Tag Archive for: Warehouse

Material Handling Terms and Definitions

Hello again.  In this week’s blog, we are going to cover a few basic terms and definitions as they apply to the material handling industry.  Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding material handling equipment.

pallet-flow-racks1971-7112Dedicated Aisles–  An aisle in a warehouse serving only one function. This aisle can be for order selection, product storage, or both.

Buffer Storage–  The part of a warehouse in which back-up or reserve stock is stored awaiting transfer into active storage.

Belt Conveyor–  A continuous fabric, rubber, plastic, leather or metal belt operated over a suitable drive and tail end, and over belt idlers or slider bed for handling materials, packages or objects placed directly upon the belt.

Pallet Rack Shelving–  Standard pallet rack can be equipped with shelf panel inserts so that pallet rack can be used for storing binnable, rackable or palletized materials as needs change.

Pallet Loader–  An automatic or semiautomatic machine consisting of synchronized conveyors and mechanisms to receive objects from a conveyor(s) and place them onto pallets according to a prearranged pattern.

On behalf of all of us here at Storage Solutions, thanks for stopping by.  Don’t forget to join us again next week!

Meet our New Intern: James Cira

Storage Solutions has a new intern!  I would like to take a few minutes this week to introduce him to everyone.  Let’s get to know a little about James.

DSCN6692Where are you from?  “I am from Elkhart, and I went to high school at Concord High.  I am currently attending Ball State University where I study Marketing.”

What brought you to Storage Solutions?  “I first came into contact with Storage Solutions at a BSU Career Fair.  After coming in for an interview, I noticed that Storage Solutions is a great company, and is a market leader in the material handling industry.  I decided to accept an internship position because I believe this experience will assist my own personal and professional development.”

What has been your most interesting experience so far?  “My most interesting moment so far has been going down to the jobsite in Greenwood, IN to see a new distribution center that we are outfitting with used pallet rack.  I really enjoyed seeing how we turn a big empty warehouse into a fully equipped, fully functional distribution center.”

Tell us something interesting about yourself.  “I have an identical twin brother.”

On behalf of everyone here at Storage Solutions, welcome to the team!

On a side note, we will be adding more material handling equipment to the clearance section of our website every week.  Make sure to take a few minutes to see if there is anything on there that catches your eye!

Thanks for joining us this week.  I hope you all check back again next Thursday.

building-successful-warehouse

4 Stages to Building a Successful Warehouse

Building a successful warehouse can be quite an endeavor. Whether the full layout ends up covering 10,000 square feet or 1 million square feet, the best warehouses are built with foresight and growth in mind. What are the current needs? Should we design for growth? How often will our demand change? 

No one can predict the future with 100% certainty. However, because we have partnered with several types of warehouse construction projects, we have seen the best and worst practices. The most successful warehouses typically involve the following four-stage process.

Plan the Layout

There are a few important factors that go into planning the layout of your warehouse.  Your floor plan will have a big impact on the way you want to outfit your facility with pallet rack.  For example, areas with offices, bathrooms, and exits will need to be taken into account when determining the location of your pallet rack or shelving units.  Our team of CAD specialists will assist you in designing the layout of your warehouse.

Select the Appropriate Equipment

Now that you know where you would like to put your storage equipment, determine what your specific needs are. At this point, we can help identify the best solution to your warehousing needs.  Our sales representatives will help you select from a wide variety of storage options, including pallet rack, drive-in rack, pushback rack, steel shelving, rivet shelving, etc.  The key is to carefully analyze your unique needs. This examination ensures that your storage facility operates at the most efficient level possible.

Installation

The installation of your storage equipment should be a relatively simple task. If it is a small job, most of the equipment can be assembled by your warehouse workers.  However, if you are outfitting an entire warehouse with pallet rack or shelving units, I would recommend calling a professional to help with the installation.  Storage Solutions has a crew of professional installers that would be happy to help you install new equipment, or tear down and move existing equipment.  Alternatively, you could call a third-party contractor.

Upkeep

Next, you need to make sure to keep tabs on the condition of your storage equipment. The most important thing in your warehouse is the safety of your employees.  Stay proactive to identify and resolve any potentially problematic areas.  Storage Solutions partners with the Safety Management Group to provide safety consulting, training, staffing, program planning and implementation on your job.  If you have questions about the condition of your storage equipment, give us a call and we will be happy to help.

Before you get started on building a successful warehouse, start with the 1st step above and make sure your layout is designed for your current needs, while taking into account any planned growth. Contact us to speak with an expert who can design your layout with an optimal eye toward efficiency.