Unex Manufacturing, inc.
Unex Manufacturing, Inc.
"The Track to Better Picking"est 1964
Span-Track Carton Flow Track
Master Cutlery Case Study
Investing in the right equipment can help you provide the best of all three
“A company’s reputation is built around products, price and service. Investing in the right equipment can help you provide the best of all three.”
Victor Lee, President.
Master Cutlery
Pick Rates Tripled at Industry-Leading Warehouse
When the owners of Master Cutlery began building a new warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey, their vision was to create a highly efficient facility – one that would support growth and safeguard the company’s legacy in the knife industry. Finding the right carton flow solution for the new facility was critical, and full width roller Span-Track from UNEX was a perfect fit.
Customer: Master Cutlery, a developer, importer and distributor of knives, swords, martial arts equipment and associated products
Operation: Fulfills 700 to 800 orders per day for mass merchandisers and martial arts stores; introduces 100 new products each month
Goals: Increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness of order fulfillment; bolster customer service and satisfaction
Solution: Span-Track carton flow by UNEX
The Journey to Secaucus:
In 1981, the Lee family opened a small cutlery and sporting goods shop in Times Square. By 1984, the entrepreneurial family was working with manufacturing companies in Asia and importing swords, knives, martial arts equipment and other products. The wholesale business grew substantially, and so did the need for better facilities. After several relocations, in 1997, Master Cutlery settled into a 70,000-square-foot facility in Secaucus, NJ. By 2006, Master Cutlery was ready to plan its next move – across the street, where the Lee family envisioned building a bright, airy and efficient order picking facility measuring 110,000 square feet. "Compared to the old setup, picking rates are up to 3 times more efficient with Span-Track, says Lee."
Picking rates are up to 3 times more efficient with Span-Track
The Need for Space & Speed
Master Cutlery President Victor Lee hired Atlantic Handling Systems to analyze the dynamic storage of the Secaucus facility to select and implement equipment that would notch up productivity and bolster customer service and satisfaction. Upon evaluation, John Cosgrove, President of Atlantic Handling Systems, recognized that master Cutlery had three major needs:
  • More space for inventory
  • A more efficient way to fulfill orders
    to replace the cumbersome, static storage of the pallet rack system
  • Better carton support
    for the corrugated cardboard that often ripped due to uneven weight distribution
"We knew that implementing Span-Track into the overall design of the warehouse would address all of these problems," says Cosgrove. Atlantic Handling Systems placed the Span-Track carton flow system on the floor level within the existing pallet rack to maximize pick efficiency. Two levels of high-density pallet storage were placed above, maximizing space utilization.
Span-Track full width rollers assist restocking from back of rack while feeding work to pickers in front. Picking is not interrupted and FIFO is maintained.
Picking is not inerupted and FIFO is maintained.
Span-Track pays for itself. "Span-Track allows employees to work smarter, not harder. We are fulfilling orders efficiently, effectively and accurately. And at the end of the day, Span-Track pays for itself because of the reduced labor costs."
The Results Realizing the Big Benefits
"Master Cutlery has evolved from a small retail operation to a company that offers 7,000 knife products. Our catalogue is 300 pages long," says Lee. "If we want to continue on a growth track, we have to find ways to maximize our space and efficiency. Span-Track helps us achieve those goals."

The Ultimate Goal: Customer Satisfaction Lee says that Span-Track allows employees to "work smarter, not harder. We are fulfilling orders efficiently, effectively and accurately. And at the end of the day, Span-Track pays for itself because of the reduced labor costs."

The carton flow system is good for employees and Master Cutlery, and it’s also good for customers. Lee says, "More accurate and timely delivery of orders means higher customer satisfaction. A company’s reputation is built around products, price and service. Investing in the right storage equipment can help you provide the best of all three."
Prior Pallet Rack New Span-Track carton flow
Limited storage space Deep carton flow lanes; ample inventory
Product hard to pick and access Easy to load, pick and access
Product replenished
2-3 times per day		 Product replenished once per week
Pick area cramped, disorganized Pick area defined and organized
Travel long distances to fill orders Travel time reduced dramatically
Difficult to fill orders quickly Same-day service now available
Load/pick front:
poor FIFO inventory rotation		 Load rear/pick front: excellent FIFO inventory rotation
Aisle space congested Uninterrupted picking
Heavy product in soft, corrugated boxes rip and clutter pick area Full-width rollers provide maximum conveying surface, minimizing imprinting for better flow and reduced carton damage
Awkward pick Ergonomic pick
4,800 line items per day 4,800 line items per day
15 pickers 3 pickers
Master Cutlery Case Study Printable PDF
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