Textile maker masters storage capacity

The Stuttgart-based business built a new warehouse alongside its new production facility where it houses bales of textiles which are designed and produced in house, before onward distribution to garment manufacturers. Maximising space was critical, as team manager Mr Lacher explained: "Setting up this facility from scratch was a good opportunity for us to review the trucks available on the market. Space optimisation and indoor/ outdoor operation were priorities and when we saw the Aisle-Master working at a nearby location we realised that it was the solution for Marc Cain, too." Maximum storage density has been achieved by narrow aisles and racking heights of 5.4m. Aisle widths were restricted by two factors: firstly, the textiles are stored in folding containers which are larger than standard pallets, plus there are metal posts positioned throughout the building. Yet by using the Aisle-Master, the company could hold 700 containers with aisles of 2.2 m. "This is a vast improvement: if we had gone for reach trucks we would have been looking at aisle widths of at least 3.7 m," says Lacher. The 15E model with a lift capacity of 1.5t is a new addition to Aisle-Master's range. It is designed for companies handling lighter loads in low bay applications. Other models have capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes, lift heights of up to 12.5m, with a choice of electric or LPG power. The Aisle-Master range is designed and built at the production facility of parent company Combilift in Ireland.