CHAPTER 2 STORAGE AND MATERIAL HANDLING

The supply system constantly performs material receipts, storage, and expenditures. These functions are essential elements of providing supply support to aviation maintenance and other organizations. Aviation Storekeepers should know the basic elements that make these tasks easier to accomplish.

Afloat, the supervisor is responsible for ensuring that materials are safely brought on board. The supervisor is also responsible for making sure incoming material is processed properly. Material must be properly identified, inspected or verified (as needed), sorted, distributed, and documented.

Ashore, you may not be involved with the actual receiving and storing of material during normal _{operating hours.} The civilian personnel workforce usually perform these functions; however, you must know the functions to make transactions during emergencies. After normal operating hours, the duty section may be involved in peforming these functions. As the supervisor, you are responsible for making sure the job is properly done. Other tasks the supervisor may get involved with is planning the storage and office layout. The plan may be required for constructing new or additional buildings or rearranging stock to accommodate new procedures.

The efficiency of supply operations depends largely on the smooth flow of material and paperwork. As the supervisor, you should be able to identify storage and support areas that need improvements.

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Several terms are used relating to storage and material handling in the Navy. These terms include the following:

AISLE- Any passageway within a storage area.

ALLOCATED SPACE- A definite number of net square feet of a specified type of storage space formal] y apportioned for use.

BAY- Designated area within a section of a warehouse, normally outlined or bounded by posts, pillars, columns, or painted lines.

BIN AREA- An area for the storage of small items.

BINNABLE ORDER PICKING- Order picking system in which small quantities of material are picked from open cases or shelf boxes.

BIN STORAGE SPACE- Area in which bins have been erected, including aisles and working space between bins.

BLOCK STORAGE- Storage of similar containers or material in blocks of two or more units wide, two or more deep, and two or more high.

BRIDGE PLATE- Plate usually made of metal, used to span the space between the truck and the loading platform.

BULK STORAGE- Storage in warehouses of any large quantity of supplies usually in original containers, or storage of liquids, lumber, or petroleum products.

CAROUSEL STORAGE SYSTEM- Endless loop monorail-supported storage system, which moves storage carriers past an operator station.

CUBE- The product of length x width x depth.

DRIVE-INRACK- Pallet rack system in which the pallets are supported on the sides permitting a forklift truck to drive into the rack structure to store or retrieve loads.

FLOOR LOAD- Weight that can be supported safely by a floor, expressed in pounds per square foot of floor space.

FLOOR PLAN- A scale drawing of the floor area of a building showing columns, stairwells, elevator shafts, offices, heads/washrooms, doors, and other structural features.

GROSS STORAGESPACE- Gross area, regardless of its location or designated purpose, used for any operation concerning storage or the support of storage functions.

HAZARDOUS COMMODITIES- Materials consisting of explosives, flammable material, corrosives, combustibles, oxidizers, poisons, toxics, sources of ionizing radiation or radiant energy, biological and radiological, magnetics, and compressed gases that, because of their nature, are

dangerous to store or handle and present real or potential hazards to life and/or property.

HONEYCOMBING- The storing or withdrawing of supplies in a manner that results in vacant space that is not usable for storage of other items.

LAYOUT- A floor plan showing assignment of gross space for storage operations and support functions.

MANNED STORAG/RETRIEVAL MACHINE- A variation of the storage/retrieval (S/R) machine containing an operator cab that permits use of the machine for order picking.

NET STORAGE SPACE- Floor area on which storage racks and/or bins are erected and on which bulk material is or can be stored.

ORDER PICKING TRUCK- A forklift-type of machine on which the driver rides up and down on the mast in an open cab. The vehicle is specifically designed for order picking and is not suitable for pallet Storage/retrieval.

PALLET RACKS- Metal racks of multiple levels used for the vertical storage of pallets.

PLANOGRAPH- A scale drawing of a storage area showing the approved layout.

RACK ORDER PICKING- Order picking system in which unopened (full) cases of material are picked from pallets or pallet rack shelving to fill orders.

RACK SPACE-Any floor area identified as a specific location and distinguished from bulk storage, occupied by racks, box pallets, or pallets with metal superstructures installed when used as permanent storage aids.

STORAGE/RETRIEVAL (S/R) MACHINE- A specialized machine, usually computer controlled, used for rapid storage and retrieval of materials.

STRUCTURAL LOSS-In covered warehouses, this is the gross space that is not usable for storage because of obstructions. These obstructions include the frosts, pillars, ramps, door clearances, fire walls, and installed equipment. Structural loss does not include the spaces used for aisles.

In open storage, structural losses are spaces taken up by firebreaks and clearances. Firebreak is a barrier of cleared or plowed land intended to check a grass fire.

SUPPORT SPACE- The storage space used for receiving, shipping, packaging/preservation, inspection/identification, packing, crating, assembly, and offices. It also includes parking areas for material handling equipment (MHE), battery charging stations, rest rooms, tool rooms, locker rooms, time clock area, and break rooms.

SWING ARM SORTER- A sorting device that uses a pivoting arm to sweep an item off a conveyor and onto the proper discharge lane.

TILT SLAT SORTER- A flat surface sorting conveyor built of pivoting slats. A number of slats determined by package size are tilted to discharge the item into the proper lane.

TOTE BOX- A small durable container usually used for order picking and/or shipping of small items.

TOWLINE- A continuous chain conveyor used to pull wheeled carts around a fixed path. The conveyor may be mounted overhead or in the floor.

STORAGE ASHORE

The basic resource of any storage operation is the storage space. The cost of storage operations depends upon the optimum use of the space and efficient procedures for the receipt, storage, and issue of materials. Minimizing cost in storage space can be obtained by thorough planning for the use of the space. The different types of storage facilities ashore are described in detail in the AK3 training manual. The

Warehouse Modernization and Layout Planning Guide,

NAVSUP P-529, provides information in planning the layout of modem storage facilities.