BROKEN CASE PICKING SYSTEMS

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World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling

Picking accuracy is improved over that in shelving units because the order picker’s sight lines to the items are improved, and the quantity of light fall ing on the items to be extracted is increased. With bin shelving, the physical extraction of items may occur anywhere from floor level to 7 feet off the ground, with the order picker having to reach into the shelving unit itself to achieve the pick. With storage drawers, the drawer is pulled out into the pick ing aisle for item extraction. The order picker looks down onto the contents of the drawer, which are illuminated by the light source for the picking aisle. (The fact that the order picker must look down on the drawer necessitates that storage cabinets be less than 5 feet tall.) Excellent item security and protection are achieved because the drawers can be closed and locked when not in use. Storage cabinets equipped with drawers range in price from $1,000 to $3,000 per unit. Price is primarily a function of the number of drawers and the amount of sheet metal in the cabinet. Because the cost per cubic foot of storage is so high, storage drawers are justifiable only for items with very little on-hand cubic inventory (typically less than 0.5 cubic feet) and for operating scenarios in which the cost of space and the need for item security and protection are very high (Figures 7.6 through 7.13). As was the case with bin shelving, storage drawer systems may be mez zanined or mobilized (Figure 7.14).

Figure 7.14 Storage drawer cabinets in a mezzanine system

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