Shuttle Rack Is a kind of Storage shelves System, which has many advantages, but also some shortcomings.
1、 Advantages
High storage density
Shuttle shelf can make full use of the space of the warehouse. It runs on the rack track through the shuttle car, and the goods can be stored in multiple layers and columns. Compared with traditional shelves, under the same warehouse area, its storage capacity can increase several times. For example, in a small hardware accessories warehouse, the shuttle shelf can store a large number of screws, nuts and other small accessories, which greatly improves the space utilization rate of the warehouse.
Easy implementation of FIFO
The shuttle can store the goods from one end of the shelf and take them out from the other end in the set order. This working mode makes it easy for the warehouse to implement the principle of first in, first out when managing goods. This is very important for goods with shelf life requirements, such as food, medicine and other industries. For example, in the food warehouse, the food stored first can be taken out and shipped first, thus ensuring the freshness of the food.
High degree of automation
Shuttle rack system can be equipped with automatic control system. The shuttle can automatically complete the handling and storage of goods according to instructions, reducing the workload of manual operation. In some large e-commerce warehouses, staff only need to input instructions at the system terminal, and the shuttle can quickly and accurately store or take out the goods, which improves the work efficiency.
Good flexibility
The size and layout of the shelves can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual layout of the warehouse and the storage requirements of the goods. If the warehouse needs to increase the storage capacity, it can increase the number of layers or columns of shelves, or increase the number of shuttles, based on the existing shelf system.
2、 Disadvantages
High equipment cost
The structure of the shuttle shelf itself is relatively complex, and needs shuttle cars and other equipment. Compared with ordinary shelves, the initial investment cost is much higher. This includes the purchase cost of shelves, shuttle cars and the installation cost of automatic control systems. For some small enterprises or warehouses with limited funds, there may be some economic pressure.
High maintenance requirements
Shuttle rack system involves complex mechanical and electronic equipment, such as motor, track, control system, etc. of shuttle car. These devices need regular maintenance to ensure their normal operation. Once the equipment fails, it may affect the operation of the whole warehouse. Moreover, the maintenance of these equipment requires professional technicians, which increases the maintenance cost.
Restrictions on cargo size and weight
Shuttle has certain bearing capacity and size restrictions. If the size or weight of the goods is too large, it may not be possible to use shuttle racks for storage. For example, some large-scale mechanical equipment or overweight industrial raw materials may not be suitable for this shelf system, which limits its application scope to some extent.
