To hold and buffer materials for a certain period of time is known as storage equipment.
Storing a product serves a fundamental purpose in enhancing the efficiency of production elements on a per-unit basis. This is achieved by distributing the fixed costs linked to utilizing each element across a larger number of products.
For instance, storing a sufficient quantity of products, such as filling a truckload within a facility, effectively lowers the shipping expenses for each unit. Additionally, the buffering or storage of work-in-progress (WIP) facilitates batch production, leading to a reduction in per-unit setup costs.
10 Types of Storage Equipment
Let’s find out the types of storage equipment and what is the storage equipment, shall we?
Block Stacking (No Equipment)
Block stacking is a method of storing goods on a pallet or directly on a warehouse floor without the use of any additional storage equipment. Moreover, it involves stacking items in a cube-like configuration which maximizes vertical space within a designated storage area.
Selective Pallet Rack
Pallet racking systems use horizontal rows of interconnected racks to store palletized goods. They come in various configurations, such as selective, drive-in, and push-back racks, offering different levels of accessibility and storage density. Therefore, they are one of the most popular types of storage racks.
- Standard
- Narrow Aisle
- Deep Reach
Drive-In Racking
Drive-in racking is designed for high-density storage of homogeneous products. Forklifts drive directly into the rack to load and retrieve pallets. Moreover, lift trucks are driven between the upright beams. It is open at both ends which allows access from both ends (FIFO).
Flow Through Rack
Flow Through Rack, also known as gravity flow racks or dynamic flow racks, is a type of storage equipment designed to optimize the movement and retrieval of items by utilizing the force of gravity. Therefore, this system is particularly useful for fast-moving products with high turnover rates.
Push Back Racking
Pushback racking is a storage method that allows pallets to be stored from 2 to 6 deep on either side of an aisle. Similarly, it can give you higher storage density than conventional forms of racking. You can combine the density of the drive-in rack while also providing single-lane selectivity with push-back pallet racking.
Storage Carousel
They are revolving storage baskets or bins that consist of a set of vertical or horizontal. Moreover, materials move to the operator, “part to man,” for end-of-aisle picking. It brings the stored items to the system operator in simple terms.
Mezzanine
Mezzanine flooring is like a middle floor that gets added into a building or space to make more usable space. Moreover, people usually put mezzanines between the main floors of a building, kind of above the bottom floor but below the roof. But they can also make them at other levels.
What is the Main Purpose of Storage Facilities?
Storage facilities want to provide individuals and businesses a safe and secure place to store items that they don’t have space for in their home or office, this is their main purpose. Moreover, they are seen as a long-term or short-term solution for storing excess items and equipment that you don’t need on a regular basis.
These storage facilities provide a service of rental space to store items that are not required to be on-site all the time. Similarly, this can include any sort of personal items, from household things to business equipment. It’s up to you.
