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When To Use Cantilever Racking

Cantilever racking is a type of storage system which is used for all sorts of purposes and typically appears in builder’s merchant yards and factories. Like any racking system, cantilever racking is very versatile as well as being strong.

Cantilever racking is at its most useful when used to store longer lengths of materials and items, which typically consist of sheets of wood, steel, tubes, pipes and so on. A cantilever system can also be used to effectively store odd shaped items which might otherwise take up a lot of space in a warehouse or other storage facility.

The typical cantilever systems we see in use today are used to store items that can be up to 10 metres long and up to a 30,000kg in weight. The arms used are usually around 2 ½ metres with adjustment possible depending on the size of materials stored.

The other great thing about using cantilever lever racking is the ability to add to it over time as storage requirements increase. You can simple add to the bays as time goes on to massively increase your storage capacity.

Cantilever racking can be used indoors and outdoors (as long as it is galvanised). Please get in touch if you would like to know about the racking systems we have available.

Pros and Cons of Buying In Bulk

January 10, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments

It is now so easy to set up as a retailer with an online ecommerce store. There are online several platforms available to make the process of selling and marketing your products child’s play. To make a success of your venture, however, you will need to buy in bulk to generate a profit.

Buying in bulk means you should get a much better price per item than buying one-offs and this is the foundation of any business. The simple calculation is that the less you pay for the items and the more you sell them for, the more profit you make.

If this is the big pro of buying in bulk, then there are also some drawbacks depending on how well set up you are to handle demand. If you don’t happen to live in a large property or own a decent sized garage or storage space, then finding additional storage to cope with growing demand will be one of the biggest challenges you are likely to face.

Once you have found the space there will inevitable be ongoing costs as your business expands. You may need to invest in larger storage space or even rent storage which can work out quite expensive and eat into your profits.

One solution is to look to expand upwards rather than outwards. Warehouse shelving can make a big difference to the amount of stock you can handle and there are many different types of warehouse racking and shelving to choose from depending on the items you are storing.

If you need help with planning and choosing shelving or racking to get more from your storage space, our experts are available to help.

How Office Partitioning Can Improve Office Productivity?

December 18, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Most modern offices now adopt flexible working patterns which allow staff to better manage work life balance but there are still many offices that don’t keep staff happy and productive whilst they are in work.

The root cause of low productivity and staff unhappiness may not be the work itself but more to do with the environment they find themselves working in. Many people will quite enjoy the work they do but there may be things in their work environment that irritate them such as noise or a lack of quiet space to simply get on with work.

A simple change to this office environment may be all that’s needed to have boost productivity and the general mood in workplace.

Installing partitioning can create those quiet spaces some employees and bosses need, while glass partitioning can brighten up previously dark office spaces with natural light. Natural light also contributes to better health and studies have shown that it can also increase energy, all of which will contribute to less time off and better productivity levels.

Whether you own a small business looking for an office conversion or a complete change of your office design we can help you plan your partitioning and office layouts to create a better environment for you and your staff.

3 Good Reasons To Choose Glazed Office Partitions

December 10, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Glass partitions in offices are nothing new and the reason they have been used in offices for a long time are down to the obvious benefits they have over other types of partitioning. So if you have a large office space office that doesn’t have glass partitioning, let’s look at some of best reasons to opt for it over other alternatives.

Heightened privacy yet open
The modern office has collaboration at its heart. People like to feel that they are not isolated or segregated away from their co-workers and even bosses. Bosses meanwhile will still value the soundproofing glass partitioning can provide while at the same time letting their staff know that they are approachable and open to communication which is important for staff employer relations.

Letting in natural light
Another benefit of glass partitioning is that natural light can pass through brightening up a previously dark office space. There is nothing more off-putting for staff and clients than spending time in what look like a dark dingy office.

Savings on lighting bills
Dark offices mean high electricity bills if the lights need to be kept on all year round. Glass partitioning can help reduce those bills by making the best use of natural light.

Is Your Warehouse Ready For Black Friday?

October 20, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

This November is likely to be a record breaking month for mobile smartphone shopping with 10bn predicted to be spent this year. Meanwhile overall spending across all devices is predicted to top 20bn.

The behaviour of online consumers in recent years has been shaped by Black Friday, an event imported from the United States where retailers offer large discounts on their items. Unlike the high street where peak times tend to be the run up to Christmas and the January Sales people are understandably keen to purchase presents online in November to take advantage of low prices.

All this extra spending on online purchases will certainly increase the demand for storage and distribution facilities and bring added pressure to capacities. So how can you adapt your warehouse space to this demand?

Fortunately, there are several ways including the introduction of mezzanine floors to maximise unused headroom. Investing in additional racking and shelving will also help increase storage space significantly. Investing in double racking for example will mean pallets can be stored two deep.

If space is restricted then you could consider reducing the number of access aisles to further increase pallet storage capacity.

