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Technical Warehouse Manual
Core concepts about systems, handling equipment and logistics processes
This manual is a compilation of the experience and knowledge Mecalux has gleaned over the past 50 years, making key storage concepts accessible to sector professionals: the various systems for product slotting, including the automatic, semi-automatic and mechanical equipment recommended for load handling. It also outlines other decisive factors, like the unit load, the flow of goods, slotting and installation sizes, process management, etc.
Logistics professionals will find this a helpful resource for choosing a system that is a good, efficient fit for their business.
Storage systems
This article goes over the features of the main storage modules: pallet racks, carton flow racks for boxes and loose product, mixed systems and customized ones.
- Selective pallet racking systems
- Should I install selective pallet racks?
- Should I install a high-rise rack installation?
- When should you choose double-deep pallet racking?
- High-density pallet rack systems
- Flow Racking
- Compact storage systems and automated warehouses
- Comparing pallet rack capacity
- Storing small sized products
- Combined storage systems
- Warehouse for special and over-sized products
What is order picking?
Order picking, known as picking, consists of the collection and combination of non-unitary loads to put together an order for a customer.
- Order picking methods: goods-to-person, person-to-goods & combinations
- Pallet picking
- Pick-to-light: faster picking, fewer errors
- Floor level order picking
- Low level order picking
- Medium-level order picking
- High-level order picking
- Picking technologies: voice picking, RF, pick-to-light and put-to-light
- Automated order picking systems
Forklifts
Forklifts are vital pieces of handling equipment in warehouses, enabling pallets to be moved between the transport vehicles and the different warehouse areas. What’s more, forklifts can deposit and remove goods from where they are stored in rack locations.
- Pallet jacks: manual or electric
- Pallet stackers
- Counterbalanced forklifts
- Reach trucks
- Order pickers
- Automatic guided and laser guided vehicles
- What is a Narrow Aisle Forklift?
- Other in-warehouse transport systems
- Fixed circuit warehouse equipment in rack-supported installations
- Free-moving forklifts in rack-supported warehouses
- Forklift comparison table
Industrial containers
Industrial containers are a type of receptacle or packaging in which goods are deposited, yielding an optimal unit load for transport, handling and storage. There are distinct types of these bulk containers, the main ones being wooden, plastic or metallic, in addition to totes or euroboxes used to house small-sized products.
Pallets
Wooden pallets fill most warehouses, although plastic pallets and those made of metal are also used in certain situations. In all these cases, a standardized size streamlines handling and proper loading of goods, –namely the 40” x 48” GMA pallet.
Warehouse design
Not only is the construction technique or warehouse modification important, but also the factors, restrictions and constraints that affect operations are essential.
- Warehouse layout design
- Warehouse material flows and flow charts
- Why warehouse flooring is important
- Flatness and levelness of warehouse floors
- Designing warehouse access points
- Factors that influence access point placement
- Warehouse docking areas
- Forklift aisle width and height
- Pallet racking clearances
- The exterior of rack-supported warehouses
- Planning a warehouse
What is a warehouse? Our definition
A basic definition of a warehouse, how the different types are classified, factors to keep in mind when designing one and some possible layouts.
- Warehouse management
- The central warehouse
- Warehouse tasks and functions
- How to calculate the ROI of a warehouse
- What is a Warehouse Management System (WMS)?
- The perfect warehouse location
- Safety in the warehouse (tips and topics)
- What is a palletized unit load?
- Barcode run warehouses and other automatic identification systems
- The RFID run warehouse