Pallet Flow Delivers Dynamic Results for Stationery Manufacturer

Putting pallet flow rack to the test is nothing new for us. In fact, we do it every day in our in-house engineering testing lab… and that’s also where we develop these helpful system design and application tips. Our testing lab is the perfect place to prove out design ideas and work through inventory challenges prior to purchasing and installing your pallet flow system.

The system we are highlighting today is rather simple vs some of the more complex ones we feature regularly in our blogs, but this is a great example of how versatile and reliant pallet flow is even when dealing with loads that may be varying and unwieldy.

Designing the Pallet Flow Test

As you can see from the test video, things went off without a hitch… even when we tried to get the pallets to hang up in the lane, they did not. That’s what we like to see!

The drop-in speed controllers worked well to ensure that the pallets maintained a safe speed down the lane. They also help to keep those tall loads from shifting left or right as they advance.

The bolt-on ramp stops at the discharge end of the lane to ensure that the pallet comes to a controlled stop and remains in the lane until removed by the forklift. They’re also painted safety yellow to help the forklift driver better visualize the pallet bay opening.

While everything worked as expected, we identified a few cautions for the customer to help ensure consistent success with the pallet flow system.

Warehouse Cautions for Optimal Pallet Flow Success

• Poor pallet condition
• Loose plastic wrap

Poor Pallet Condition

The Mallard team noticed that of the 5 wooden pallets we tested, they all had broken or splintered boards and or nails protruding.  It’s always safer and better for your facility’s productivity to use pallets in good or excellent condition. Protruding nails can get caught in really any system and cause difficulties retrieving the load, and broken or unattached boards can cause the load to unexpectedly shift.

Loose Plastic Wrap

Loose plastic wrap can also serve as a hazard in your overall facility operations. Plastic wrap, particularly in a dynamic pallet flow system, can get caught in the wheeled rails and cause the pallet to hang up and may ultimately require a worker to unload the system and enter the lane to clear the obstruction. Loose wrap can also get caught on equipment. Ultimately, it is best to train workers how to securely wrap the inventory and properly secure loose plastic to the load.

At the end of the day, we have another great system for our customer that will help them achieve their throughput goals.

How can the Mallard team help you find the right solutions to your warehousing challenges? Give us a call today if a gravity flow application will get you where you need to be.