The Versatility Of A Flow Cell Structure

Many different industries use flow cell structure in the manufacture and distribution of products. While the overall concept is the same, different sizes and weight capacities are required in units for maximum efficiency in the overall set-up of the operation. Here is a look at some of the different industries today that use flow cell structures.

Vehicle Assembly
When vehicles come through an assembly line, they need different components added to various parts of the engines and transmissions. This can be done by specially trained employees using flow cell workstations loaded with critical pieces and parts for vehicle assembly. All assembly workstations have several days worth of components available for product picking as needed. Shelves can be configured at the right height and number for each specific task station. As different contracts and assembly requirements are added or subtracted from plant operations, flow cell units can be adjusted or moved as needed. Custom set-ups on modular flow cell units make it possible to accommodate employees working at a number of different heights on the assembly plant floor.

Wholesale Grocer
When it comes to grocery items, the size, shape and weight of cartons can vary greatly. All of them need to move smoothly through the carton flow track, regardless of what is inside. The quality of the corrugated cardboard that the cartons are made from has a profound impact on efficiency, especially when they do not move normally through the system. Rather than using plastic rollers and wheels, metal tracks are more durable and allow even poor quality boxes to move through quickly without getting delayed en route. With many items to choose from, all products need to fit in the confined designated spaces of the building and be dispersed throughout multiple pick locations within the facility.

Freezer Storage
Keeping frozen foods in an easily accessible carton flow system has its own special set of challenges. The most notable is working in frigid temperatures. The track materials must be durable for heavy frozen objects in extreme cold. Metal works better than traditional plastic pieces, which do not react well to long-term freezer use. When components break down, those particular storage areas cannot be used at maximum capacity – or sometimes at all – until the parts are fixed or replaced. Another challenge faced by freezer storage is the finite storage space available. At some point, the number of different choices in inventory may be higher than the number of shelf spots available for each project. Using versatile racks that can be built vertically increases the amount of usable space in the freezer. The track width for each rack can also be adjusted to accommodate the different sizes of product, some of which are much longer than standard carton slots.