Creform Corporation, a manufacturer of products for material handling structures, has designed and built a mobile flow rack to be used lineside for an assembly line operation.

With the customer providing additional guidance to provide for the best solution, Creform engineers designed the flow rack to “flow” in production parts on their assembly line primarily because excessive inventory is one of the seven wastes in lean manufacturing.

The Creform flow rack is custom designed to hold a desired amount of inventory at the point of assembly and to maximize floor space.  

The rack is built using Creform 28 mm pipe which provides for flexibility and reusability by this customer. Creform skate wheel conveyors on the unit allow for shallow flow lane angles that are suitable for both plastic returnable totes as well as cardboard, while providing for a long and reliable life span. The gravity flow rack assists in first-in, first out (FIFO) inventory management. 

There are four supply levels with conveyors located evenly spaced to accommodate many different sized boxes. Intermediate support beam provides for further stability of the rack. Each of the flow rack’s levels can be repositioned or the whole flow rack can be customized with only simple tools. The levels are positioned vertically and can easily be moved up/down. Position changes require only a simple tool. 

The flow rack pictured is 51″ W x 30.5″ D x 59″ T and has a load capacity rating of 1200 lb. The unit features six casters to allow for easy movement when cleaning or repositioning. Each caster can be locked in place when the need arises.

Besides lineside use, the Creform flow rack can be part of a supermarket storage area. It is ideal for picking individual SKUs that make up a manufacturing kit, typically appropriate for assembly applications.  The flow rack is also useful for general storage of pull-to-ship parts and point of use presentation rack within an assembly work cell.

The unit is built with “Marine Blue” pipe color, but as with all Creform flow racks, a wide variety of pipe colors are available, and accessories can include information sheet holders, label holders, tool storage, hooks to hang tools and other supplies. As well as built with feet, rather than wheels. Creform structures can be built for ESD for anti-static applications. Available as a kit or an assembled structure or in the component form for a complete DIY solution.

Creform’s mobile flow rack is to be used lineside for an assembly line operation.

The Creform system is used to create an array of material handling and efficiency enhancing devices and is a proven component in continuous improvement and lean manufacturing programs. The company partners with customers in developing and implementing these programs.