Korva is a scroll of the internet’s best ideas.
Pallets are packed in aisle order
Building the pallet
The warehouse software knows the layout of the shelves in each of its stores, so it knows what order to build a pallet in. Items for one side of a store aisle go at the bottom of the pallet, items for the middle of that aisle go in the middle, and items for the other end go at the top. Stockers can break the pallet down and put things on the shelves in the most efficient manner.
Inside the warehouse
Picture a truck of Oreos arriving from Nabisco's Chicago plant at Kroger's Aurora facility, which is operated by a company called Windigo Logistics. A scanner on the induction conveyor identifies the pallets, and the software decides whether it will need more Oreos within three days or later. If later, a pallet exchanger swaps them onto storage pallets for automated long-term storage. If sooner, a de-palletizing machine breaks them into boxes, conveyors carry the boxes to a machine that places them on trays, and the trays go into a cavernous hall of shelving that works like a massive vending machine.
Out to the store
When a King Soopers or City Market store places a reorder, trays of Oreos come off that shelving and ride a conveyor to a smaller automated shelving system near the palletizing area, which holds items no more than a few hours. The trays are removed in the aisle order, and the palletizing is completely automated. Humans load the finished pallets onto outbound trucks, and a three-hour journey west brings them to Glenwood Springs, where an overnight crew restocks the shelves.
How does a shuttle system find trays?
Automated storage and retrieval systems use shuttles or cranes that travel along rails inside tall racking. A central computer records the location of every tray and sends the shuttle straight to it. No worker walks the aisles, because the goods travel to the picking station instead of the picker traveling to the goods. The first automated storage and retrieval systems appeared in the 1960s.
How do mixed pallets stay stable on a truck?
Mixed-case palletizing software checks case weight and dimensions as well as destination order, because a pallet of unlike boxes has to stay balanced. Crush strength matters too, since a carton of canned goods can flatten a carton of chips stacked beneath it. Stretch wrap applied around the finished stack then holds the layers together for the truck ride.
Why do stores restock overnight?
Aisles are nearly empty overnight, so crews can roll pallets down them and fill shelves without working around customers. Delivery trucks also avoid daytime traffic on the road. Crews generally aim to finish before the doors open, so the morning shoppers find full shelves.
More from Wendover Productions
