Carton Flow Rack Testing: Custom Solution for Food Supply SKU Growth | Mallard Manufacturing

Rapid growth is a great challenge to face—more orders, more SKUs, more pressure on your picking systems. For a national food supply company, that meant finding a smart way to add a third picking tier to an existing area used for food products and dry ice shipping. With efficiency and ergonomics top of mind, they turned to the Mallard team and our Engineering Test Lab to determine if carton flow rack could deliver a low-pitch solution without compromising performance.

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Optimizing Order Picking with Minimal Pitch for Maximum Carton Flow Rack Performance

Installing a carton flow solution within a racking system allows gravity to move inventory from point A to point B, versus workers and equipment. Each carton or tote loaded into the flow lanes advances automatically to the opposite side of the rack system, streamlining picking and restocking.

Carton Flow Benefits:
Increased pick rates
Improved visibility & accessibility
First-in/first-out (FIFO) inventory rotation
Reduced restocking time
Optimized space utilization

Real-World Testing: Multiple Carton Sizes, One Ergonomic Solution

Using customer-supplied cartons and a plastic tote, the Mallard Engineering Test Lab replicated the gravity flow setup to evaluate performance across five box sizes and one tote.
The goal: Identify the lowest possible pitch that ensures smooth flow and restart for every container type.
Why minimal pitch? To reduce ergonomic strain on order pickers—especially important in cold storage environments where working conditions are already demanding.

Pitch Comparison Testing
Three pitch levels were tested: 7/16", 1/2", and 3/4" per foot. The results confirmed that ½” per foot offered the optimal balance of flow consistency and ergonomic efficiency across all container types.

Let’s take a closer look at the test parameters.
Test Lane Specs
Custom Carton Flow Solution
Rollers: 1 ⅜” diameter on 1.5” wheel centers
Rail spacing: 22” wide
Lane length: 123”

Box & Tote Sizes & Specs
Plastic Container:
Size: 15.5"w x 23.5"d x 9.5"h
Load weight: 16.5 lbs.

Cardboard Boxes:
Load weight: 15 - 36 lbs.
Sizes:
10.5"w x 18.5"d x 8"h
9.5"w x 12"d x 11.5"h*
9.5"w x 16"d x 7.5"h
10.5"w x 21"d x 4.5"h
15.5"w x 22.5"d x 6.5"h

Tallest carton for setting shelf height

Observations from Testing
Each container featured a flat bottom, making them good candidates for roller-style carton flow. However, the test team noted that box damage or protruding elements—such as flaps, tape, or plastic—can obstruct flow.

Best practices for carton flow performance:

--Maximize the contact surface between the container and rollers
--Ensure cartons are free from dangling material that could catch in the rollers
--Maintain box integrity to avoid disruptions in movement

Results That Deliver: Capacity, Ergonomics & Cold Storage Performance

After in-depth testing confirmed the optimal ½” per foot pitch, Mallard supplied test samples for on-site validation. This step ensures the carton flow rack system performs exactly as expected in the customer's real-world conditions.

The results? Consistent flow performance and targeted operational advantages:
Enhanced Storage Capacity - The new third-tier layout expands SKU capacity within the rack system without expanding the footprint.

Optimized Order Picking—The minimal slope still efficiently flows items to the pick face, which is at an ergonomically safe height and eliminates the need for workers to reach into the storage shelf.

Cold Storage Compatible - The carton flow rack is dependable for cold storage efficiency and safety.

Partner with Mallard for Proven, Practical Carton Flow Solutions

At Mallard Manufacturing, we understand that with growth comes challenges and opportunities, especially in fast-paced industries like food supply. That’s why our gravity flow experts are dedicated to designing and validating customized solutions that meet your team's and your facility's real-world demands.

Whether you're expanding your SKU count, increasing throughput, or simply needing a more productive, streamlined way to manage inventory storage and order processing, our carton flow rack solutions deliver labor and space savings ergonomically and reliably.
Each solution is tailored to your inventory and processing needs to maximize effectiveness. Give us a call to explore your options and unleash the power of gravity to work for your team!