Internal Transport and Storage Systems in Warehouses

Internal transport

Refers to the physical movement of products inside loading/unloading areas, docks, order preparation zones, truck load and any other eventual activity that implies products movements inside the warehouse.

Horizontal transport:

On this type of transport merchandise do not need to be raised to locate in a determined place. (Pallet truck, roller conveyor, conveyor belt system, auto guide transport system).

Vertical transport:

This transport not just allows the product to be transported from one place to another, but also to be raised to locate in a specific place. (Conventional forklift, retractable forklift, trilateral forklift).

Conventional forklift/truck lift (“Toros”)

Could be fixed mast or counterbalance, they need from 3 to 3.5 m of minimum width for hallways to operate correctly. The maximum height of this machine is 5 to 6 m.

Retractable forklift/truck lift:

They need from 2.5 m of minimum width for hallways to operate correctly. All these trucks should be maneuvered by a trained person.

Trilateral truck lift.

They could pick the merchandise on a retractable way (right or left). The maximum height of these machines is 9 to 10 m.

Storage system:

Block storage, fixed racks, drive in/drive out racking system, dynamic racks, and mobile racks.

Robotic warehouses:

All the movements are done automatically, using stacker cranes. These machines do simultaneously translation and rising to locate the merchandise in the correct alveolus.

Advantages: Space save, time save, automatic management of warehouses, reliability, and versatility.

Disadvantages: Pallets should be completely standardized and pass a control at the entrance. Complex technical study, high investment and slow ROI, higher maintenance cost, pilot testing before functioning.

Functional area:

Lay-out is the physical arrangement of the different areas inside the warehouse. It is one of the most important technical parts of the design because it will condition the functioning of the warehouse. Storage Area, Product handling area, Vehicles loading/unloading area, internal services area, External services area.

Storage area:

This area is the physical space occupied by the merchandise when it is block storage and for racks or any other type of storage. Square and cubic meters occupied for this area will depend on: hallways width, measure of the mean of containment, height levels, pallets per racks, measurements for the racks.

Products handling area:

This area is the space reserved for the orders classification and preparation (once the picking is done), packaging, labeling, plastic cover. Also, you will find other control equipment as weighing control, retractable of pallets.

Loading/Unloading area:

This area is linked to docks/terminals available and are essential elements for the correct functioning. They should be wide enough to guarantee the flow of the processes and avoid congestions that will mean delays.

Service area:

Internal services: Offices, file area, first aid kit, charging zones. External services: Fuel-oil equipment, parking, surveillance lookout point. Flow lines: Is the sequential process that follows each one of the different areas where the workshop is done, where is developed and interrelation that allow the correct functioning and the materials flow.

Storage capacity:

Is the maximum number of “containment units” (storage spaces) that could be inside the warehouse facility. The warehouse capacity will depend on: The area destined for the products storage, Hallways width, Stacking levels, Pallets measures, Pallets per space (rack/shelves).

Nominal:

It is the maximum number of pallets or tons that could be stored inside the warehouse, with defined technological characteristics. Its calculation comes from the information of the previous forms.