SpanTrack Lane Carton Flow Rollers
Efficient, durable, and dependable, SpanTrack Lane carton flow rollers drop into existing structures to create the ultimate carton flow rack system for manufacturing facilities and order picking operations.
At UNEX, we’ve been committed to optimizing manufacturing, warehousing and fulfillment, retail, and logistics spaces for six decades and counting. From pioneering carton flow storage solutions to designing high-density storage systems, we’ve helped countless companies hone their operations and become more efficient and productive for over six decades.
Although supply chains have evolved, the basic principles of space optimization haven’t changed. Tried and true solutions for inventory management, fulfillment, and production continue to produce the best results in a wide range of industries. Whatever the specifics of the operation, we’ve continued to focus on the smart use of space and efficient product movement. Here’s a brief look at our history and a few things we’ve learned about how to make the most of warehouse, logistics, manufacturing, and retail facilities over the last 60 years.
Decades of Experience in Space Optimization
When UNEX first launched in the 1960s under the name "Uniflex," the manufacturing and warehouse industry was undergoing significant technological advancement. While powered and electronic conveyor systems played an important role in early warehouse operations, UNEX recognized the growing need for more efficient and cost-effective solutions.
As the decades progressed, UNEX stayed at the forefront of innovation in gravity-powered solutions, which proved to be transformative for manufacturing, eCommerce, logistics, and fulfillment centers. This commitment to smart space solutions has remained at the core of our mission throughout its history.
As these facilities evolved to meet growing demand and the growing complexity of the online shopping era, the need for flexible, space-saving solutions grew rapidly. Labor costs skyrocketed, SKU selection exploded, and efficiency became the focus for facility managers. Over the following decades, UNEX rolled out various dynamic storage solutions to meet these changing demands. Dynamic solutions like FlowCell modular flow racks and SpeedCell high-density storage systems have since been deployed in operations across North America.
UNEX Through the Decades
1960s
Founded in 1964 by Frank Neuwirth, UNEX manufactured the first cable-driven roller conveyor that offered significant savings over traditional belt-driven conveyors.
1970s
In 1973, UNEX introduced Shelf Track full-width rollers, our very first carton flow product. Shelf Track was, for UNEX, the start of a path that would eventually lead us to become The Carton Flow Authority®.
1980s
In the 1980s, UNEX was at the forefront of pick-to-light technology.
1990s
The 1990s were when UNEX hit its stride. In 1993, UNEX introduced SpanTrack, the original full-width roller track for pallet rack. UNEX SpanTrack pioneered the carton flow craze and continues to be the industry-leading carton flow solution businesses rely on today.
2000s
In 2002, UNEX introduced FlowCell lineside storage units. These modular flow racks marked a major milestone in our business but also had a huge impact on the companies that utilize them. Today, FlowCell is the solution of choice for major automotive manufacturers like Ford, GE, and Tesla.
In 2008, UNEX introduced SpanTrack Wheel Bed universal carton flow beds, making the 2000s a major decade for smart space solutions that transformed the supply chain.
2010s
The 2010s were another significant decade of growth for UNEX. In 2013, UNEX introduced Roller Rack standalone carton flow bays. In 2014, we celebrated 50 years in business. In 2018, UNEX acquired SpeedCell Storage Systems.
2020s
In 2023, UNEX introduced SpeedCell Ready Bay, a pre-configured dynamic industrial shelving solution designed to quickly increase SKU storage. And in 2024, UNEX is celebrating 60 years of Smart Space Solutions That Transform the Supply Chain!
Now
There’s no telling what the future will bring, but the commitment to our customers’ success remains the same and UNEX will continue to deliver space-efficient solutions for businesses across a rapidly evolving supply chain.
Timeless Tips for Optimizing Warehouse Space
Throughout six decades in business, each product we’ve designed has been built on a simple set of guiding principles for maximizing the use of space and streamlining inventory movement. Whether you want to fine-tune your manufacturing facility or enhance the flow and productivity of your order fulfillment, here are five tips to keep you on track.
1. Map the Layout of Your Space
Look at the total capacity of your space from floor to ceiling. Often warehouses and manufacturing facilities can find additional storage space in unused vertical space. Therefore, it's crucial to thoroughly understand the current layout's flow and space utilization, including rack configuration and processes like pick methods, receiving, put-away, replenishment, inventory management, and packing and shipping.
2. Store Items According to Throughput
In a warehouse, properly slotting SKUs can solve many space-related challenges. As companies handle more and more products, running out of space is a top issue. Slotting improves storage density, opening up hidden storage space within a facility. Slotting maximizes warehouse space by improving storage by optimizing product location. Inventory is slotted using various strategies focused on speed/velocity of products, item storage (carton, pallet, individual SKU), seasonal usage, etc.
