The 1, 2, 3’s of Ergonomic & Productive Order Picking

Worker retention isn’t just necessary in today’s challenging labor market; it’s always been essential in controlling inventory processing costs and overall operating costs. To help you retain workers and keep them safe and productive, Mallard offers a variety of carton flow, pallet flow, and conveyor products that support ergonomic picking and order processing. Here’s an overview complete with a few interesting demonstration videos to get your application ideas flowing.

Ergonomic Gravity Flow Products

1. Carton Flow with Tilt Tray
2. Mobile Carton Flow
3. Pallet Flow with Separators
4. Gravity Conveyor

1. Carton Flow Rack Options

Carton flow rack is a popular storage solution for full and partial case picking. Inventory is loaded onto wheeled or roller rails set at a slight pitch to flow inventory to the opposite aisle for picking. Carton flow provides practical backup inventory storage, automatic pick face replenishment and helps keep SKUs in orderly lanes for accurate picking. Entry guides and lane dividers can also be added to help boost loading speed and maintain SKU separation for compliance or regulated inventory.

Carton flow alone is a good ergonomic picking option because of the easy access to SKU locations vs. picking from bulk-stacked pallets or within pallet rack. Additionally, carton flow can be equipped with tilt trays to enhance the ergonomic benefit and improve pick rates and accuracy.

Carton Flow with Tilt Tray

The tilt tray is an accessory that you can install on the pick side of the carton flow system to increase order pick rates and accuracy. The tilt tray allows the workers to see the inventory better and places it in a more advantageous position for picking, reducing worker strain and bending. The inventory automatically flows onto the tilt tray as it nears the pick face. The tilt tray angle is easy to set and change, and the shelf length is customizable.

The Mallard engineers set up a system test with Dyna-Flo carton flow equipped with a tilt tray that demonstrates how it all works together. Watch and see simple and effective it is to use a tilt tray.

2. Carton Flow Work Cells – Mobile Carton Flow

Carton flow work cells are a cost-effective solution for handling process shifts. They’re mobile, ergonomic workstations that can be moved where they’re needed for organized FIFO parts storage and assembly set-up. They are ideal for short-run manufacturing, light assembly, automotive, and small-parts packaging. Shelves are fully adjustable vertically to ensure a safe, comfortable picking position.

As a worker safety bonus, the carton flow work cell comes equipped with a steel-framed tow assembly for fast and easy relocation. While they can manually push them into place, forklift operators can also quickly transport one or more work cells with a tow hitch.

Our animated video details the benefits of our mobile carton flow work cells.

3. Pallet Flow with Separators

If your operation is designed for case picking from pallets, boost worker safety and productivity by using pallet flow lanes equipped with pallet separators. Pallet flow lanes provide ready reserve inventory, automatically replenished pick face, and separate load and pick aisles for safer order picking. The job of the pallet separator is to hold the rear pallets back a few inches from the front position pallet. By isolating the front pallet, the rear pallets no longer rest upon it, and the weight of those pallets (back pressure) is removed. The worker can safely and efficiently remove the empty pallet without strain or potential hang-up on the rear pallet.

Mallard offers several pallet separator products to best serve your picking application.

• Case-pick separator – designed for case-picking from pallet flow. Rear pallets are released to index forward with a foot-operated control once the pick face is empty.
• Flex separator – is designed for case picking from deep-lane pallet flow from 3-8 pallets deep. Pallets are released to flow with a foot-operated peddle.
• Ergo-Cell pneumatic pallet separator with lift table– Ergo-Cell uses a pneumatic pop-up device to hold and release pallets. It can be paired with a hydraulic lift table for improved ergonomic positioning, particularly for picking cases to a conveyor. Our animated video demonstrates how the Ergo-Cell can benefit your picking operation. 

4. Gravity Conveyor

Mallard’s gravity conveyor is used in a variety of applications – affordably and reliably moving cartons and totes for warehousing, assembly, and shipping. Gravity flow sections can be installed level for push-assisted applications or minimally sloped.

We offer aluminum and galvanized roller conveyors in two sizes, 1 3/8″ and 1.9″ rollers and skate wheel conveyor systems.

You can customize the gravity conveyor according to your operational needs. Check out this unique, heavy-duty tote application with pneumatic separators to help remove the pressure of rear totes upon the front pick face tote. The front tote is isolated to be removed quickly and safely. The rear totes release with a button-operated pneumatic control. While this is a unique application, our in-house testing lab is available to ensure the system design will meet your needs before purchasing a single rail, roller, or wheel.

The Right Fit

The benefits of the right ergonomic solution are cost-effective in retaining trained, skilled workers and improving pick rates and accuracy, plus reducing worker compensation costs and downtime. The Mallard team is available to review your inventory and processing needs to help design the best product application to fit your needs. Give us a call today, and we’ll get started.