Pallet Picking: Getting on Track

Order picking operations are all about maximizing efficiency. Making a pick fast, easy, and ergonomic translates to major savings when it comes to operational costs. Pallet picking is no exception. UNEX has developed Pallet Track to ensure that even when picking full pallets, the power of pickability is still in your corner.

Pallet picking, like each picking, is most efficient when the pick line is structured around efficiency. This means minimizing foot travel, reducing reaching and bending, and preventing disruptions in the loading and picking processes. However, working with pallets means ratcheting up the scale. Instead of personnel, forklifts will be the primary tool for loading and picking pallets. Despite the change in scale, the principles of an efficient pick line remain the same and served as a foundation for the development of Pallet Track.

Pallet racks are typically structured to provide two-deep pallet positions. Unless you have a drive-in rack, static storage of two-deep pallet positions means picking a pallet from the front, then driving around to the other side to pick the second pallet. This increases the travel time of the pick, as well as drastically increasing the potential of disrupting the loading process-not to mention the risk of accident and injury involved with maneuvering two forklifts in such close proximity to one another or in proximity to personnel aisles.

Pallet Track streamlines this process by using gravity to flow the second pallet to the point of discharge. This allows one forklift to pick the pallet while another loads from the opposite end, and saves the time that would otherwise be spent driving around the racks to reach the second pallet. This is ideal for time-sensitive or perishable SKUs, as Pallet Track's design allows for first-in, first-out storage. Pallet Track will eliminate double handling, reduce restocking requirements by 50%, and reduce the potential for damage to forklifts and pallet racks.

Pallet Track can be floor mounted or supported by pallet rack beams and is available from 24" to 144" in half-inch increments. Like many of our solutions, Pallet Track is available in either wheel or roller. Wheel rail Pallet Track is great for GMA-style pallets, while roller Pallet Track is designed to flow single face and Euro-style pallets with ease. Each model comes equipped with ramp stops, allowing the flowing pallet to come to a controlled stop.

If Pallet Track is the right fit for your operation, you can request a quote from one of our space optimization specialists. If you're looking to find out more about this new UNEX solution, we're ready and waiting to answer any questions you may have. Contact us today we'll help make Pallet Track a solution that works for you.