Fit for purpose

As businesses pick up the pace of production, some may find that their existing storage facility is creaking at the seams. But is all the available space being optimised? There are several ways that manufacturers can flex their warehouse capacity, including redesigning storage systems, installing mezzanine floors or even adding temporary buildings. Space utilisation is critical for any business, so wasted space is an opportunity missed, agrees Derek Scott of DMF Projects. Scott says there are ways to use seemingly dead space for profit-making processes that might otherwise have to take place off site. "A lot of companies are looking to bring added-value processes in house to increase the return per square foot of the facility," he says. DMF offers design and build services for retail and industrial customers, including conveyors, mezzanine structures and storage solutions. Scott says that as well as remodelling storage systems – taking advantage of new technology – to improve material flow, there is another trend that increases floor space without extending overall footprint: "It's becoming more and more popular to install mezzanine floors... in warehouse environments, it is possible to increase floor space by between 100% and 400%. The cost is not prohibitive and it can be done without disrupting the existing operation. The advantages of moving floor-hungry processes to a raised platform are obvious." It has certainly proved obvious for Steam Plant Engineering, which teamed up with DMF Projects to expand space at its new production and warehouse facility. The engineering firm, which repairs industrial boilers and pipework and offers fabrication services, now has a new mezzanine floor for storing parts and equipment at its Halesowen, West Midlands, site. The 7,500 sq ft facility is replacing another site that's no longer required and the mezzanine storage area is supporting the company's valve refurbishment operation and fabrication shop. The timescale was tight, at just four weeks from order to completion, but DMF Projects completed on schedule. Emma Newcombe, project manager for Steam Plant Engineering, comments: "We have outgrown our previous storage and production site, so we needed a new facility that would not only meet our current needs but would also provide capacity to handle future growth. We have worked closely with DMF Projects to maximise available space whilst keeping our operational overheads to a minimum." It's a similar story at Kent-based curtain track and blind manufacturer Silent Gliss. The company needed more storage capacity within its Broadstairs factory and turned to nearby Margate-based Invicta Group for the answer. Invicta designed and installed a mezzanine floor which was situated above the office and toilet area within the factory. The new floor is 25m wide by 8m deep. Impressively, the floor was installed within three days and there was no disruption to manufacturing operations. Tight fit For some businesses, space is at a premium because of expanding or changing operations. For others, consolidating disparate warehouses may be the best way to proceed. Either way, a storage solution is called for that offers the ability to hold more stock in a smaller footprint. The answer, reckons Ed Hutchison, MD of Bito Storage Systems, is live storage. What is live storage? It's a method of holding and presenting goods to the line or the picker. It works by feeding items into the back of the system to flow, on rollers, to the front. It may be a carton or container of small items, or it works just as well with pallets. Once the container at the front is empty, it's taken away. The next full carton moves on the roller to take the front position, presenting goods in the FIFO – first in, first out – method. Hutchinson says that while fully automated storage and retrieval systems certainly provide dense storage with reliable throughputs, they do call for a high initial investment. "Live storage can be installed at a fraction of the investment, delivering payback in months rather than years," he points out. Compared to static pallet racking and shelving, the upfront cost is higher, but improved efficiency can be the pay off. Hutchinson reckons that small parts kept in live storage, for example, can save around 20% floor space. You can even retro-fit these live systems into existing racking. The flow shelves can be fitted into the lower bays of the racking to provide carton live storage: "It's carried out quickly using flow storage modules that simply use the beams available in the existing racking," he explains. And Hutchinson also points out that many storage areas have a large empty airspace over the pallets or cages waiting for loading to delivery vehicles. Here, too, a multi-storey mezzanine structure can pay dividends, enabling warehouse marshalling to continue below. Storage system manufacturer SSI Schaefer says the optimum warehouse layout can only be achieved when racking and shelving are perfectly matched to the handling for the particular product. Schaefer's business development manager Bob Jane says modular racking and shelving systems enable businesses to grow, change, adapt and invest much more easily according to annual growth. There are several factors for any premises owner to consider, Jane says, including, where will the racking be built? What are the anticipated unit loads? How much do they weigh? Will the material be handled on pallets, stillages or will it be loose? What materials handling equipment will be used? How quickly do you need to access the stock? "These factors all need to be considered before a decision can be made on the most appropriate form of storage," he says. And finding the right supplier can be one of the more tricky aspects. "It depends on your plan, the length of investment and overall strategic organisation. You have to select the best fit based on all known factors and ensure the decision can be justified from all sides," Jane recommends. SSI Schaefer's offer ranges from plastic storage containers up to fully automated warehouse systems. At Budweiser's Budvar production site in the Czech Republic, for example, SSI Schaefer has designed, built and installed an automated storage facility. The high bay racking combines with pallet conveyor technology; it is 26m high, three aisles wide and is home to 3,000 pallet locations. The site needed to make better use of existing space, plus improve process reliability. Head of logistics and purchasing Pavel Panek said: "The key objectives included maximum utilisation of space, 100% process control, real-time tracking and integration of our RFID-led block warehouse into the new warehouse management system, integrated again into our existing ERP system. "SSI Schaefer offered the best solution to meet these needs with an attractive price/performance ratio." Electrical switch manufacturer Lorlin Electronics has been able to maximise use of space at its factory in Littlehampton with a goods lift to transfer kits and finished items between ground floor stores and mezzanine production areas. When a couple of building leases came to an end recently, Lorlin decided to consolidate two factories to a single site in Littlehampton. The UK assembly operation was relocated to the existing mezzanine as part of the move. Component kits prepared in the stores are loaded on to trolleys and transferred to the assembly area. When both were on the same floor, this was a simple process and the trolleys could handle everything. Although the components and assemblies are relatively light, relocating operations to the mezzanine meant that some lifting or carrying was required. Lorlin originally relied on a manual process but recognised that some form mechanical assistance offered a better long term solution. The company looked at several options. Scissor lifts were considered too expensive and were generally designed for larger loads than the component kits. Powered conveyors were more cost effective but took up too much space and required a lot of safety guarding. The company narrowed its choice to a goods lift and eventually selected the Mezz Lift, from Penny Hydraulics. "Our products are small and the safe load limit of the Mezz Lift is easily sufficient for our needs," says David Murrell, Lorlin's operations manager. After a site survey and working to Lorlin's overall specification Penny Hydraulics installed the Mezz Lift in a corner of the production area where it can be accessed easily while being fully enclosed for safety. One aspect that attracted Lorlin was the flexibility offered by Penny Hydraulics. As an engineering company, Lorlin was able to carry out some of the installation work, including fitting of safety interlocks and cage gates that prevent entry to the working area while the lift is moving. This reduced the overall cost. "This was a significant help in obtaining capital expenditure approval," says Murrell. "Penny Hydraulics was helpful at all stages and the installation was prompt and efficient." The Mezz Lift can handle all sorts of loads up to 300kg. It offers a cost-effective way to comply with manual handling regulations and reduce the risk of injury to employees. The entire handling process can be undertaken by a single person without any manual lifting to promote safety and productivity. A unique hold-to-run system promotes safety by stopping the lift whenever the control lever is released. The lifting speed of 0.5m/s means that items are handled between the ground floor and mezzanine very quickly. Additional safety features include overload protection. What's more, as well as some engineering installation work, Lorlin is able to use its own maintenance engineers to carry out routine servicing. Planning for expansion Unless the building has an existing restriction or covenant, there is usually no requirement for planning permission for a mezzanine floor as long as it is 200m2 or less (this restriction was bought in by the previous government to limit out-of-town retail park expansion). Any mezzanine floor project, however, will still need to:

