Static pallet dimensioning: what the stop costs
Station simulation for pallets
Measuring a standing pallet is not always the same thing. With many systems the forklift sets the pallet down, pulls the forks out and leaves the measuring field. Only then does the measurement run, and afterwards the forklift drives back in. With MetriXFreight it sets the pallet down briefly, the forks stay in the pallet, and the measurement takes around 200 milliseconds.
The simulation runs the same evening with both procedures, at the same stations. Use the three controls to set up your current system and see what the longer stop costs per hour.
the same number in both halls, in the same place
The same evening, the same stations
18:30MetriXFreight: set down briefly
Comparison system: forks out, leave the measuring field
Top view. Inbound doors at the bottom, outbound doors at the top. Both halls get the same trucks and pallets. The longer stop is shown as time standing at the station.
more pallets per hour with MetriXFreight, with the same stations
This is a simulation with simplified assumptions, not a promise for your operation. In practice the result depends on many factors, such as hall layout, routes, volumes, staff and procedures.
Stop at the station: 5 s with MetriXFreight, 11 s with the comparison system (5 s to set down and pick up, 3 s manoeuvring, 3 s measuring cycle).
What does a longer stop cost?
Pallets per hour with the same stations. The dot is the stop you set for the comparison system.
The fewer stations a hall has, the more a long stop backs up. Use the number of stations to check this for your hall.
Model and assumptions
- Hall: 20 inbound doors opposite 20 outbound doors, 92 × 40 m, one centre aisle. Per evening 90 trucks with about 1,080 pallets and 8 forklifts.
- Forklifts: 8 km/h loaded, 10 km/h empty, 12 s to pick up, 10 s to set down, at most 2 forklifts on one truck at a time.
- MetriXFreight: the forklift sets the pallet down briefly and the forks stay in the pallet. The stop covers braking, lowering, measuring, lifting and moving off. Stations sit 10 m behind the inbound doors and are occupied for 6 s per pallet, read rate 99.5 %.
- Comparison system: a system that measures pallets standing, where the forklift sets the pallet down, pulls the forks out and leaves the measuring field before the measurement. It then drives back in and picks the pallet up. Its stop consists of 5 s to set down and pick up as with MetriXFreight, the manoeuvre (1 to 20 s) and the measuring cycle (2 to 10 s). The station is occupied for that time. These are assumptions, not a manufacturer's figures.
- Both halls have the same number of stations in the same place, the same read rate and the same forklifts. Only the stop differs. After a misread the stop is repeated in both halls; after the second, the pallet is measured by hand in 120 s.
- Numbers: averages of 30 simulated evenings. Time per pallet means from the inbound door to staging in front of the outbound door. The animation shows one fixed evening. Pallets per hour means: 8 forklifts times the pallets of the evening, divided by the forklift hours the evening takes.
- Not included: oncoming traffic in the aisle, purchase cost, other hall layouts.
What about your facility?
The result holds for the facility shown here. We will work through your stations, routes and volumes with you: get in touch. The simulation holds for both pallet systems: L23x pallet dimensioning and L33x for black-wrapped pallets. For long goods and bulky freight up to 6.5 meters there is the L63x long-goods measurement. If you are considering measuring in motion, the second comparison helps: Measure standing still or driving through?