CHAPTER Storage is an important consideration for every busi- ness, however large or small. This includes space for Product storage, for employees, for manufacturing Plants, orfordocumentation. Using space efficiently 6.1 UNITLOAD STORAGE Material Storage Systems Space Efficiency and Storage Density makes the business more efficient. Material storage systems need a close interface with the material han. dling system for reducing space cost, material han. dling cost, and product damage cost. Figure 6.1 Load unitisation for storage and transportation There are many ways to unit tised method is to build load on lot size for convenience of storage, ha ise goods for better st ‘orage and handling, The most commonly prat- a raised platform. This platform is called a ‘pallet’. Another method is to construct a platform to fit the load. This is called ‘skid’ - The load should be in the most acceptable indling, and movement, depending on the physical characteristics lard size and are used for standard loads. However, skids att mPonents or in compressor/generator assembly: are slip-sheet and clamp load. The slip-sheet is a platform 0°__ [Materia storace systems | m — which the load is assembled, while the clamp is load assembly on the floor with c racilitatis A ps on four sides of the load for facilitating its movement using material handling equipment. 6.2 STORAGE PRINCIPLES The storage system in a warehouse has an important role to play in the total cost and success of warehousing operations, Firms give more importance to the way inventories are handled rather than how they are stored. Invariably, in the industry, investment planning is done more on the basis of handling equipment rather than on the storage system. In fact, efficient use of material handling equip ment is possible provided the storage system allows easy access of storage and retrieval of inventory. ‘A well designed storage system is a compromise between the maximum utilisation of the available space and the need for easy and quick access to stored goods. In general, the following rules are followed in designing effective storage system: + Minimisation of travel distance + Maximising utilisation of available space «+ Providing easy and quick access to stored goods + Facilitation of easy tracking of material + Provision of security against fire, damage, and theft + Prevention of contamination and deterioration of goods i ‘The criteria for selecting a storage system for a particular application depends on the following factors: Product characteristics Products with contamination risk require storage facility that will isolate them from other product groups. For example, flowers pose great risk of odour contamination and similarly hazardous chemicals pose risk of damage (o other products or human life. Hence, the design consider- ation for these types of products needs special attention, Configuration Products that are uniform in shape and size may be stored in stacks or put in an enclo- sure, while odd shaped products may require open space. For example, steel sheets, billets, rods, angles, pipes etc. are stored in the open in a steel yard. in-first-out considerations, that is, perishable Shelf life ‘The storage system design is based on first products are stacked such that consignments stored earlier are distributed First Product variety The system needs to segregate products for ease in identification during storage and retrieval. 6.3 BENEFITS OF STORAGE DESIGN Proper planning of storage systems helps in improving the efficiency of the enti logistics system, which helps in the speedy movement of goods across the supply chainy resulting in improved produc- tivity, Space economics Proper design of a storage scheme can result in substantial savings on the available space, which helps in planning for additional storage load without investment in space. {ll reduce the movement of ‘material handling Enh jgned storage scheme Wi ance throughput A well designed storag. Te ee oe equipment and idle time, resulting in significant improvement in|Loaistics MANAGEMENT | i 7 2 as ' rage scheme helps in quick location es. and tracking A properstorage schen trate oon ey pickup operation, resulting in compressed order cycle time." Ease in of inventory items during all designed system will bar unauthorised access tothe; i housekeeping Awell designedsystem wi c se Security, safety and Moree helt and pilferage. The system will also reduce accidents due to fai. tory, ensuring security t so red i train, and collapse of the equipment, As the number of product handlings is reduced the risk of dae to products is greatly minimised. 6.4 STORAGE METHODS Storage methods depend on the physical characteristics (size, weight, shape) of the product ang Volumes to be stored or handled. The other variants are brittleness and crushability in case of fr products. The requirements of the material handling system (manual or automatic) may cal for jy installation of a tailor-made system. However, the following are the most commonly used mate storage systems: Block Storage This is the most simple type of storage method and does not attract any financial investments. Boxe, cartons, or sacks containing the material are stored in spread or stacked form in the area assigned fy storage. Stacking is done on the floor or on a wooden platform. However, block stacking has limit. tions on the stack height due to the following reasons: + Load bearing capability of the package (box/carton/container) at the bottom of the stack * Sensitivity of the product inside the pack + Degree of ease in loading and unloading Public warehouses normally adopt this type of storage method due to the wide variety of produs that they store and their facilities are designed for the most generalised cargo storage and handling Boxes of consumer durables such as television, refrigerators, and washing machines are block stackti to the extent of one to four layers, depending on the size and weight of the box. Figure 6.2 Block storage Foodgrain sacks are normally block stacked The sack is a 2 feet wide x 3 feet long jute k fe te or poly eet wi x3 ig ylene bag, which contains 100 ki kilo; i fiteen layers for sae sorage, ETam® Of foodgrains. These can be stacked up to a maxint®| Materia storace systens| packing System are used for storage of ite R 6 that are longer, apart from 91 it ¢ weight of pa small containers, boxes, pallets etc. when the weight of unit Toads are beyond human handling capacity, mechanical material handling equipment are normally used for storage and retrieval operations. ‘The racks may be Further divided into two types such as stationary and portable. The stationary rack structure