What is a Storage System?

Storage system can be separated into two important functions: inventory holding (storage) and material handling. These functions can be seen by tracing product flow through a typical distribution warehouse. Material handling refers to those activities of loading and unloading, moving the product to and from various locations within the warehouse, and order picking. Storage is simply the accumulation of inventory for a period of time. Different locations in the warehouse and different lengths of time are chosen, depending on the purpose for storage. Within the warehouse, these move-store activities are repetitive and are analogous to the move-store activities occurring between various levels of the distribution channel. Thus, in many ways, the storage system is a micro level distribution system. Specific identification of the major activities promotes understanding of the system as a whole and helps to provide a basis for generating design alternatives.

Rack

A rack is the generic name given to any kind of storage fixture which cannot be classified as shelving or binning. Racks for the accommodation of palletized stores, tubes, bars, sheets, plates, tires, cables, and drums are the commonest types encountered in storehouses, but there are many racks designed for special purposes, e.g. shovels, ‘V’ belts, chains and a wide variety of heavy stores.

Storage Systems are divided into 3 categories and each category consists of different types of storage system. Here are the overview of the various types of storage systems.

Palletised Storage

• Adjustable Pallet Racking (APR)
• Double Deep Pallet Racking
• Block Stacking
• Live Storage
• Drive-in Drive-through
• Powered Mobile Storage
• High Rack Narrow Aisle
• High Bay

Small Item Storage

• Shelving
• Tote Pans & Bins
• Lourve Panel Systems
• Cabinets & Drawer units
• Dynamic Systems
• Mechanised Systems

Odd Size Storage

• Cantilever
• Pigeon Hole Rack
• Vertical
• Metal Plate & Sheet

We will be focusing more on Double Deep Pallet Racking, Drive-in Drive-through and Shelving in our blog.