The Big, Bulky Problem in Logistics (and how to solve it)

Somewhere beyond the conveyor belt lies a group of products that simply can’t be tamed using normal means. Whether it’s a 12-foot-long kayak, a piece of bulky exercise equipment, or a sofa, anything too big to fit on a conveyor belt is considered a non-conveyable and requires special handling, packaging, and storage.

The complexity increases when that kayak has to be paired up with a paddle and two life vests to complete a customer’s order. The kayak may be off in the corner with the rest of the oversized items, but the life vests and paddles may be stashed in another location. Pickers have to navigate the warehouse floor to find all of the items, consolidate them, and get them out the door.

These are just a few of the hard parts of managing non-conveyables, which can be particularly onerous for organizations that manage a high volume of these large, bulky items.

“The biggest problem with non-conveyables is that they nearly always require manual handling,” says Bobby Uland, product portfolio manager at Fives Intralogistics Corp. “They’re big, bulky, and odd-shaped, but not necessarily heavy. Sometimes the product’s shape puts it in the non-conveyable category.”

Automation enters the picture

Traditional automated sorters and materials handling equipment were designed to manage traditional cuboidal packaging and standard boxes; not large oversized packaging that comes in all different shapes and sizes.

“Automated systems can’t always handle all of the different types of packages being shipped these days,” Uland points out. “They can potentially slow processing times, create bottlenecks, and increase labor costs.”

Hefting large items also requires strength and introduces the possibility of ergonomic injuries for the individuals called upon to move those goods in the warehouse. Even a smaller operation that manages a low volume of non-conveyables has to think about this during this era of labor constraints.

“Regardless of the company’s size,” Uland says, “the main issue is always going to be that big and bulky items require a lot more manual handling, which may translate into significant cost and potential bottlenecks.”

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