Horizontal carousels offer numerous business benefits, ranging from accelerating pick speed and improving picking accuracy to expanding storage capacity and better adaptability to times of peak demand.
At SencorpWhite, we will work with you to deliver not just upfront ROI, but also long-term ROI relative to your cost of ownership.
Horizontal carousels improve picking efficiency
Horizontal carousels enable incredibly efficient picking, especially for medium weight items that are in the range of a few ounces to several pounds. The units can hold 75 pounds per shelf, and ideally, picks should be faster in the distribution and denser during the non-distribution. That enables 20 or more orders in the distribution, limited only by the amount of software. The orders can be placed ergonomically, so all the fastest moving SKUs are at about waist height for the operators. That way, most of the orders can be picked within minutes. SencorpWhite customer can typically pick 100-150 line arms without optimization. After we add in the right software and light-directed picking, that number can easily increase to more than 250.
Horizontal carousels accelerate picking speed without sacrificing accuracy
Horizontal carousels are among the fastest, if not the fastest, automated storage solutions. They also help operators make accurate picks. When product is stored in a horizontal carousel, similar items are not stored together. Instead, the shelves are divided into multiple cells, each with distinct, different-looking items to prevent mis-picks. In addition, with light-directed picking, an image of the needed item can be displayed, along with where it’s located and other information, including SKUs, quantities needed, and updated inventory counts. Put all of that together, and pick accuracy skyrockets. And improving pick accuracy results in real cost savings.
Horizontal carousels offer better adaptability to times of peak demand
Combining accelerated picking speed with improved accuracy makes it easier to respond to times of peak demand. Whether it’s a brick and mortar store or an e-commerce distribution center, customers tend to buy more (or less) at certain times. Internet shopping, for example, tends to peak between 7:00pm and 10:00pm. In manufacturing, the peak times could be from 10:00am to 3:00pm because that’s when people in purchasing get the orders from the floor. Horizontal carousels can help you cover these spikes in demand with picking that is fast and accurate.
Improved storage capacity and dynamic shelving
Horizontal carousels provide improved storage capacity because the shelving is dynamic. At SencorpWhite, we can put the shelves on two-inch centers, so for example, if you need dense and small product in an eight-foot carousel, we can put six shelves per foot for maximum density. For longer items, like and eight-foot item, the carousel can be reconfigured from six shelves to two shelves within minutes. That means you can adapt your horizontal carousel to accommodate seasonal or special products.