How can you design a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes?

1 Analyze your product mix

When designing a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes, the first step is to analyze your product mix and identify the common and unique characteristics. Consider aspects such as the dimensions, weight, and volume, packaging and labeling requirements, demand and turnover rate, storage and handling conditions, and compatibility and safety of your products. By analyzing your product mix, you can determine the optimal storage and handling methods for each product category, as well as allocate the necessary space and resources.

2 Choose the right storage systems

When designing a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes, it is important to choose the right storage systems that suit your product characteristics and warehouse layout. There are many types of storage systems available, such as pallet racks, shelving units, bins, drawers, cabinets, and mezzanines. Factors to consider when selecting the appropriate storage systems include accessibility and visibility of products, density and flexibility of storage capacity, ease and efficiency of inventory management, cost and maintenance of storage equipment, and safety and ergonomics of storage operations. By making the right choice of storage systems, you can maximize your storage space utilization, reduce inventory costs, and enhance order fulfillment accuracy and speed.

3 Select the appropriate conveyance equipment

The third step in designing a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes is to select the appropriate conveyance equipment that can transport your products from one point to another in your warehouse. There are many types of conveyance equipment available, such as forklifts, carts, rollers, belts, chutes, and automated guided vehicles. When selecting the right equipment for your needs, you should consider factors like the distance and frequency of product movement, the compatibility and reliability of the conveyance system, the speed and throughput of product flow, the energy and labor consumption of the conveyance equipment, and the safety and noise level of operations. Doing so can optimize your product flow, reduce handling time and errors, and increase operational efficiency and productivity.

4 Implement the best picking methods

The fourth step in designing a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes is to implement the best picking methods that can retrieve your products from storage and prepare them for shipment. There are many types of picking methods available, such as piece picking, batch picking, zone picking, wave picking, and cluster picking. When deciding which method to use, you should take into account the size and complexity of your orders, the layout and organization of your picking areas, the availability and skill of your staff, the accuracy and speed of your systems, and the quality of your operations. By implementing the best picking methods, you can improve order fulfillment performance, lower costs and errors associated with picking, and increase customer service and loyalty.

5 Apply the most suitable packaging solutions

When designing a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes, the fifth step is to apply the most suitable packaging solutions that can protect your products from damage and loss during transit. There are multiple types of packaging solutions available, such as boxes, bags, envelopes, wraps, tapes, labels, and seals. Several factors need to be taken into account when selecting the most suitable packaging solutions, including the fragility and value of your products, the weight and volume of your shipments, the destination and mode of your shipments, as well as the environmental and regulatory impacts of your packaging materials. Moreover, you should consider the aesthetics and branding of your packaging design. By choosing the right packaging solutions, you can guarantee the safety and quality of your products while reducing shipping costs and waste. This will help you increase customer satisfaction and retention.

6 Review and improve your material handling system

The final step in designing a material handling system for products with varying sizes and shapes is to review and improve your material handling system regularly and continuously. When doing so, you should take into account the performance and productivity of your material handling operations, as well as customer and staff feedback. Additionally, consider changes and trends in the market and industry, innovations and technologies in your field, and the goals and strategies of your business and warehouse. By reviewing and improving your material handling system, you can identify any problems or gaps in your processes, adapt to new customer or business needs, and leverage any opportunities or advantages in your environment.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?