Labeling a Warehouse Bulk Storage Area

By Bob Giammarco, Universal Label Technologies

If you’ve searched the internet for floor label solutions in your warehouse, you’ve undoubtedly found many different options.   Everything from aluminum framed labels to epoxy coated labels and everyone tells you just how easy to install and durable they are.   But, is it really true?  Let’s take a closer look at several of these options and see if they are both viable and affordable.

Aluminum Frame Method

This one appears to be a very popular method with several label companies claiming that they have developed a sure fire way to label your warehouse floor.  Does it work?

First, each company touts their beveled edged aluminum frame will make it impossible for your fork trucks to catch an edge and tear up the frame.  On the surface this sounds reasonable until you read on to learn that these companies suggest easy install by drilling 4 screws into the concrete floor to hold the frame steady.  Is it reasonable to think that 4 screws will hold tightly day in and day out after being subjected to consistent fork and pallet traffic for an extended period of time?

These companies also claim that their labels will be covered with an easily removable (and supposedly inexpensive) plexi-glass cover to protect the label below.  When this cover is damaged, simply remove it and replace it with a new one.  Again, how long will this stand up under the constant pounding from trucks and pallets?  And a replacement cost?  How about $4.50 each time you need to replace this glass.

As we look closer at this method, we begin to realize that this is hardly the sure fire solution that those manufacturers would have you believe.  Certainly, there is no permanent solution for labeling a warehouse floor, but at the very least if you can cost justify a method, then it is worth taking a closer look.  So, looking closely at this method, what are the costs involved?  With the barcode label included, this method will run just under $20 for each location.  Add to that the labor involved in drilling and mounting the frames and your total cost will run you around $25 per location.  Cost effective?  Not even close.

Aluminum Label Method

Aluminum labels are also touted as being the answer to your floor label dilemma.  These labels usually are made of an anodized aluminum and come in one or two sizes.  They are pressure sensitive so they are adhered directly to your floor.  Am I the only one hearing the loud scratching sound in the background?   That would be the major downside to these labels.  Because they are aluminum and openly exposed to truck traffic, these labels have a tendency to scratch easily and before too long, the image on the label has scratched to a virtual unreadable status.  If scratching does take them out, then certainly the edge lifting will.  Because these rigid aluminum labels lie flat without much play to them, they are easily torn up off the ground by average traffic flow.  If this wasn’t enough, the $9.00+ price tag on these also makes it an extremely pricey option. 

Stanchion Method

Stanchions or ‘Bus-Stop’ signs are a flexible alternative for bulk warehouse identification both indoor and out. The stanchion method allows for frequent re-allocation and temporary allocation of storage locations. It is a barcode location system without the need of a permanent fixing.  The issue with this method is that what it has working for it, will also work against.  Without permanently bolting the stanchion into your floor, the stanchion is easily knocked over and/or moved around.  This can wreak havoc in a busy warehouse environment with plenty of opportunity to slow down your operators or bring them to a complete stop as they have to get out of their trucks to pick up the knocked over sign.  The other downside to this method is that there are really never any good places to put these.  You can’t put them behind the pallets, where they can be protected from trucks, because your pallets will block the sign.  You certainly would prefer not to put them in front of the location because this leaves them completely exposed to the traffic and, as mentioned before, the likelihood of them getting knocked over, moved or broken is high.  The $15+ price tag on these makes them a difficult method to really take a liking to.

Hanging Sign Method

Certainly the most attractive method to label bulk storage locations is to hang signs above each location.   These signs which are generally made of durable polystyrene are assembled together with a barcode label for the longest last option.  Hanging above the location, it is rare indeed for them to be contacted in any way by trucks or operators (if they are, then you have bigger problems than you would care to think).   The labels are generally laminated, so they are essentially going to last forever without fading or any degradation of the image.  The downside to hanging signs is in the installation.  Some type of conduit (most often chain or plastic piping) must be hung in order to facilitate the signs to hang above the location.  This often requires building of infrastructure and many labor hours to get this in place.  The great thing about it is however, that once they are up there, they’re there to stay.  The other potential negative to hanging signs is that if you are using barcodes, you will likely require a long range scanner to read the barcodes since typically they will hang down to 15’-30’ above floor level.  If you don’t have the appropriate scanners, you won’t be able to read at those distances.  On the plus side, these “permanent” location signs are generally quite affordable and can run anywhere between $6 and $10 depending on the quantity, size and configuration.

So What’s The Answer?

Of the above options, clearly the best is the hanging sign method.  It is relatively inexpensive compared to the floor locations and you know it’s a permanent solution that likely won’t need replacing.   “But I don’t have long range scanners” you say. “So now what do I do?”.   You can try one of these other methods and understand that you will likely have to replace them in a years time or less.  Or, perhaps the best way, is the simple old fashioned way of just buying standard, durable polyester labels, laminating them them with a strong Lexan type lamination and be prepared to replace them periodically.  Cost wise, this method unquestionably is the best approach since you would likely be paying the same for multiple sets of these labels as you would for a single set.  Plus, you ultimately will be paying more like $.20 per label rather than $20. 

The bottom line is there are no perfect solutions to labeling your floor locations just a couple of good ones and plenty of questionable ones.  If you have bulk locations on your warehouse floor that you need to mark with a barcode, the best approach is to know there is no best approach and that you will have to deal with replacing labels on occasion.