Manufacturing supermarkets are vital for establishing efficient production processes in many modern, fast-paced manufacturing facilities. Introducing intermediary storage on the production floor gives workers more immediate access to the necessary parts and materials to complete orders.
Yet, not all types of storage are suited for creating these specialized distribution centers. Flow racks offer a dynamic storage setup to take this lean manufacturing concept to the next level. Here’s how to create the ultimate manufacturing supermarket with flow racks like UNEX FlowCell and Roller Rack.
Introduction to Manufacturing Supermarkets
A manufacturing supermarket is a miniature distribution center within a larger manufacturing facility. As a crucial element in lean manufacturing systems, manufacturing supermarkets play a vital role in optimizing production processes by reducing transportation costs, improving inventory visibility, and enhancing overall efficiency. These strategically placed storage areas enable businesses to minimize waste, increase productivity, and respond more effectively to production demands.
The concept takes its inspiration from retail supermarkets, where products are organized so that customers can quickly and easily select what they need. Shelves at a grocery store, for instance, are stocked according to demand and laid out in an organized manner, with similar products near each other to improve flow for shoppers (and stockers). Translated to a production facility, this lean manufacturing storage solution makes parts readily available for restocking assembly lines to keep production moving smoothly.
As part of an overarching lean manufacturing system, manufacturing supermarkets offer several key benefits:
- Improved inventory control: Strategically located intermediary storage can enhance inventory visibility and prevent stockouts by ensuring the right parts are always available. It also prevents overstock by synchronizing stock levels with production demand.
- Waste reduction: Storing parts in distribution centers near the point of use helps to minimize transportation and motion waste. Workers don’t need to travel far to find the refill parts for the assembly line, which is always well stocked and ready for the day’s production needs.
- Enhanced productivity: Providing organized access to necessary parts improves worker efficiency, reducing the time spent searching for items and increasing output.
How Manufacturing Supermarkets Support Various Industries
Manufacturing supermarkets are highly valuable in manufacturing facilities that support sectors such as the aerospace, electronics, and automotive industries. Such operations frequently keep a high volume of diverse parts and rely on lean processes to reduce waste and keep assembly lines moving efficiently.
Manufacturing supermarkets are vital for ensuring lean operations in these contexts. They serve as centralized storage hubs for parts and components, which are strategically located near production lines. Instead of overcrowding assembly lines or subassembly stations with excess parts and materials, manufacturing supermarkets allow facilities to maintain the ideal inventory levels for a specific timeframe — whether an hour, a shift, or a day — and quickly restock the assembly line when necessary. This approach streamlines replenishment processes, reduces clutter, and ensures workers have only the required parts readily available for production.
By enabling efficient replenishment of parts and components, supermarkets help these facilities keep pace with the rigorous standards and timelines required to support these advanced industries. Implementing this type of lean manufacturing storage solution can radically improve efficiency, reduce waste, and maintain smooth workflows in some of the fastest-pace and highest-demand environments.
Dynamic Storage Solutions to Optimize Manufacturing Supermarkets
Setting up an effective manufacturing supermarket isn’t as simple as adding additional shelving. You have to consider the ideal type of shelving for the job. And here, flow racks provide the perfect solution.
Flow racks rely on gravity to move inventory from the back of the shelf to the front of the pick face. However, unlike carton flow racks used in order fulfillment and warehousing, flow racks for manufacturing offer a streamlined way to make open bins of parts available near production areas.
UNEX offers two types of flow racks for manufacturing environments: FlowCell and Roller Rack.
Discover how to boost productivity with modular flow racks. Download our Meet FlowCell guide!
FlowCell Modular Flow Racks
FlowCell modular flow racks are storage units and workstations designed for a facility’s unique operation. Our durable, portable flow racks maximize pick efficiency and space for lineside storage, sub-assembly stations, supermarket racks, modular mobile carts, and more.
FlowCell provides a flexible, ergonomic solution that supports Lean principles. Modular flow racks organize your inventory, accelerate pick productivity, and eliminate waste.
FlowCell Benefits:
- Increase space utilization by up to 50%
- Boost production efficiency by up to 30%
- Minimize reaching and improve ergonomics by reducing injury and fatigue
- Create reconfigurable, flexible storage to accommodate line and process changes
- Ensure FIFO inventory rotation
- Keep the factory floor organized — totes and boxes can be stored in return lanes rather than on the floor
Roller Rack Gravity Flow Racks
Roller Racks are pre-engineered gravity flow racks that provide seamless carton flow to maximize efficiency in manufacturing operations. Roller Rack is designed to optimize space, safety, and FIFO rotation in a multitude of settings. These standalone carton flow racks are pre-configured, easy to assemble, and ready when your facility needs them.
Roller Rack Benefits:
- Speed pick rates
- Free up space for additional SKUs
- Create bays seven times denser than pallet position storage
- Reduce picker travel time by up to 80%
- Maximize flexibility to create standalone carton flow units or add units to create carton flow bays
- Quick and easy to build and install
- Allow for compact storage, reduced freight costs, and less damage
- Improve access and visibility, reduce strain on workers
- Replenish inventory from the back without interrupting processes in the front
FlowCell vs. Roller Rack for Manufacturing Supermarkets
How do you choose the right UNEX flow rack solution for your manufacturing facility? Both FlowCell and Roller Rack make excellent choices for manufacturing supermarkets, but each is designed for different purposes.
FlowCell for Manufacturing Supermarkets
FlowCell is a highly customizable flow rack solution that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your manufacturing warehouse layout and production workflow. This ergonomic solution offers superior flexibility and durability compared to other flow rack products on the market. FlowCell modular flow racks are proven to increase production efficiency by up to 30% within high-volume operations.
FlowCell is a great solution for manufacturing supermarkets because it can easily be re-configured as the needs of your business change. It can also be utilitzed throughout several manufacturing applications like industrial workstations, assembly, and sub-assembly stations, and lineside storage. FlowCell also creates a seamless integration between the manufacturing supermarket and other areas of the facility. For example, workers picking parts for assembly can use FlowCell mobile picking carts to transport parts from the supermarket area to FlowCell lineside storage units or workstations.
Roller Rack for Manufacturing Supermarkets
Roller Rack is ideal for operations where carton flow is required and there is no need to store pallets above the rack. This standalone carton flow solution provides carton flow for the various storage mediums used in part picking operations. Roller Rack is manufactured with welded uprights and roll-formed crossbeams, making it a heavy-duty standalone structure.
Roller Rack is perfect for manufacturing supermarkets due to its durable, flexible, and modular design. Utilizing Roller Rack with SpanTrack Lane or SpanTrack Wheel Bed will increase space utilization in your manufacturing supermarket area by 50% or more, reducing workers' search and travel times and streamlining replenishment.
FlowCell and Roller Rack both allow for flexible intermediary storage that you can easily integrate into your manufacturing operation. By centralizing inventory in supermarkets and feeding only the required quantities to production areas, you can streamline processes, reduce waste, and support lean manufacturing practices.
Transform Your Manufacturing Processes With UNEX
Manufacturing supermarkets are essential for supporting lean practices and handling high production volume with a diverse parts inventory. UNEX flow racks offer optimal, scalable solutions for increasing manufacturing efficiency and creating manufacturing supermarkets that enhance overall productivity. Whether you need the flexibility and adaptability of FlowCell or the throughput-boosting speed and simplicity of Roller Rack, both solutions can radically improve workflows and boost your bottom line.
If you're looking to implement manufacturing supermarkets in your facility or improve existing ones, contact UNEX today to speak with one of our product experts!
