Other Products

WHAT DOES NUDIE JEANS & CNBS CANNABIS GROUP HAVE IN COMMON?

Nudie Jeans, a Swedish chain marketing jeans “as a second skin” and CNBS Cannabis, a producer of medical cannabis products, are miles apart in what they do. However, both need to make the best use of expensive space and are doing so with Bruynzeel mobile racking and shelving. For Nudie Jeans the challenge is to combine on hand stock and the sales function in one area.  This deceases the expensive retail space requirement (basically doubles storage over fixed shelving) and improves security as stock remains behind the sales counter.  Assistants do not need to leave the prospective customer for long periods to find sized items, “at the back,” leading to loss of interest. At the same time products can be displayed on the ends of the mobile racking facing the customer but behind the sales assistant. As the shelves move attention is directed to the goods on display. Combined with a warehouse management system, staff can immediately identify if the required item is there and precisely where it is. This reduces the time taken to fetch items as well as a better overall control of stock.  It certainly is more efficient than miles of fixed shelving where the shoe sizes and styles get mixed up by harried assistants. Bruynzeel mobile shelving can be designed with front displays and be moved either manually or electrically.  For businesses requiring high levels of different SKU’s (stock keeping units) Bruynzeel provides double decker mobile systems, with height requirements of approximately 4.5m.  Electrically driven Bruynzeel systems incorporate digital security features and on base lighting. CNBS – VERTICAL FARMING CNBS Cannabis uses expensive climate-controlled rooms to maximize plant production. Personnel need access to each plant for harvesting and monitoring while at the same time making the best use of the growing room volume.   Hence the use of Bruynzeel mobile shelving where plants can be grown on at least three levels. BRUYNZEEL VERTICAL FARMING While Bruynzeel mobile shelving is a high quality sustainably produced product, it is reasonably priced to improve business efficiencies in a wide range of applications. Mobile racking and shelving – The potential is infinite.    If you would like to know more about how Bruynzeel can assist your business, please contact: CAPE TOWN: James Cunningham – james@barpro.co.za Jonathan Dalton – sales@barpro.co.za Tel: +27 (0) 21 552 9190 JOHANNESBURG: Robert Kershaw – rob@barpro.co.za Tshepo Ndhlovu – jhbsales@barpro.co.za Tel: +27 (0) 11 392 1702 DURBAN: Melanie Nargayya – dbnadmin@barpro.co.za Tel: +(0) 31 942 3200

WHAT DOES NUDIE JEANS & CNBS CANNABIS GROUP HAVE IN COMMON? Read More »

Case picking solution

A space saving, efficient and cost effective solution to case picking in cold stores

