Supply chain issues in recent times have helped to push UK manufacturing into a new era of growth. Meeting demands, staying productive and profitable are more critical than ever for businesses and your storage plays an important role towards achieving these goals.
Warehouse space is a valuable commodity and a flexible storage system that maximises the footprint of your building, improves pick rates and minimises stock damage is essential.
CORRECT STORAGE CHOICES
Panel products can measure anywhere from 2400mm to 3660mm or more in length and from 900mm to 2070mm in depth, making them difficult to store. For this reason, cantilever racking is the most widely used storage solution.
Cantilever racking is inherently adaptable and offers 100% selectivity. Designed using vertical, self-supporting uprights it is manufactured from fabricated steel for strength and safety. Single-sided racks can fit flush against the wall, while double-sided configurations create storage space on either side of the central column. The racking uses arms instead of bays for horizontal storing and loading of stock, which can be adjusted to suit any size of product and increase available capacity.
For products stored in relatively small volumes pallet racking offers a lower budget alternative. Adapted to your requirements it typically comprises double sided and single sided runs of racking, separated by aisles that are dimensioned to suit the customers’ counterbalance forklift trucks or space efficient reach trucks.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SUPPLIER
Choose a manufacturer or supplier who offers a full turnkey solution for your storage requirements. Our own in-house design and project teams provide a concept to completion service from initial site survey through to design, manufacture and finally installation. We offer a wide range of solutions including cantilever racking and pallet racking as well as a full range of warehouse racking systems, which are all manufactured in our UK factory.
Safety is paramount in any business, and ideally you should choose suppliers who are members of SEMA (Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association), a leading voice within the warehouse industry. As SEMA Full Members our products are independently tested, which guarantees they have been designed and manufactured to rigorously defined standards. Our in-house installers are registered and put through SEIRS, a unique initiative from SEMA, which trains on the safe and correct way to install racking.
Finally, racking is classed as work equipment and to meet your legal requirements under PUWER it must be regularly inspected. The HSE recommends using a SEMA approved racking inspector (SARI). Following the installation of our racking our own in-house SARI’s offer this facility to our customers on an annual basis. We visit each site to undertake a comprehensive inspection and prepare a detailed damage report.
