With the constant threat of spoilage and shortages in the food and beverage industry, today’s smart supply chains require 24/7 monitoring and well-planned warehouses that are designed and implemented specifically for stringent requirements. Having served global beverage businesses in beer, bottled water, soft drinks, energy drinks, and more, Twinlode Automation has the proven experience and turnkey solutions essential to elevate your supply chain.
Optimize Your Food & Beverage Warehouse With Twinlode Automation
Read Our Latest Article: What does the future hold for food & beverage warehouses?
Challenges of Food and Beverage Material Handling
Keeping up with inventory rotation, lot traceability, and SKU proliferation are some of the sector’s primary challenges. Distribution and storage centers need solutions that can support inventory turnover to ensure fresh products. Similarly, they need systems that can integrate tracking tools to capture accurate traceability when safety is a priority. Changing consumer product demands means these facilities also require versatile equipment and technology that can scale quickly.
Due to regulations, food and beverage warehouses and handling facilities face other unique challenges, including:
- Stricter training requirements compared to other storage facilities.
- Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) compliance.
- Regulations and compliance for organic products.
- Pests and infestation control.
Requirements for Beverage Warehouse Racks
Since food and beverage warehouses have above-average storage requirements, racking systems must meet these standards. Food-grade facilities have higher expenses than other warehouses, making cost-efficient operation imperative. Food storage warehouse rack systems must meet the following requirements:
- High-density storage
- Increase storage capacity
- Ability to be organized and cleaned
- Meet health and safety regulations and seismic code
- Support First-In First-Out (FIFO) for lot rotation and Last-In First-Out (LIFO) for storing each SKU in its own lane
- Supports handling and storing two pallets at a time
Our Food and Beverage Racking Solutions
We offer many food storage warehouse rack systems.
Drive In/Drive Thru
Drive In and Drive Thru racking uses deep lane storage to improve storage density. Access pallets from the same entry point or the other side of the racking system to support FIFO or LIFO inventory management. These designs are versatile enough to support various height and depth requirements for high-volume, low-SKU operations. Thanks to their access flexibility, they are also suitable for tighter spaces.
Case/Carton Flow
Case flow uses gravity to replenish cases to pick faces. This design makes products easy to find and pick at the front of the rack and provides ample storage space in the rear. These systems are ideal for first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory flow and offer additional benefits, such as:
- Better pick accuracy.
- Minimal displacement.
- Reduced labor costs.
- Improved storage density.
Gen2
Gen2 seismic racks‘ structural, closed-tube design exceeds global regulations for areas with seismic activity while providing significant cost savings. Our Gen2 seismic racks are available in single-wide and double-side systems. Thanks to their modular design, both offer high storage density, flexible configurations, and increased scalability with reduced ownership costs. The double-wide system allows operators to load or unload two pallets at once to boost productivity.
Pallet Flow
Pallet flow racks help with inventory rotation for FIFO inventory. The sloped lanes and rollers move pallets to the front of the racking to make picking easier and maximize storage space in single SKU lanes. These designs support deep-lane capacity and offer 100% pallet access from the pick face. With almost double the pallet positions in the same storage space, loading and picking become faster, boosting productivity.
Push Back
Push back racking is made for high-density, multiple-product storage. Pallets are stored two to five deep, with new loads at the front pushing back previous loads. As pallets are unloaded from the rack system, gravity replenishes pallets to the front for improved product access. These systems are compatible with counterbalanced and reach lift trucks while helping reduce equipment traffic for enhanced safety. Direct pallet-position access delivers improved efficiency for last-in, first-out (LIFO)-based operations without compromising selectivity.
Selective Storage
Selective racks offer quick access to all stored pallets and are ideal for high SKU stock or FIFO applications. The vertical upright frames hold horizontal load beams that can be configured to store the weight and size of your products. These systems offer cost-effective solutions with minimal maintenance investment. Additionally, their high customizability translates into compatibility with existing handling systems and forklift equipment.
In addition to pallet rack designs, Twinlode Automation also has numerous automated solutions for the food and beverage industry.
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS)
ASRS uses structural steel racking, robotics, software, and computer-controlled systems to load and unload products from storage automatically. ASRS improves storage capacity, warehouse efficiency, throughput, and organization by reducing manual storage needs.
Additional benefits of ASRS include:
- Fewer manual labor requirements.
- Better ergonomics.
- More accurate picks.
Layer picking
Layer picking systems are used to build mixed SKUs for high-volume staging and mixing. These systems also improve order accuracy and throughput speeds, allowing companies to accept higher order volumes.
More advantages of layer-picking systems include:
- Versatility: These systems pick up a single layer, multiple layers, or a full pallet in one operation.
- Better inventory management: Layer-picking systems support just-in-time philosophies and are compatible with product-tracking solutions for increased inventory visibility.
- Improved workforce and inventory protection: These systems promote safer operations that reduce worker injuries and potential case damage.
Palletizing
Palletizing machines automatically move products to pallets. The resulting high throughput is ideal for heavy-use facilities looking to increase their production and efficiency.
Facilities incorporating palletizing systems also enjoy:
- Better ergonomics to help safeguard against workforce injuries.
- Lower overall labor costs.
- Optimized floor space use.
Conveyors
Conveyor systems quickly transport materials from one area to another. They are versatile and can be used nearly anywhere for any product. Conveyors can be configured and tailored to meet unique application requirements.
These systems also help:
- Reduce workplace risks.
- Decrease labor costs.
- Improve accuracy by lowering the potential for human error.
Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
AGV use is gaining traction in food and beverage material handling as a replacement for manually operated forklifts and lift trucks. While similar to ASRS systems, these solutions are less task-based and primarily valuable in transporting heavier loads throughout a facility. They operate on a combination of sensors and software controls.
Advantages of AGVs in the food and beverage industry include:
- Improved workforce safety.
- Reduced misplaced inventory.
- Enhanced scalability.
- Fewer manual labor needs.
Contact Twinlode Automation to Learn More About Food And Beverage Material Handling
Twinlode Automation has over 40 years of experience providing beverage warehouse racks and other storage solutions for companies in the food and beverage industry. In addition to racking, we also offer professional services for implementation, design, and consultation.
Choose Twinlode Automation as your food and beverage automation company today by contacting us online.