In a typical warehouse, approximately 80% of inventory is slow-moving items. Using high-density storage minimizes the footprint of slow-movers. Storing slow-movers in less space means more valuable space—such as the end caps and racks closest to the shipping or packing areas—is available for fast-moving products. Workers will be able to pick fast-moving products quicker and easier in this format, helping to minimize footsteps while maximizing pick speeds.
3. Increase Storage Density
Pallet racks are material handling storage systems that store products on pallets, helping to increase storage density by using more vertical space instead of storing pallets on the ground. Pallet racking systems are most effective for storing large pallets of varying, medium-to-large goods. Modular pallet racks can scale to fit any warehouse configuration to minimize wasted space. Plus, pallet racks can be easily adjusted to product mix changes by simply reconfiguring them and using them with different products, saving money.
Avoid unused pallet rack storage in the pallet rack by using the entirety of the pallet rack depth. Instead of lining a shelf with one SKU and having workers reach deep into the rack to grab the following SKU, use a carton flow system to load all the SKUs behind each other and let them flow forward to the order pickers on the slanted shelving. Using carton flow allows more SKUs in less space. This will help maximize space utilization in the warehouse or fulfillment center, and it will help to make inventory easier to monitor and control while reducing travel time and footpath between picks.
4. Avoid Dead Space with Right-Sized Containers
Make sure your space is consistent with items stored. For example, a particular size container must be stored on a rack that accepts that size item to eliminate wasted space. If the container measures 2' x 3', the rack should be approximately the same size.
In addition, containers need to fit products so that the item stored fits snuggly within them to avoid wasted space inside the containers. Finally, items within containers are often packaged with lightweight materials to protect the finished item. Choose packaging materials for their strength, weight, and recyclability; the packaging must be small enough to take up limited space but sufficient to protect the finished item.
5. Maximize the Use of Vertical Space
Most facilities don't fully utilize the vertical space they have. Reclaiming overhead space allows you to recover up to 85% of unused space. Combining high storage racks with narrow aisles and vertical picking machines improves picking speed and accuracy. Design the minimum width aisle required to match the material handling equipment used without compromising operating efficiency.
Proven Space Optimization Results
At UNEX, space optimization is not merely a theory. In six decades, we have helped countless customers improve their storage, production, and fulfillment operations using the principles outlined above. Consider just two examples of clients who have transformed their businesses with our products.
Cutter & Buck
Cutter & Buck, a distributor of active lifestyle apparel, expanded its operations by adding a distribution center in Canada in 2017. The 75,000-square-foot Brampton, Ontario, facility features high ceilings and 25,000 distinct pick locations. With multitudes of products going out daily, Cutter & Buck’s small team picks orders from more than 4,000 30-foot-high SpanTrack Wheel Beds. This decision transformed operations for the company.
“It’s easy to replenish products from the back side,” said Mark Alexander, Cutter & Buck’s operations manager in Canada. “And when we do inventory, we don’t have to shut down the operations twice a year. Everything is well-organized and easy to count, so we can keep track of inventory on a daily basis without disrupting the pick.”
Goodwill
In 2022, Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana was coming off a few years of rapid growth. Its facility was no longer optimized to meet its current demands, and a major reorganization was in order.
The following year, UNEX added additional SpeedCell locations to Goodwill’s facility, creating 252 new columns across 13 new bays. The effect was immediate.
“In total, we eliminated more than 3.1 miles of non-value-added movement per day,” said Matt Grossberg, Goodwill’s operations analyst. “The changes to the facility allow our ShopGoodwill.com team to produce 1,000 items per day compared to 800 items in the prior state. By reducing task time, we reduced the wear and tear on employees, and that improved their daily experience at the facility.”
BraunAbility
BraunAbility, an American manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles and wheelchair lifts, needed to build a new assembly line without expanding their Indiana plant's footprint. The company partnered with UNEX to implement FlowCell workstations, replacing cumbersome pipe and joint structures with flexible, modular solutions for lineside and sub-assembly operations.
"FlowCell from UNEX turned out to be the perfect fit, allowing us to fit more product in our footprint and keep our lines moving quickly," said Ben Hitchens, BraunAbility's Materials Manager. The implementation resulted in up to 50% increased space utilization, enhanced sub-assembly productivity, and improved worker ergonomics.
What the Future Holds: Continuing Innovation
Today’s facility operators face a more complex and confounding list of challenges than their predecessors. Demands for sustainability, advancements in automation, and an ever-more rapid rate of fulfillment all call for new insights and innovations across the supply chain.
Space-saving, dynamic storage solutions from UNEX work in tandem with new technologies to make production and fulfillment floors more efficient than ever. You can trust our space optimization experts to create dynamic storage solutions to fit the needs of your business. UNEX has increased space utilization in tens of thousands of facilities for 60+ years and we can do it for you too! Contact us today to start optimizing your space to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