• Fully comply with local authority Building Regulations
• Verify that it is not prohibited by conditions attached to previous planning permission consent
• Take safety, access (including disabled access) and fire regulations into account.

raising the bar Power Engineering Services in Hams Hall, Birmingham, is using a vertical lift storage system to hold high value metal alloy bar. The equipment is enabling the business – which performs turbine repair and refurbishment for E.On, as well as manufacturing turbine replacement parts – to store up to 140,000kg of metal bar in a smaller footprint of 30 square metres. As well as holding stock and freeing up workshop space on site, the vertical storage system is being used to consolidate stock from other workshops around the country, saving even more space than first anticipated. Power Engineering Services uses bar stock, including titanium rod, to manufacture turbine replacement parts include lacing wire, fasteners and other components. Previously, materials were stored on cantilever racking inside and outside the workshops. Now the TowerMat, from Couzens Storage Systems, enables all stock movements to be tracked and recorded in real time. The equipment's own inventory management program interfaces with E.On's SAP system and operators can select and access stock quickly with a touchscreen PC. Also, biometric controls ensure that access can be restricted to authorised staff only. The TowerMat "will help us provide a more cost effective and profitable service," says Power Engineering's manager Paul Hilary. "It has already released a lot of space to help us organise ourselves more efficiently... we can see the TowerMat will help give us the flexibility and productivity we need."