Carton flow, also known as flow racking, roller racking, and gravity flow, is a dynamic storage solution that can dramatically improve space utilization and order picking efficiency within a warehouse. Carton flow tracks are roller or wheel-based conveyors that are designed to create lanes of storage within pallet racking. These storage lanes use gravity to flow products through the rack for more efficient order picking and inventory replenishment.
Most carton flow is designed to be added to new or existing pallet racking and most commonly replaces static shelving like wire decking or flat metal shelves. Installing carton flow into pallet racking is relatively simple. Carton flow tracks are cut to the appropriate size, and, depending on your racking requirements, they are designed to sit in between or on top of pallet rack beams, creating a flow-through rack.
Most carton flow comes in a variety of options like light-duty, standard-duty, and heavy-duty; steel and aluminum rollers; plastic wheels or steel skatewheels. In this article, we are going to explore all things carton flow beds as we dive deep into the world of SpanTrack Wheel Bed!
SpanTrack carton flow helps operations across industries maximize space utilization and increase efficiency. SpanTrack is ideal for facilities with case picking or each picking operations, or manufacturing facilities in need of flow-through workstations, lineside storage racks, and manufacturing supermarkets.
SpanTrack carton flow provides the most surface contact with items. Unlike older-style carton flow and plastic wheel rails, SpanTrack carton flow tracks prevent hang-ups that disrupt flow, ensuring products move seamlessly to the point of pick.
SpanTrack wheel beds are flexible carton flow beds that drop into existing structures to create the ultimate flow rack system for order picking operations, manufacturing facilities, and more. Durable and dependable SpanTrack carton flow beds maximize space and throughput for inventories of varying shapes and sizes. UNEX universal carton flow beds create superior flexibility and increase space utilization throughout operations.
Carton flow beds are highly configurable with different flow options, capacities, and end treatments. Infeed guides, guide rails, and more can help further optimize performance based on your needs. Plus, all SpanTrack carton flow tracks come with a comprehensive seven-year warranty.
Like all UNEX solutions, SpanTrack Wheel Bed is engineered to order, meaning we offer full, free engineering support on all projects. Our team of experts will work with you and your preferred material handling reseller to create carton flow solutions that will utilize every square inch of your space and increase efficiency in all areas.
To provide these tailor-made solutions, UNEX offers many ways to outfit your SpanTrack Wheel Bed to meet the unique needs of your operation.
SpanTrack Wheel Bed widths are determined by the best track combination that fits within the width of the racking. For example, in a 96" wide bay, you can use (4) 18" wide beds and (2) 12" wide beds. This will create a total 96" wide level of carton flow.
SpanTrack Wheel Bed is offered in 3 main capacities or “series”:
For a more detailed look into our light, standard, and heavy-duty carton flow roller options, you can refer to this handy chart to help determine capacity per square foot depending on the length of your tracks. This and more can be found in our SpanTrack brochure!
In addition to capacity, it’s important to consider which carton flow bed end styles you need. End styles refer to how the tracks are situated within your pallet rack beams. Will they overhang your rack beams or rest on the ledge of the step beams? Do you want to angle SKUs or parts toward pickers for increased visibility? Then perhaps knuckled-end treatments are right for you. No matter your need, you will want to ensure you are selecting the end style that meets the needs of your application while maximizing your space savings.
Here is a quick walkthrough of our SpanTrack Wheel Bed end style options, what each is for, and when to use them:
What the heck are roller centers?! Simply put, when someone mentions carton flow “roller centers” they are referring to the spacing between each roller or axle. As product increases in length, additional space can be added between rollers or wheel axles to optimize flow. Other factors like humidity, condition of boxes, bottom surfaces of totes, the weight of your boxes, and more need to be considered when choosing the right roller centers for your SpanTrack Wheel Bed. Having closer centers can increase flow reliability with these other factors.
SpanTrack Wheel Bed roller centers are offered in standard 2” or 3” spacings. Below is a quick breakdown that can help guide you on roller center selection based on the minimum length of the objects you’re flowing:
SpanTrack Wheel Bed accessories can be used to further tailor the solution to your specific needs:
Impact Plate: The impact plate is a sheet metal plate that goes on the front or rear of your SpanTrack Wheel Bed to strategically slow product down. These plates create friction for more surface contact to reduce impact on your carton flow tracks. Impact plates can be used to reduce impact when loading products and can also be used for slowing down product flow at the pick face. Impact plates simply snap on over your carton flow wheels.
Raised Pressure Relief Ramp Stop : A Raised Pressure Relief Ramp Stop is a sheet metal plate that easily snaps onto your SpanTrack carton flow beds at the front of your bay. It is used to lift the front of your product so it does not become wedged against the front beam or end stop. Ramp stops are effective in slowing down material flow and relieving back pressure from the foremost carton on longer spans.
Slow Down Strips : Slow Down Strips are one-inch wide sheet metal strips that easily snap onto SpanTrack carton flow beds. They create friction to slow product down before it reaches the front of the rack to prevent product from crashing into the front beam or stop.
UNEX has been in the business of creating world-class carton flow solutions for over 30 years. SpanTrack Wheel Bed offers some of the best benefits in the industry, including:
Contact our team of SpanTrack Wheel Bed experts today to see if this solution is right for your next project!