Have You Considered Expansion In Your Workplace Design?

October 10, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

When designing an office space or warehouse it is easy to fall into the trap of catering for existing needs without considering the future. It’s essential then in any consultation process to consider how that future might look for the business and how the existing space will be used in the longer term.

There are several factors that need to be taken into account to prepare effectively for the future of the business from how functional the space is to how efficient and comfortable it is for staff who will ultimately be the lifeblood of the business as it grows and develops. As many business owners will tell you, the good people they hire are the ones that help take the business forward more than anything else so they need to be happy and productive.

When it comes to productivity space is important and there needs to be enough capacity to cope with an increase in productivity and a reduction in costs. In other words all your space should be optimised effectively for future growth.

Energy is another important factor to consider and even something as simple as fitting LED lighting will save a fortune on utility bills as will motion detectors that turn lighting on and off when they are not required.

Why You Need Warehouse Crash Barriers

September 30, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Warehouses can be dangerous places for staff when fork trucks are constantly moving around and racks are stacked high with various goods. This is where crash barriers act as an important safety feature.

The number of injuries in the transport and storage industry numbers approximately 2,500 every year. Each one of these incidents will not only result in injuries and even fatalities in some cases but also damage to goods and time off work for those with seriously injured.

Crash barriers then are an essential feature all warehouse designs should incorporate along with layouts that help minimise the potential for accidents to occur in the first place.

Warehouse barriers should be designed to serve a number of functions in addition to protecting workers. Barriers will minimise damage to racking which can be expensive to replace and reduce the impact of collisions with moving objects such as forklift trucks.

Warehouse crash barriers do this by spreading and absorbing the force of impact, which dramatically reduces the injuries likely to be sustained. They also act as a means to slow down vehicles during collisions.

If you require more information about installing racking and safety features in your warehouse, give us a call.

Guide to Office And Warehouse Partitioning

September 19, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Making sure your offices reflect the ethos of your business can be a difficult task in some building but if you have enough space to play with, partitioning could be the answer.

Before considering which partitioning is right for your workplace, some important questions will need to be answered first such as will it reduce noise levels? Should you go for glazed or simple stud partitioning? What colours should it be? Should these colours be the same as your branding? This process will be made easier by consulting a specialist company to help sort out your partitioning requirements.

In terms of choice, the 2 most common types of partitioning you will come across are:

Stud partitioning
This is an incredibly versatile type of partitioning which is as useful for warehouses as it is for offices. It is a great choice for those workplaces that need to reduce noise levels. IT can then be decorated using your own choice of colours and finish.

Glass partitioning
Glass is ideal if you want to let in plenty of light and gain the benefits of partitioning. It is also very flexible when used in offices. If you do require privacy, then you can also add blinds but glass is less effective at reducing sound levels.

How To Solve The 3 Most Common Warehouse Efficiency Issues

August 22, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

The volume of space we have at our disposal is something that is always changing and if your business revolves around the storage of items you will encounter times when space becomes a real issue if you are affected by these 3 common issues.

The wrong type of pallet racking
Has pallet racking in your warehouse been correctly thought out or is it no longer meeting storage requirements? It’s easy to overlook how pallet racking is installed even though it is one of the most important areas to check. Sometimes changes can be made such as making better use of the height or aisle space of a warehouse. Regular inspections should be made to ensure that racking is not only set up to maximum efficiency.

Outdated shelving
This can be a safety hazard as well as a storage concern. If shelves haven’t been inspected there can be hidden safety issues as well as impacts on storage capacity. In these cases it can be useful to speak to an expert who can advise on the best solutions for your warehouse storage facility.

Items stored on the floor
Of all the storage solutions, floor space is the least efficient. Using floor space not only creates hazards for employees it also limits your options when it comes to utilising all the space that could be available.

3 Things You Need To Know About Warehouse Racking

August 12, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Warehouse racking may sound like a relatively simple storage option for your business, but there are some important points to keep in mind before deciding on what type of racking is best.
Should you buy your racking new or second hand?

On paper it may sound like you save a lot of money investing in second hand racking which is an appealing prospect if you trying to cut costs. Unfortunately, this can be a false economy when installing second hand racking can often turn out to be more expensive unless you can be q00% sure there are no missing parts or damage. According to research, 25% of used racking will either be damaged or have parts missing. This will also mean it takes longer to install.

Consider the amount of space needed for handling equipment
Another important consideration when choosing is racking is the type of handling equipment you will be using. If you are using conventional counterbalance trucks for example your aisle space will need to be wider.

Keep safety in mind at all times
Warehouses are potentially dangerous environments particularly when racking maintenance is neglected. As a business owner, you will be responsible for carrying out repairs and audits to racking and these will need to be documented annually. Any repairs should be carried out to manufacturers guidelines and while this might be costly, the cost of compensating staff for injuries will cost considerably more.