Pallet Rack and AGVs – A Match Made in Heaven

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Putting your Pallet Rack to Work With Automated Guided Vehicles.

AGV Equipment for Pallet Rack Storage

What would your Colorado business do with increased pick rates, fewer staffing challenges, and higher overall fulfillment efficiency? It may sound like a dream, but with Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) popping up all over American warehouses, it’s become a reality for many businesses! AGV is the most common term for automated vehicles, but you may also hear reference to self-guided vehicles, operator-less forklifts, guided carts, or even driverless vehicles. While we may not all be able to agree on a name, what we can agree on is that AGVs deliver clean, quiet, and automatic material handling when paired with the right pallet rack system. 

AGVs can boost your pallet racking operation in a variety of ways – from order picking and fulfillment to reducing shift needs and training time for new staff. However, it’s not as simple as dropping an AGV into your warehouse and hoping for the best – careful thought and planning must be put into your operational goals in order to select the best vechicle for the job. Additionally, consider what   safety features, such as ultrasonic sensors, audio/visual operation indicators, emergency stops, and contact bumpers your vehicles will need based on your warehouse configuration. Now, let’s take a look at racking options to integrate with your new automated equipment.

Rack Meets Automated Guided Vehicles

AGVs are highly versatile pieces of equipment, but they aren’t all created equally. Pallet racking systems each come with their own complexities, so it’s important to consider whether your AGV is capable of working with that racking system. 

Pallet Rack Compatible with AGV Equipment - Apex Warehouse Systems

Some examples of systems that integrate well with AGV’s are: 

  • Standard Selective Rack – 100% selectivity
  • Double Deep Selective Rack – 100% selectivity, double the pallet capacity
  • Pallet Flow Rack –High-density FIFO inventory
  • Push-Back (Cart) System – 2-7 deep LIFO inventory
  • Drive-In/Drive-Thru Pallet Rack – high-density LIFO/FIFO inventory

Standard Selective Rack – The most common pallet rack-AGV integration. Since AGVs can be guided by laser or floor-based markers, they have an easy time integrating with a selective pallet rack system. These vehicles come in a variety of options for ease of use with either standard or narrow aisle configurations. Furthermore, AGVs give an extra boost of efficiency when used with a narrow aisle configuration, as they can free up expensive cubic storage. 

Double-deep selective systems offer an added bonus when paired with an AGV. The efficiencies of the automated vehicle combine with doubled storage capacity for a match made in heaven – especially when pallet guides are used to ensure pallets are centered properly in the bay. 

Pallet Flow Rack – Pallet flow systems require space for separate load and pick aisles; however, because it can be designed for deep-lane storage, it makes an ideal solution for high-volume SKUs. In the end, it is space-saving for the right inventory. It is recommended to use accessories such as pallet separators and pallet stops to create the safest, most effective use of the AGV with the deep-lane system. 

Push-Back Cart System – Need a little bit more space, but not necessarily a deep lane system? AGVs integrate as seamlessly with a push-back rack as they would with a static pallet rack system. Push-back systems are accessed by a single aisle for load and picking, and the average lane is 2-5 pallets deep. Push-back is a reliable LIFO inventory rotation high-density storage solution. 

Drive-In/Drive-Thru Pallet Rack – You don’t need a big footprint if you have a limited number of high-volume SKUs… just consider drive-in or drive-thru pallet racking. The multi-level, narrow-lane design is a high-density winner, and integrating with AGVs can boost productivity. Depending on your space and application, you can choose the single-aisle drive-in system or the drive-thru system, which uses separate load and extraction aisles. Whichever method, AGVs do very well in these storage configurations.

Your Apex Colorado team has extensive experience integrating the right warehouse storage solutions with the most efficient vehicles. If you’re considering plugging into automated warehouse equipment, let us help streamline the process and optimize the results. Give us a call today –We Got This!