Bin Shelving

It is the best alternative to racks, to store small, loose and non-palletized items. Pieces are placed either directly on shelves or in bins or cartons.

Adv: Low cost.

Disadv: Can result in excessive travel for picker. Difficult to pick from top shelf depending on the height of the picker and the weight of the unit. Replenishment can interfere with picking.

Several levels of shelves (and storage drawers) on a mezzanine can be used to allow multi-level picking (max 4 levels). A lift truck or vertical reciprocating conveyor, e.g., can be used to help with removing units from the top level.