Formula for unit load storage: [ Aisle\ width = Turn\ radius + (Load\ length / 2) + Clearance ] Common advice in Tompkins: For forklifts, use 3.5 to 4.5 meters. For VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) trucks, 1.8 meters is possible with wire guidance.
Tompkins dedicates significant space to material handling because it accounts for 20-50% of total operating costs.
Example from Tompkins: | Criteria | Weight | Layout A Score | Layout A Weighted | Layout B Score | Layout B Weighted | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Material flow cost | 0.5 | 8 | 4.0 | 9 | 4.5 | | Flexibility | 0.3 | 7 | 2.1 | 6 | 1.8 | | Safety | 0.2 | 9 | 1.8 | 8 | 1.6 | | Total | 1.0 | | 7.9 | | 7.9 |
(Tie in this case requires detailed cost analysis.)