With the growing mode of cross cover and its emphasis on shorter cycle times for inventory, the DC floors must be strong enough to withstand severely breaking 24-hour traffic. In today's bandwidth logistics, especially in the case of DC, the floor profile should also play an integral role. The emphasis on durability and ease of integration is due to the fact that an imperfect floor, which is not flat enough, will permanently damage the DC, ensuring maximum and optimum performance.
The importance of flat floors is underlined by the fact that some truck manufacturers do not issue warranties for new forklifts, unless certain specifications regarding flatness of the floor are met. The reason for this is that most forklift trucks do not have a suspension system or pneumatic tires that help absorb shocks caused by spikes. Thus, in the absence of this feature, warranty costs will be higher if the truck is equipped with a lower floor. The slightest height deviation in the floor, which is 1/116 inches per inch, can cause the wheels to lift the pavement when the truck is running at full speed. This invariably leads to excessive load on the device itself. Continued stress on the unit will excessively cause it to fail, which is not well suited for the operator or the participants. In addition to the time and money spent on repairs, these minute failures can be dangerous for operators, which can lead to injuries and damage to the device.
Because of the need to have a flat floor, contractors use three dimensions to measure the flatness of the floor:
The first is the plane of the planes or the metric of bumpiness, abbreviated FF. It measures the floor curve, extending into two senses. This indicates how smoothly the vehicle will move across the floor.
The second metric is face level. or step or tilt the slab. It measures the difference in height over floors that are ten feet long. This is used as an indicator of how well high storage racks rest on the floor.
The third metric is known as Fmin and is used to measure the specific level of a particular passage in ultra-flat floor applications that are supported by wiring or guide rails, such as those used for specific traffic.
The specifications that must be met in today's DC are related in the following terms:
For casual traffic in conventional DC applications, the FF35 / FL25 is a good indicator. It can be well used in loader trucks that carry pallet storage applications.
For high-performance DC devices, for example, in the reception or delivery area, it is best to use FF45 / FL35, which is a metric on a flat floor. Crossdocking DC and AGV are the most common receptors of this application.
In the case of DCs that have very high performance, for example, those that are subject to random traffic, use the FF65 / FL40 reading (which is already a very flat measurement for the floor). It works best with High Bay or DC controllers.
There is also a VNA or Very Narrow Aisle application, most suitable for high compartments. They consist of six or more pallets, measured as Fmin50 * or Fmin100; these are Super Flat ceilings used for high-speed operations involving turret trolleys.
Most & quot; Today’s floors, which have 6-inch reinforcement, reach 4,000 psi. inch. Concrete floors FF35 / FL25 are a common example often used for basic logistics and storage tasks. FF45 / FL35 is the best option for those who need high throughput because, despite its attractiveness, having this flat floor flooring reduces the maintenance costs of the truck, improving its performance, and also reducing the failures caused by the failure floor installations. crusader.
For DC with high ceilings, such as those capable of storing pallets of up to 6 or more pallets, the Very Flat floor option, FF65 / FL40 allows for maximum extraction and cleaning, which results in optimized performance. Such smooth operations are necessary, especially in cases involving applications for capturing orders, where even the slightest changes in flatness of the floor can burden operators, forcing them to reduce the load, so that the mast will decrease when moving to different places. It takes time and hinders their effectiveness. A very flat floor should provide an acceptable return on investment depending on the level of activity compared to a good or flat floor.
