategies are critical tools. Some products fit the mold (food, perishables, some electronics, medicines and many other retail goods), while other types of inventory are more about storage density and efficiency. The question is, what type of storage strategy works best for you? And what types of storage systems should you use?
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
Upgrading Automation In The Post Pandemic Era
April 14, 2020
Each day brings new challenges and new considerations for warehousing, distribution and manufacturing operations in the age of Covid-19. One of the chief aspects of this “new normal” is the human element in your business. It’s shut down some operations, and crimped many others. For certain industries, demand has skyrocketed.
Automated solutions have the ability to help you weather the storm — or prepare for the next wave.
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Keeping Safe Distance With Wire Partitions
April 9, 2020
Wire partitions are a safe way to provide secure storage for critical inventory, tools and components in any manufacturing or distribution facility. They can be relied upon in a variety of applications to protect inventory and reduce shrinkage.
In the Covid-19 age of social distancing, using cages to enforce distances is a relatively new but critical function. When it comes to protecting your workers, you want to look at all methods. While wire partitions can’t be used in every situation where there’s a need for employee distancing and protection, in some aspects they can certainly help.
Tags: wire partitions, wire partition
Posted in Security|
A Salute to Warehouse Workers
April 7, 2020
by Scott Stone
During the Covid-19 crisis, many office workers are sheltering in place. They’re working through conference calls, web meetings and mobile technology. They are also ordering groceries and other staples and having it delivered to their doors to help prevent the spread of the virus. They’re hitting retail stores. All of this is helping reduce future cases of the virus.
It’s also straining the retail and eCommerce supply chains, and someone has to fill those orders: The warehouse worker.
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
How Will Covid-19 Change Distribution?
March 24, 2020
by Scott Stone
We don’t know what the next month holds, much less the rest of 2020 and beyond when it comes to Covid-19, but we know changes are coming. However, several things are known in the current situation.
- The supply chain must function. Food and medical chains are the priority, but all types of other products must still reach Americans.
- This work can’t be done remotely. People must staff warehouses and factories.
- Like other facilities, the warehouse requires social distance to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and make their workers safe.
- The supply chain must be safe for its workers and its consumers.
We’ve put together some ideas that may help you as the situation evolves.
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|