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Shuttle Racking System for Food Storage in Australia (Nanjing Peter rack factory）

2026-05-28

The case study focuses on FreshPro Australia Pty Ltd, a leading mid-sized food distributor headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, with over 15 years of experience supplying ambient, chilled, and frozen food products to supermarkets, convenience stores, and food service providers across Australia’s eastern seaboard. The company manages a diverse inventory including packaged dry goods, dairy products, fresh produce, frozen meats, and ready-to-eat meals, serving more than 300 retail and hospitality clients daily.

Prior to 2022, FreshPro operated out of a 6,200 m² conventional warehouse in Brisbane, Queensland, equipped with standard selective pallet racking and limited cold storage zones. As the Australian food retail sector expanded—driven by post-pandemic demand for consistent food supply, growth in online grocery shopping, and stricter food safety regulations—the company faced critical operational bottlenecks that threatened its ability to scale. The existing warehouse suffered from severe space constraints, inefficient inventory rotation, high labor costs, and inconsistent temperature control, which directly impacted product quality, order fulfillment speed, and profit margins.

Core Challenges Before Implementation

Insufficient Storage Density & Wasted Space

Traditional selective pallet racking required wide forklift aisles (3.5–4 meters) and only utilized 35–40% of the warehouse’s vertical and floor space. With inventory volumes growing by 28% year-over-year, FreshPro was forced to rent additional off-site storage, incurring AUD 120,000 annually in extra rental and transportation costs. The fragmented storage layout also led to 15–20 minutes of forklift travel time per pallet movement, drastically reducing operational efficiency.
Non-Compliant Inventory Rotation (FIFO Failure)

The food industry demands strict First-In-First-Out (FIFO) inventory management to minimize food waste and comply with Australia’s Food Safety Standards (FSANZ). Manual operations and disorganized racking made FIFO enforcement nearly impossible: 8–10% of perishable goods (e.g., dairy, fresh produce) expired before distribution, costing FreshPro approximately AUD 85,000 annually in write-offs. Additionally, 3–5% of orders were shipped with expired or near-expiry products, leading to client complaints and potential regulatory penalties.
High Labor Costs & Safety Risks

The warehouse relied on 12 full-time forklift operators and 8 pickers for daily operations. Forklifts entering deep storage aisles increased the risk of collisions with racking, pallets, or personnel—resulting in 3–4 minor workplace accidents per year and rising insurance premiums. Manual pallet handling (average weight 25–30 kg) also led to repetitive strain injuries, with 2–3 workers taking medical leave annually, further disrupting operations and increasing labor costs.
Inefficient Cold Storage & High Energy Consumption

FreshPro’s cold storage zones (1°C–4°C for chilled goods, -18°C–22°C for frozen products) used traditional racking, which required frequent forklift entries and exits. This caused thermal leakage—warm air entering the cold zones and cold air escaping—leading to inconsistent temperature control (±2°C) and 30% higher energy bills than industry benchmarks. Inconsistent temperatures compromised product quality, particularly for frozen meats and fresh produce, increasing the risk of spoilage.
Lack of Inventory Traceability

Manual record-keeping and barcode scanning errors resulted in 7–9% inventory inaccuracy, making it difficult to track product batches, expiration dates, or recall items quickly. This violated FSANZ’s traceability requirements and put FreshPro at risk of non-compliance during food safety audits.

Solution Selection: Customized Shuttle Racking System

After evaluating multiple storage solutions—including drive-in racking, push-back racking, and automated AS/RS systems—FreshPro partnered with Nanjing Peter Storage Equipment Co., Ltd. (a professional shelving manufacturer with 10+ years of production and export experience) to design and install a customized pallet shuttle racking system tailored to its food storage needs. The solution was selected for its high storage density, semi-automated operation, FIFO compliance, cold storage compatibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to fully automated systems.

System Design & Key Specifications

The shuttle racking system was installed in a newly built 8,500 m² warehouse in Brisbane, Queensland, completed in late 2022. The design focused on optimizing space, ensuring food safety, and integrating with FreshPro’s existing Warehouse Management System (WMS). Key specifications include:

Racking Structure: Heavy-duty steel racking (Q235 grade, compliant with Australian Standard AS 4084) with a height of 10.5 meters, featuring 8 storage levels and 12 narrow aisles (1.6 meters wide) for shuttle cart operation. The system includes 6,800 pallet positions (1,200mm × 1,000mm standard pallets, max load 1,500 kg per pallet).
Shuttle Carts: 16 lithium-ion battery-powered shuttle carts (48V LiFePO4 batteries, 8–12 hours of continuous operation per charge) with remote control and WMS integration. The shuttles operate on dedicated steel rails within the racking lanes, enabling automatic pallet storage, retrieval, and horizontal movement. Battery swapping takes less than 60 seconds, ensuring 24/7 operation for peak demand.

物流穿梭车货架 shuttle cart
Temperature Zones: The system is divided into three integrated zones:
1. Ambient zone (15°C–25°C) for dry goods (packaged snacks, grains, canned foods) – 3,200 pallet positions.
2. Chilled zone (1°C–4°C) for dairy, fresh produce, and ready-to-eat meals – 2,100 pallet positions.
3. Frozen zone (-18°C–22°C) for meats, seafood, and frozen vegetables – 1,500 pallet positions.
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Nanjing Peter Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd.

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salesmanager@njpeterack.com

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08:30-17:30

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