A Hull-based manufacturer of wooden packaging has transformed its storage capabilities by investing around £80,000 in a Combilift four-way fork lift and a new racking system.
C Jackson and Sons, which produces wooden cases, crates and related packaging, formerly used a sideloader to block stack timber packs in the yard.
Production manager Geoff Derbyshire said: “The sideloader was bulky and not very manoeuvrable, and block stacking made individual packs hard to locate, resulting in time-consuming shifting around of stock.”
Jacksons bought a Combilift four-tonne diesel-powered fork lift with a 6m-high mast from local material handling specialists Ability Handling.
Mr Derbyshire said the vehicle had simplified offloading and handling raw material for the company’s range, including products for the horticultural sector, which are typically 6m in length.
The flexibility of the Combilift has allowed Jacksons to invest in a racking system for its undercover storage area.
Sheffield-based Pro-Dek Design and Storage Systems Ltd supplied the racking, which is designed to make full use of all vertical space under the eaves to a height of 6m.
The one pack to a rack system offers simplifed access to each of the 160 packs stored at any one time, with colour coding on the racking to enable easy identification.
The Combilift’s four-way capability has allowed aisle widths to be narrowed down. It also means there is no need for redundant space at the end of aisles for manoeuvring.
