VIEWPOINT
ADDRESSING THE INSULATION STORAGE CHALLENGE
Matt Neary, National Sales Manager at Knauf Insulation
TO SATISFY TRADE customers’ requirements, builders’ merchants need to hold a very broad range of products so they can fulfil orders quickly and efficiently. There are some products and components used in construction that are easy to store. Screws for example are boxed by the hundred and stack neatly on a shelf. Others, like insulation, are bulky and require a lot more space.
This can present a challenge for merchants, especially when many construction sites also have limited storage space, as insulation products may need to be held and delivered in phases in line with strict schedules of works.
Maximise space with compression packaging
You might be surprised to learn that if you want to utilise the space you have most effectively, you should start by considering the material the insulation is made from. That’s because different materials are packaged in different ways, so it makes sense to choose products made from materials that can be optimised for storage. Mineral wool insulation is a good example. Its flexible structure traps air between the strands – you probably already know that this is what gives the insulation its thermal and acoustic performance and makes it easier to install correctly than other insulants. Crucially, where storage is concerned this flexibility also means it can be compressed in the packaging and on the pallet.
At Knauf Insulation, we know maximising space is essential for our merchant customers. Glass mineral wool insulation can be compressed more than rock . So, we have invested in the most advanced compression packaging technology on the market and can compress some of our glass mineral wool products down to just a tenth of their original size.
This means, for example, that a pallet of our OmniFit®
Slab 35
(100mm x 600mm) contains 167% more insulation than a pallet of one of our competitor’s equivalent low density rock mineral wool products. As a result, when we deliver one load of insulation (22 pallets), they need to deliver more than two (47 pallets). So, merchants (and their customers) can hold more stock in the allocated space; there is also less handling needed! Once opened on site, the glass mineral wool recovers to its original size, and its performance is unaffected. The same can’t be said of other types of insulation material though. Rigid boards, for example, have a closed cell structure meaning they cannot be compressed.
Compressing the insulation makes it more efficient to transport too, because more insulation can fit into each truck or van. As well as freeing up space for other customers’ deliveries, there are fewer vehicles on the road, which reduces transport emissions, and so helps merchants and their customers tick their own sustainability boxes too.
More material per pack means that merchants also need to handle fewer products. This also aids their customers as they can work for longer before they need more stock. Benefits like this can be crucial when working on town centre refurbishment projects
June 2023
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
where delivery restrictions may apply.
Stock multi- application products To further rationalise your catalogue, it makes sense to consider whether you need to hold individual products for every application. Insulation manufacturers (rightly) stress the importance of choosing the right product for the application as that ensures the products will deliver the required performance. But there are ways to maximise on space without compromising on your range or the performance offered. A good way to do this is to stock multi-application products. Let’s look at our OmniFit® glass mineral wool range again. This comprises just two slabs and two rolls, which between them can cover ten different applications including walls, internal partitions, floors and lofts.
Depending on the product, the range offers thermal performance between 0.032w/mK and 0.040w/ mK. The products are non- combustible with A1 Euroclass reaction to fire classification and exceed the acoustic performance requirements of Approved Document E (England and Wales). They also offer all the sustainability benefits that merchants have come to expect from Knauf Insulation’s glass mineral wool insulation, including ECOSE®
Technology, up to 80% recycled content and
DECLARE ‘Red List’ free. As well as freeing up space, multi-application products can also benefit customers because one product can be used to meet the different performance requirements across the build. And with fewer products on site, it’s easier for busy tradespeople to quickly identify the product they need, so they can work more efficiently too. The current energy crisis, together with stricter thermal performance standards driven by changing regulations means that merchants will need to meet increasing demand for stock levels. By focusing on products that are optimised so that you get more product per pack and per pallet, as well as those that can be used for multiple applications, you can make the most of your space and still meet that demand. BMJ
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