Course: Storage & Warehouse Techniques Course Instructor: Sir Faisal Jalal

Presented By: Muzammil Uddin Ahmed Siddiqui Aqif Cheema Amjad Ali Shahbaz (10988) (xxxxx) (xxxxx) (xxxxx)

Unit load Unit Load Levels Types of Unit Load Deign

 Component-based design  Systems-based design  Standards-compliant design

Unit load Equipments Role of Unit Load Benefits and Constraints Recommendation Questions

Unit load combines individual items or items in shipping containers into a single "unit" that can be moved easily with pallet jack or forklift truck. A unit load packs tightly into warehouse racks, intermodal containers, trucks, and boxcars, yet can be easily broken apart at a distribution point, usually a distribution center, wholesaler, retail store, etc

The ULIT terminology defines and divides unit loads into three levels, namely Consumer Unit (CU), Trade Unit (TU) and Logistic Unit (LU).

Also termed as Primary, secondary and tertiary unit loads

Component-based design Systems-based design Standards-compliant design

Component-based design is the outmoded ad-hoc method of unit load design. Components are sometimes over specified to get assured performance, or tested to get inexpensive economic performance.

Components:
   

Packaging and labeling (with product), Pallet, and Handling/Storage Equipment The distribution environment (shock, vibration, humidity, temperature, etc.)

Consequences
     

Unsafe Workplaces Product Damage High Packaging Costs Reduced Handling Efficiency Wasted Natural Resources Reduction of Environmental Quality

Systems-based design is a proven process of unit load component cost optimization based on an understanding of how the pallet, packaging and material handling equipment interact during product distribution and storage to design the unit load component parts. Very often a few inexpensive additions to the packaging can stabilize or stiffen a critical part and give good unit-load performance at a low cost.[1]

Factors
     

Distribution Vibration and Resonance Load Bridging and Deformation Unit Load Deflections Interfacial friction and load stability Compression stress and product protection Vertical and horizontal stabilization

Standards permit a unit load to be designed and tested to meet a written specification or test method. A unit load can be verified to comply with a standard and validated to determine that the unit load is indeed effective. Unit loads move by an unpredictable mix of many types of vehicles and storage areas, the exact set is difficult to predict. Therefore, unit loads must be designed to travel by any such vehicles, and be stored in a wide variety of places. There are therefore many similarities in the requirements for long term storage and long distance transportation of unit loads. Standards provide institutional memory of the many conditions in real logistic trains, and collect the best practices for design and testing unit loads. Standards also describe load requirements, so that logistic providers can plan to meet them. Material based standards describe proven designs for particular circumstances. These are often used to describe unit load components such as pallets, strapping, seals, caps, retaining rings and battens. Performance testing standards describe needs and allow flexibility in the choice of materials. These are applied to particular unit load designs.

Most consumer and industrial products move through the supply chain in unitized or unit load form for at least part of their distribution cycle. Unit loads make handling, storage, and distribution more efficient. They help reduce handling costs and damage by reducing individual handling. Unit loads play a key role across the supply chain, grouping primary and transport products to facilitate transport and handling. Used by manufacturers, retailers and service providers, unit loads are key cost drivers. They impact on transport, storage, handling and packaging, which together, represent 12-15% of retail sales price. Efficient Unit Loads are absolutely key in improving transport, storage and handling efficiency across the total supply chain. Unit loads impact almost one seventh of total supply chain cost and they are gaining greater significance as Europe becomes increasingly integrated.

Transport and storage savings



Unit loads are involved in every step of the supply chain, moving product from the production line through to the retail shelf and sometimes beyond into the consumers home.

Cost Savings Opportunity

   

Better utilization of transport cube Warehouse storage, handling and assortment creation In-store handling and shelf replenishment Packaging and materials management

Other Benefits
      

Reduced product damage Improved product accessibility Better product presentation Improved featuring Effective take-home bundling Enhanced store appearance Environmental or green image.

Many commodities can be economically palletized or unitized to facilitate their handling, stowage and protection. Packing costs can also be significantly reduced. Requires use of mechanical handling equipment and reduces the manual handling damage hazard since it eliminates the multiple handling of individual items. Reduces opportunity for pilferage and theft and permits early detection of tampering. Speeds loading and unloading of trailers, boxcars, intermodal containers, barges, ships and aircraft. Facilitates application of water-proofing protection to the load: the overwrap applied accompanies the load for the entire journey. Reduces incidence of lost or astray items. Facilitates checking and inventory of shipment. PALLETIZING is the assembly of one or more packages on a pallet base and securing the load to the pallet.

Fixed constraints:
     

Transport infrastructure such as streets, bridges and tunnels Outer truck length, width and height, closely linked to traffic infrastructure Inner truck width, closely linked to outer truck width Consumer household constraints such as cupboards, fridges, and plates Consumer requirements such as the size of a food portion Consumer and employee ergonomics, defining what an average person
can lift, reach, hold and move without strain or risk of injury

Variable constraints:
     

Production facilities, including factory layouts, production and packing lines Warehouse layouts Warehouse racking slots Retail store layouts and Shop shelf dimensions Primary product dimensions Operating methods.

Unit loads are restricted by many factors. A whole set of constraints results from supply chain infrastructure, such as trucks, racks, doors and handling equipment, which mostly affect tertiary unit loads. Constraints imposed on primary products also have an influence on unit loads. These include production lines, shop shelves, cupboards, refrigerators and even plate size. Other constraints on unit loads are derived from market requirements, consumer and employee ergonomics, operational methods and legislation. There is a distinction between fixed and variable constraints. Only long-term fixed constraints that cannot be bypassed are to be viewed as ultimately restrictive. All other constraints must be challenged. Only long-term fixed constraints should limit the Efficient Unit Loads design. The validity of constraints must be challenged. Efficient Unit Loads seek the optimum total supply chain solution within all genuine constraints.