Feature Warehousing & storage Bespoke solution expands footprint
Storage system supplier RediRack has installed a bespoke storage system and mezzanine floors for warehousing, order fulfillment, distribution and contract packing specialist Dalepak
alepak operates multiple sites in and around Northampton with a combined footprint of more than 300,000ft2 but, with demand for its range of services growing, additional storage space was needed.
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So, in January 2012, Dalepak acquired a new 140,000ft2 site on the ProLogis Pineham Estate in Northampton. The new facility has 12 dock level doors and is 12.5 metres high to the eaves. It boasts a number of eco-friendly features such as a rainwa- ter harvesting system, solar shading and skylights which allow natural light to flood in to the building. Being a new build, the facility was, in effect, an empty shell when Dalepak took the keys which meant one of the company’s first jobs was to design and install a storage and racking system that allows the available space to be utilised to its optimum capacity. Dalepak approached RediRack – the storage system suppliers – for a solu-
RediRack installed a bespoke storage system from contract packing specialist Dalepak
tion. Having considered Dalepak’s requirements, RediRack designed and installed a bespoke pallet racking system that provides more than 21,000 pallet positions, along with two mez- zanine floor structures which, in addi- tion to offering extra storage space, allow contract packing activities to be carried out away from the hustle and bustle of the warehouse. RediRack created a narrow aisle system compris- ing 30 double runs of racking with 2,300mm wide aisles.
Each aisle is 56m long and has an access tunnel running across the block to allow Dalepak’s fleet of Bendi artic- ulated forklift trucks to reach the required pallet location quickly and fuel efficiently. To protect the new racking, Dalepak asked RediRack to install sacrificial legs to every frame.
Sacrificial legs allow damaged frames to be quickly and easily changed with minimal cost and down time. Essentially, a removable section from the lower front of the pallet packing frame (the area where racking damage caused by a carelessly driven forklift is most likely to occur), the leg is designed to absorb impact and leave the rest of the frame undamaged. The legs can be replaced in as little as 20 minutes. “We know that racking gets damaged
Eco-friendly modular containers launched G
oplasticpallets.com has added a new lightweight mod- ular container to its range – a cost effective alternative to existing sleeve packs – which is easy to assemble, secure and offers customers the potential to reduce their carbon footprint.
Goplasticpallets.com, the independent supplier of plastic pallets and containers, now stocks the Modular Pak: a lightweight sleeve pack with three components – a nestable pallet base with secure catches, a plastic sleeve and a lid. When flat packed, the container takes up minimal space and the lid fits over the pallet, protecting the sleeve from dirt and water and promoting long term reuse. Its low tare weight is up to 15kg less than comparable containers, making high volume distribution of goods such as lightweight packaging – for food, pharma- ceuticals and automotive parts, for example
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- the key to minimising the downtime this can cause is the ability to quickly, safely and easily replace the damaged frames. RediRack’s sacrificial leg is the perfect solution for us” says Gary White, Dalepak’s joint managing director. RediRack also fitted high visibility end barriers and column protectors to further reduce the likelihood of forklift
damage.The racking bays within the storage cube are 2,700mm wide and the system varies in height to take advantage of the building’s full inter- nal dimensions.
The new mezzanine floor areas within the new unit were created by RediRack’s sister company, RediFloor. Dalepak already had a single tier RediRack mezzanine floor at another of its facilities and RediFloor were able to dismantle, move and rebuild the system within the new warehouse to create an additional 460 square metres of floor space.
– more economically and environmentally efficient. The space saving of its flat-pack design when empty means collection and redeployment is also made easier than with comparable boxes. Jim Hardisty, MD of
Goplasticpallets.com, said: “In order for manufacturers and distributors to minimise the weight of their loads on every jour- ney, therefore reducing their carbon footprint, they need to be given alter- natives which don’t compromise their goods in any way. The Modular Pak offers improved environmentally friendly distribution with ease of handling and secure features.” The Modular Pak has four simple slide catches to secure the plastic sealed sleeve to the pallet and two deep drop-down doors which have Velcro attached to keep them closed.
www.goplasticpallets.com T: 01323 744 057
Enter 373
The area is used for contract packing. “Contract packing is a significant part of our business that, during seasonal peaks, involves hiring specialist staff,” White explains. “On a mezzanine floor, these staff are able to quickly and effi- ciently pack high volumes in a safe, controlled working environment.” To create further e-Commerce fulfil- ment space, RediFloor built a second, 468m2 single tier mezzanine in the centre of the facility. Both mezzanines conform to the Buildings Regulations code, are fully fire protected with a one hour rating and feature pallet gates to ensure the safe loading of goods into the pick and pack area.
The new facility is operating three shifts a day, seven days a week, and is serving multiple clients including Molton Brown and Whittard of Chelsea. White comments: “I believe RediRack’s welded, bolt-free racking is sturdier and safer than the alterna- tives. When we build our next facility, RediRack will install the rack and mezzanine floors. Every time RediRack manages an installation for us they use high quality, British manu- factured products and the project comes in on time and on budget.” RediRack T: 01709 584711
www.redigroup.co.uk
Enter 372 MARCH/APRIL 2013 Materials Handling & Logistics
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