Putaway
Every bit of vertical volume you can use is floor space you win back. Putaway is the step where space efficiency is decided.
- High racking
- Narrow aisles
- Location management
- Double deep
- Space efficiency
Cubic metres, not square metres
Putaway is the move of a load from the buffer area to its fixed rack location. The capacity of the warehouse is directly tied to the rack height that can be used in this step.
Holding twice as many pallets in the same building is usually a matter of a truck that reaches higher and works in a narrower aisle, not of a new building. Truck selection turns into an investment decision at this point.
- Lift height: Safe access to the top level of the racking.
- Aisle width: A dimension that changes with the truck type and feeds straight into pallet capacity.
- Location discipline: Goods in the right location set the pace of the picking step.
Lost space and lost time in putaway
Losses in this step are quiet: nobody complains, but the warehouse holds less than it should.
- The top rack levels cannot be used, so the warehouse looks full while it is not.
- Aisles were laid out by habit rather than by truck type, and space is wasted.
- Loads are left at the wrong location and have to be searched for during picking.
- Without a view at height, putaway slows down and pallets and racking get damaged.
- The same truck moves loads from the buffer area and places them in the rack, and both jobs slow down.
- The lift capacity needed at the rack height is calculated and the top levels are opened for use.
- Aisle width is recalculated together with the truck type; the pallet gain is shown as a figure.
- On-board terminals and fleet integration are assessed for location discipline.
- With a fork camera the operator sees the location at height on a screen in the cab.
- Where needed, two different truck types are proposed for transport and for putaway.
Working from the calculated space gain
We always present a truck proposal together with the number of pallet positions it gains.
Rack and Aisle Survey
Existing rack heights, aisle widths and pallet dimensions are measured on site.
Capacity Calculation
The number of pallet positions achievable with different truck types is worked out side by side.
Truck and Equipment Selection
Lift height, capacity, camera and terminal equipment are decided together.
Commissioning
Installation, operator training and a repeat measurement of putaway times.
Truck families used in putaway
The choice is made where rack height and aisle width meet.
The space gained with the right truck
In putaway projects the most concrete result is more pallet positions in the same building.
Pallet Positions
Narrow aisle trucks fit noticeably more racking into the same floor area.
Putaway Time
A camera and the right lift capacity shorten the handling time at the top levels.
Rack and Pallet Damage
Visual support reduces contact damage at height.
Location Accuracy
Putting a load in the right location directly shortens the later picking rounds.
Frequently asked questions about putaway
If we narrow our aisles, which truck do we have to move to?
Moving from a counterbalance forklift truck to a reach truck is the most common step and gives a clear aisle gain. If even narrower aisles are the target, VNA trucks come into the picture, but that class is more demanding about racking and floor flatness.
Can we raise our existing racking?
As far as the racking system and the building allow. Before the decision, the rack manufacturer’s load calculation, the fire regulations and the truck’s capacity at that height have to be assessed together. If those three do not line up, raising the racking brings no gain.
Does a fork camera really make a difference?
It does, above all at locations higher than 6 metres. The operator sees the location on a screen instead of looking up, so handling time falls and neck strain and contact damage go down with it.
Our floor is not very even. Is that a problem?
The higher you go, the more critical floor flatness becomes. A reach truck works without trouble on most warehouse floors; for VNA trucks the floor has to be surveyed and, where necessary, corrected as part of the plan.
Let us calculate how many more pallets fit in your warehouse
- Measurement of rack height, aisle width and pallet dimensions
- Comparative capacity calculation by truck type
- Lift height and equipment proposal
- Installation, operator training and after-sales support
As an authorised STILL Arser dealer and service partner we run the whole process in one place: site analysis, installation, operator training and after-sales support.