Pallet Racking Project Transforms West Yorkshire Warehouse

Having worked with our customer for 2 year on various concepts and locations to ensure their planned future growth strategies could be achieved. We are delighted to have completed this project, in one of the largest warehouses in West Yorkshire, on time and within budget. Having secured the premises our customer could then instruct us to design, supply and install the most suitable pallet racking system to maximise the storage in their distribution centre. The installation needed to factor in the use of 2 different types of fork lift truck used for replenishment of palletised loads and the picking by hand of individual items onto side loaders. The huge variation of pallet dimensions required a specific frame size and load bearing decks to support the smallest of pallets within the racking. Due to the size of the installation multiple entry and exit routes were required to help reduce travel times, and allow various departments’ access to the pallet racking. All of this needed to be factored in to a one way direction of travel through the racks.

Numerous surveys were undertaken to matching our customer’s requirements with the final design specification. Layout plans were developed and final decisions made on the transfer aisles, pedestrian aisles, APR racking and cantilever racking. The installed Dexion P90 pallet racking holds 14400 pallets and stands 8m high. The 11,000 beams and 1,100 frames were installed in 5 weeks. All beam levels were fitted with load bearing Rough Sawn Open Boarded Timber Decks, allowing the customer to put any pallet anywhere as well as increasing the operational safety of loading and unloading pallets within the racking. All ends of racks and the transfer aisles were fitted with rack end barriers and polymer guards were fitted to all aisle facing uprights. These sensible, additional rack protection items help increase the life span of the racking. Factored in at the time of commission they add only a small percentage to the project budget but save thousands of pounds in future repair works.

Our customer was not only impressed with the speed at which the racking was installed but also the method with which the project was planned, the execution of deliveries to site and flexibility shown by our installers to allow other trades to complete essential elements of the overall project such as floor blasting and painting, lighting and cabling. A pragmatic approach and strategic vision kept the project running smoothly from start to finish.

The project was agreed with a 6 week lead time on materials, included 16 articulated lorry loads of deliveries, 1500 man hours of installation time, 2.6 kilometres of racking, 100m of pedestrian barriers, 96 rack end guards and 1100 upright guards were installed in 5 weeks. All of the above has made this project one of 2h Storages largest and most successful of the year.