Pallet Flow Racking Project in Mesquite TX

Industry: Glue Manufacturing Plant in Mesquite, Texas
Challenge: Increase storage space, safety and organization within limited space.
Solution: High-density pallet flow storage rack customized to double storage capacity while saving work space.
Equipment:  Pallet Flow Racking from Engineered Products
Result: 50% More Storage, 200% Increase in Accessibility, Benefit of FIFO Efficiency

As a company grows, storage and accessibility can become an issue. You have more and more product or supplies coming in, but your warehouse stays the same size.  Our glue manufacturing client located in Mesquite, Texas was in a similar situation.

Challenge: Increase Storage Density and Accessibility in Limited Space

Without a storage system, they were storing up to 60 pallets front-to-back and stacked two to three high, which meant that only a small number of those pallets could be accessed at any given time. And if something on a middle pallet was needed, at least two pallets would have to be moved first.

Clearly, it was time for an upgrade — and W.W. Cannon was called in to help. 

Solution: Custom Six-Bays Wide x 5 Pallets Deep, 3-Level Flow Rack For High-Density and Efficient Accessibility

After discussing the idea of a flow rack with the client, we went to Engineered Products and worked with their engineers to create a custom system that would suit our client’s specific needs.

“This was a custom-engineered product,” says W.W. Cannon Sales Representative John Casey. “We can get it as exact as needed.”

“If one section is for 2,500 pounds and 4′ x 4′ pallets, and the section above it is for 4′ x 6′ pallets that weight 3,000 pounds, we can figure that out and make it happen.”

Custom Engineered Pallet Flow Racking

The Engineered Products Pallet Flow Rack System uses flow rails on a decline along with speed controllers to allow for a FIFO (First In/First Out) process that ensures the oldest supplies get used first.

Pallets are loaded into the rack system right off of the truck on the back side of the system, where they safely roll down to the other end, ready to be picked up and utilized.

“It’s important to ask a lot of questions and take a lot of measurements,” says W.W. Cannon President Greg Brown.

“You want the whole system to be as dense as possible in the area available. To do that, you design the system around the pallet — it’s width, height and depth.”

“Then the exact pitch is calculated by the engineer, and everything flows smoothly and evenly after our factory trained installers erect the system according to the specifications written by the manufacturer.”

Result: 50% More Storage, 200% Increase in Accessibility, Increase in First-In/First-Out Efficiency

“With this system you have so much more flexibility,” says Brown. “and that level of accessibility leads to productivity.”

“Before, they’d have to drive a forklift to the storage location and set the product down. Now they can load them right off of the trucks into the appropriate lane. That saves time, which saves money. Add in the ability to store more pallets, and you’re saving even more money.”

Thanks to their new Engineered Products flow rack system, our client can now store up to 90 pallets where they previously could only store 60.

Where they could only access 6 pallets at a time, they can now access 18; greatly increasing their ability to vary the supplies that are up front and ready to go.

And with the FIFO system, they can ensure that their oldest supplies are always used first.

“They’ve had it up and running for about 90 days now, and they love it” says Casey.

“They’re using a smaller floor surface area, so there’s no more zigzagging around each other to place material. And we were able to design around some ceiling obstructions they needed to have access to.”

From Our Client

“Our new Flow Racking system was professionally installed by WW Cannon. It has allowed us to more easily manage the First In First Out (FIFO) of our materials,” says Facility Engineer, Mesquite TX Location.

“We can now increase our inventory of raw materials without increasing our footprint and consuming valuable production area. The design minimizes forklift cross traffic and maintains a streamlined movement of materials through our facility.”

Next Steps

More high-density storage, more accessibility, more safety, and more productivity. That’s what a custom-designed specialty rack system can do for your company, and W.W. Cannon can make it happen.

Give us a call.  Let’s talk through what you’re dealing with and where you’d like to see improvements.