Understanding How Carton Flow Starts and Stops

In live storage and order picking operations, there is a beginning and ending to nearly everything. Whether it is a loading point to keep product on the gravity conveyors and shelves, a picking point for selection or a stopping point to prevent cartons from landing on the floor at the end of the line, it usually has to start and stop somewhere. There is a variety of choices depending on the type of operation, the weight of the product and what happens to the carton at the end.

Getting Started
Loading shelves and conveyor tracks usually takes place at one end of the equipment. The product may come from a truck or be moved in from static storage. It is usually loaded from the back and flows in a one-way direction. Connecting sections of roller tracks, called spurs, may be used to offload the product and start the operation.

Shelf Stops
For operations where the tilted shelf is loaded from the back, gravity rollers send the product to the front of the shelving where it is more easily accessed for efficient order picking. Shelf stops are placed at the front to prevent it from continuing off the front of the shelf onto the floor or into personnel. The shelf stop should be tall enough and strong enough to stop the carton flow without hindering the picking process. Fixed angle end stops are attached to the end of the line. Package stops are placed over conveyor wheels to prevent items from going past that point.

Pick Tray
Some shelf operations end in pick trays. This is a section added at the end of the regular roller shelf or track which slopes at an angle for easy access by order pickers. The easier it is to see the item, the easier it is to handle it. When an item is removed from the pick tray, the next one rolls into place. Trays are especially helpful in split carton operations where product is removed as needed from an open box.

Guard Rails
Guard rails are added on longer distances where product has the potential to fall off the side while in transit. Lightweight items may back up and crowd the side of the roller track. Guard rails prevent product loss and damage. In curved sections, rails may only be needed on one side, rather than both.

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