Optimize High-Density Storage & Order Picking with a Single Solution – Try a Pick Tunnel

Customize Your Pick Tunnel with These Expert Tips

Take two costly features of your warehouse operation and combine them into one cost-effective solution… that’s what a pick tunnel delivers. Pick tunnels combine single or case-pick items on a floor level with replenishment stock storage above. This design takes labor-intensive order picking and minimizes the time it takes to travel, find, and pick items. Secondly, it optimizes your warehouse space by consolidating inventory into a compact footprint. Ultimately, you get to increase productivity and reduce your processing costs.

Pick tunnels are ideal for high-density storage and high-throughput applications. You can custom-configure your design with storage systems that most effectively address your SKU volumes and turn rates.

Pick Tunnel Advantages:

Maximize worker productivity
Utilize vertical cube space
Automatically replenish pick face
Streamline reserve stock storage
Separate load & pick aisles for safe, concurrent operations
Minimize travel time for workers and forklift operation
LIFO or FIFO reserve stock
Easy empty pallet removal

How Does a Pick Tunnel Work?

Upper level push back replenishes pallet flow below, order selector picks cartons from center aisle of pick tunnel

Let’s look at an example:

It’s essential to customize your pick tunnel for your unique inventory volume and processing needs; however, by way of an example, picture this:

Level 1 — Case pick from pallets on 2-deep pallet flow flowing toward center aisle under pick tunnel
Level 2, 3 & 4 — Push-back rack loaded with reserve inventory and picked from outside aisles to replenish pallet flow below.

Designing Your Pick Tunnel from the Inside Out

The outstanding features of a pick tunnel are a pick aisle beneath and between pallet racking. So, let’s explore options for configuring your system.

Pick Aisle Configuration —

The pick aisle design starts with ground-level storage on both sides. Options include pallets on the floor or pallet flow for case picking from pallets. Also, carton flow shelves for individual cases or each item picking.

Pallet flow – FIFO storage rack that uses pitched rails to flow pallets from the outside load aisle to the inside pick tunnel. Workers pick cases from the pallets and build custom orders onto a pallet jack, cart, or conveyor located in the center of the aisle. This design is very effective for high-throughput case-picking applications. Pallet flow rack supports high-volume full-case picking directly from pallets.

Carton flow rack – used for slower- to medium-turn rate inventory picked by carton or each picked from boxes or totes. Carton flow supports up to 40 pick lanes across the storage bay, making it ideal for slower-moving or seasonal SKUs of either full cartons or each picks. Carton flow is ergonomically designed to support a comfortable reach position for workers.

The benefit of these types of gravity flow solutions (pallet & carton flow) is that loading and picking can occur concurrently and safely. Forklifts access the outside load aisles to feed the gravity flow rack, and the pickers work separately inside the tunnel and safe from the vehicles.

Floor-stacked pallets – place full pallets on the floor inside the tunnel for slower-moving case picking from pallets. However, pallets must be loaded inside the pick aisle with a pallet jack.

Pick Tunnel with forklift load aisle example

Forklift Load Aisle (right)- Pick Tunnel Inside (Left)

Reserve Storage for Your Pick Tunnel —

Static systems such as selective or deep-reach rack can flank your pick tunnel design, but often, it is the more dynamic push-back rack or pallet flow systems that deliver the high-density storage and efficiency to replenish pick lanes with minimal forklift time and expense.

As noted above, you can use pallet flow rack in the levels above your pick tunnel for your reserve storage, but another reliable dynamic rack solution is push-back rack.

Push-back rack is a full pallet storage solution that creates SKU lanes much like pallet flow but on a last-in/first-out (LIFO) rotation. Most push-back systems are three- to four-pallets deep, perfect for maximizing the space above your pick tunnel.

Push-back uses carts loaded on slightly inclined to create multiple-deep pallet lanes. Wheeled carts stack at the aisle face. The forklift operator loads the first pallet on the top cart. To load the next pallet, the driver gently pushes the first pallet back to reveal the next cart, where he loads the second pallet. The process continues, with the last pallet loaded directly on the rails. To extract pallets, the process is reversed.

While your floor-level gravity flow rack flows inward to the pick aisle, push-back flows outward to the outside aisles on either side of the tunnel. Forklifts can load and extract pallets while workers safely access the pick aisle. Your pick tunnel ensures the safety of your whole team while creating a productive work process.

Picking the Best Pick Process

Carton Flow Below with Pallet Flow Above

Industries that Benefit from Pick Tunnel Solutions

Food & Beverage
Retail
Pharma
E-Commerce

Whatever inventory mix or industry you serve, the Apex team is ready to help you find the right solution tailored to your order processing needs. Our warehouse design and engineering experts will evaluate your operation and work with you to create a solution that takes advantage of useable space and delivers a safe, productive workspace for your team.

Contact us to schedule a free consultation. We have offices throughout the U.S. to ensure we provide the best possible customer service.

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