Combining and Merging Best Practices in E-Commerce
This is the third in a four-part blog series covering best practices in areas of e-commerce. You can find the second blog here.
Material handling solutions in e-commerce facilities require speed and accuracy in combining and merging. In both small and large distribution centers, implement your solution utilizing knowledge and experience, following best practices from beginning to end.
Combining products in an e-commerce solution requires many of the same previous steps be taken in order to keep product flowing. In addition to those rules, keep the following suggestions in mind.
Hold gaps to a minimum
Rates required by e-commerce companies are so demanding that gaps pulled between products must be held to a minimum. That is important to consider when combining and merging product lines, and brings us to two necessary elements of this area. To continue to control the product being conveyed while maintaining high levels of throughput, minimal space must be used between products.
Utilize Gap and Store
As with this third-party logistics company, Hytrol’s proprietary solution, Gap and Store, allows a large amount of product to merge while maintaining consistent volume and a high rate. The Gap and Store method is used to feed a high-speed merge with pre-gapped slugs of cartons. Pre-gapped slugs are built at a lower speed and are then released to the merge at a higher speed. Gap and Store allows for pre-gapped slugs of cartons flowing onto the merge belts and maximizing the amount of cartons that flow through the system.
Consider your product
This is a point that really can’t be made too many times when it comes to material handling solutions. Make sure you always consider your product. That includes the distribution of weight, sizes of product, product materials, and any other irregularities that could interrupt flow. Take a look at our previous blogs for more suggestions on e-commerce solutions, or download the whitepaper using the button below.
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