is built using the wall and roof of the warehouse building for support. The only limitation to the height of stationary rack structure is roof of the building and the vertical reach of the material handling equipment. ‘The racks can be designed for making good use of the vertical storage space of the tuilding. The stitionary racking system ensures excellent storage density for the given space, for uniform sized unit loads, The racking system is commonly used in warehouses where large volumes of uniform unit loads are required to be stored, In the stationary type, for getting higher storage density. drive-in type of racks are widely used. The structure consists of stationary racks with rails for the movement of pallets or boxes, which can be pushed deep into the rack width or length. Figure 6.3 Stationary racks with rails for movement of pallets Figure 6.5 Flow racks Figure 6.6 Cantilevered racks f are suits fhe last-in-first-out (LIFO) inventory tech- The drive-in racks, closed at one end, arc suitable for t it t nique, while ie al ‘at both ends may be used in the first-in-first-out (FIFO) technique. The advantage of th stem is higher storage density and throughput. ' i 2 i ith a number of decks that can be stacked during Portable racks are self contained structures will loading geen be knocked down when not being used to ‘conserve space. The system of movable| Loaistics MANAGEMENT| el y used for high density storage, when the quantities handled are high but stor aisles is common! \ ties ha etrieval activities are lower. The structure consists of rows of rack installed on carriages forms. The racks can be moved back racks from where material can be stored or retrieved, as. Be ang ired ais! Plat. ‘and forth or sideways to have the desired aisle gap between iy, and when required. Shelving System ‘These systems are in use for non-palletised or non-uniform types of load. The material is stored ag retrieved in the shelf by hand. The shelves are closed or open type, depending on the product contig, fation, The size of the unit shelf opening can be changed using dividers, modular drawers et, Thy structure can be easily modified to suit the desired functionality, by incorporating various accessories, Figure 6.7 Shelving system Shelving is the most flexible and cost effective storage structure, which is available in modula configurations to suit various storage volumes and product configurations. Pallets ‘These are specially designed platforms for storage of goods with a view to the whole load being moved by forklift, wherever it is required. These are widely used in-house material handling systems. Pallets can be broadly classified into two groups: * Sturdy, multiple reusable pallets + One-way non-returnable pallets Multiple usage pallets are used in physical distribution systems. These are sturdy in construction and are durable. Figure 6.8 Pallet storage Other types of pallets are one-time use pallets. These are non-returnable types and are used in s¢4! air shipments, Pallets are made out of wood, metal, or plastics (Refer Chapter 9 for details), dependjovement wet Pia shop floor. The container is basi- leposit and removal of material. The different types of contains \ers common IY used are: movement. Corrugated metal contai e iners They in ; : are used i neering i v sciatic fetuses are Teed a Fas eneeane cay bere Ne areata ery high damage resistance features are required to handle heavy metal parts. Figure 6.10 Corrugated container Figure 6.11 Portable wire container yin construction and resist abuse. These are popularly used in the auto These containers are sturd ent of parts and components. mobile industry for storage and movemt Plastic containers These are moulded polymer constructions, similar to ‘metal containers, used fc material storage, handling, and shipping. They are light in weight and can be cleaned. jem (ASRS) due space constraints, and operating on a high throughput ra rial handling system. Due to the ‘automated material handlir for material storage equipment, resulting im hig Automatic Storage and Retrieval Syst igh rise storage, mated mate! faving more space Warehouses designed for his use the ASRS along with an auto! equipment the aisles are narrow, le Storage density.| Locistics MANAGEMENT| 76 : = il ese are basically used for bulk storage Bulk storage SoS pe and fenilisers. The prod- of materia fivers ae mamtfactuted iN CONLINUOUS pro- ucts. cent the finished products are fed into large capacity silos cise they are stored until they are packed into small gunny or polyethylene bags for despatch to markets, Similarly, for the storage of a very large quantity of . silos are in use at the FCI godowns, at selected places. The storage capacity of a single silo may vary from 25,000-1,00,000 tonnes. Figure 6.12 Soa —— Optimal usage of space is one of the most important considerations of every business, however large or small the space allocation may be for employees, for manufacturing plants, for produc, storage, or for documentation. Using space efficiently makes the business more efficient. Material an important area of warehouse operation. A well designed storage system helps in maximising the utility of available space and allows ease in storage and retrieval of goods. A good storage system provides security against fire, theft, and pilferage and prevents accidents due to fatigue, strains, and collapse. The storage facility may be the most general, without much invest- s for generalised cargo or may be designed for storage ment and similar to that used in public warehous specific requirements of products, storage capacity, automation in handling etc. The various storage methods in use are block stacking, the racking system, the shelve system, containers, pallets, or automatic storage and retrieval systems for very high storage density and high throughput. Well designed storage enhances the overall warehouse productivity through space economics and higher throughput. Storage density It is the ratio of the material stored (in tonnage) to the warehouse space (in cu ft) available for actusl | storage of products. Warehouse occupancy Ttis the average occupancy level of the available storage area in the warehouse through a period of om year. It is worked out in terms of percentage. Discussion Questions + Describe the concept of ‘unit load’ i i Hae 5 elficieney ept of “unit load’ storage and explain how it helps in improving the system > What are the different methods in use for industrial storage? Discuss their merits and demerits. 3. Discuss the benefits of a good storage system. ‘4 Palletisation is an ideal unit storage system and also aids transportation. Explain.