Pallet and Carton Flow Rack Systems
When Are Flow Systems Right For Your Warehouse?
When you need a first-in-first-out (FIFO) storage solution, flow rack systems may be the right material handling option for your facility. Pallet and carton flow systems provide high-density storage while maintaining consistent inventory rotation—making them ideal for operations where product freshness, inventory control, and throughput efficiency are critical.
Flow systems use gravity-assisted movement to automatically move product from the load side to the pick face, helping streamline material flow, reduce travel time, and improve overall warehouse efficiency. By eliminating excess aisle space and supporting continuous replenishment, these systems are engineered to maximize both storage density and operational performance.
Flow systems are especially effective when your operation requires:
First-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory rotation for perishable or date-sensitive products
High-throughput environments with continuous pallet or case flow
Improved pick efficiency and faster replenishment cycles
Reduced forklift travel and less aisle congestion
Optimized use of vertical and horizontal cube for maximum storage density
Separation of loading and picking functions for safer, more efficient workflows
At Advance, pallet and carton flow systems are engineered around your specific application—evaluating factors such as pallet weight, SKU velocity, lane depth, and throughput requirements—to ensure the right system design for your operation. Whether supporting full-pallet storage or high-velocity case picking, flow systems provide a reliable, scalable solution for demanding distribution and warehouse environments.
Pallet Flow Racking:
Pallet Flow rack uses gravity rollers to automatically move pallets from the load side to the pick side, supporting First-In / First-Out (FIFO) inventory rotation. This makes pallet flow ideal for date-sensitive products and operations where consistent rotation is required.
Advance Pallet Flow systems are engineered to handle high throughput while maximizing storage density. Commonly used in food distribution, food processing, beverage, and cold storage operations where FIFO rotation is essential for product integrity and regulatory compliance.
Pallet Flow Advantages:
FIFO (First-In-First-Out)
High storage density (25+ pallets deep)
Efficient picking and unloading
Immediate access to product
Pallet Flow Disadvantages:
High capital investment
Requires good pallet quality
High maintenance requirements
Limited SKU and selectivity
Carton Flow Racking:
Carton Flow rack improves order fulfillment speed by using gravity-fed skate wheels or rollers to present cartons at the pick face. This system supports FIFO rotation, reduces picker travel, and increases accuracy in high-SKU environments.
Highly effective in grocery, food distribution, food processing, and beverage operations where fast, accurate case and each picking is critical.
Carton Flow Advantages:
Very high SKU slot facing
Can support both full case and split case
Relatively inexpensive
Very flexible
Efficient picking
Carton Flow Disadvantages:
Requires double handling of cases
Not well suited to high volume, full case applications