Article by Rob Kershaw, Sales and Marketing Manager, Barpro Joburg. One of the biggest challenges in managing and running a cold store facility is how do we pick individual cases as opposed to full pallets. In the past most cold store facilities were set up for full pallet distribution. In and out. However over the last decade or so retailers are moving away from carrying large quantities of stock on pallets rather ordering cases in line with demand freeing up capital investment in stock. So cold store facilities have to be set up to handle case picking as well as full pallets and very often at the same time. As the leading supplier of high dense mobile racking systems into the cold store sector at Barpro we have seen an increasing demand for case picking. Seeking solutions for our customers Barpro approached our principals STORAX based in the UK, to see now how their industry had coped with the challenge. The idea of multi-tier structural mezzanines is growing rapidly in the UK as a cost effective, space saving and super-efficient case picking solution, in mobile racking freezer stores. STORAX UK has installed a number of structural mezzanines in freezers and confirm that this solution offers great benefits for cold store operators.     How do they work? 4 or 5 levels of flooring interconnected by stairwells installed in a corner or outside the cold store taking up the least space possible. Reach trucks retrieve full pallets from the mobile racking and feed them onto the floors via 1 or 2 pallet gates. Staff with pallet jacks to transport them to dedicated picking locations. From here cases are picked to pallet jacks and transported back to the pallet gates for the reach truck to remove and place in the staging area, which could be static racks alongside the mezzanine or the floor on the bottom level. 1 picker works each floor and gets to know the location of the different SKUs. Knowing the products on his floor allows him to pick the heaviest products first to go on the bottom of the pallet and lightest at the top. This prevents crushing. On a recent trip to Europe I went to investigate mezzanine case picking solutions at one of the largest cold storage facilities in the UK and a long standing customer of STORAX. It is a massive operation and the volumes speak for themselves: One site. 52 acres. 135 000 pallet positions on high dense STORAX mobile racking in cold storage. 1000 pallet movements per day 400 – 500 trucks / day, pallets double stacked. 30 000 cases / day picked over a double shift. 10 pickers each picking 3000 cases a day. Case picking is approximately 2-3% of total throughput.     On average his client used to pick from the bottom level of the mobile racks but as demand for case picking grew needed a more efficient solution was required. The client is satisfied that the 2 x 5 level mezzanines are meeting their expectations and identify the following benefits:   Efficiency Dedicated picking area where pickers can pick uninterrupted by reach trucks moving in the aisles. In Australia it’s now illegal to have pickers and reachtrucks operating in the same area. Reach trucks can get on with their work not worrying about pickers. Safety Reduced accidents between pickers and reach trucks due to 1 and 2 above. No chance of product from upper static racks falling on pickers walking in the open static rack aisles. Best solution to achieve the amount of pick faces required which is a challenge with growing product ranges and new customers. All pick faces on floor level. No need for costly material handling equipment to pick from 2nd, 3rd or even 4th pallet level. Smooth and efficient replenishment of the pick face between reach-truck and pallet jack operators. Space saving The whole volume of the cold store is being used. With floor pitch around 2.5m very little space is wasted. Mezzanines are tucked into the side or corner of the cold room only I aisle is required for the reach truck to feed it. Reducing number of aisles required and increasing income generating storage capacity.   Another potential benefit of this solution is the opportunity to implement to ‘pick by voice’ technology. This would take picking efficiency to an even higher level.   Some of the technical features Heavy duty structural I Beams for vertical and horizontal support. 6mm thick steel plates as flooring creates a solid floor for smooth pallet jack movement. Bolted construction allowing movement and flexibility for dynamic and evolving business needs. The structure can be mounted on mobile racking rails. This increases strength and also allows for the possibility to install high dense storage mobiles in the future offering flexibility should demand for case picking drop. Energy saving LED lighting. Black polished steel reducing glare and floor reflections on pickers. Cold air distribution socks over blowers to circulate and distribute cold air above top floor.   To make maximum use of the picking efficiencies multitier mezzanines offer, picking staff need to be equipped with high quality freezer clothing. This significantly increases the amount of time they can spend in the cold store without taking breaks. Barpro offers the DELF range of high quality freezer wear which is a must for cold store picking.   There is increasing interest among South African cold stores who can see the potential benefits. Multi-tier mezzanines can give a significant edge over competitors especially in the field of 3rd party cold storage distribution. Being able to case pick more cost effectively while using less volume gives an edge in this price sensitive market.   Let us help you create that edge. Call Barpro for more information. Cape Town: 021 552 9190 Johannesburg: 011 450 1075 Email: info@barpro.co.za [gravityform id=”5″ title=”true” description=”true”] Read more: Changing Load Parameters in Mobile Pallet Racking Read more: Storax Ramada Ranger Shuttle launches in SA Read more: How to choose the right storage system

A space saving, efficient and cost effective solution to case picking in cold stores Read More »

Why are you replacing push buttons on your mobile racking?

Damaged push buttons are not a simple wear and tear problem. Our Cape Town Technicians, Mark Pearce and Gary Smith, have started noticing a trend on the rise. It seems that forktruck drivers have started using the end of their forks to push, and inevitably damaging the push buttons on Storax base control panels. What is a push button? A push button is situated on the top of your control panel and is used to start or stop a mobile.   The reason is because the remote in the forktruck or handheld remote is not working. Implications of a faulty control panel could mean priceless standing time when a mobile is unable to open a specific aisle, a call out fee and of course, spares and labour. Our technicians suggest the following: Check your current remotes. They might either need to be charged or repaired if faulty. Purchase new radio key pads or hand held remotes. Radio keypads are used for cascade control systems and are installed in the forktruck. This allows the forktruck driver to move bases from the comfort of his heated cab. Individual control systems are moved by hand held remote controls which can also be used by the forktruck driver. Having regular maintenance checks done by supervisors or managers and keeping staff accountable for damage to bases and control panels. All handbooks, which are provided to the client at the time of commissioning, include a Storax Maintenance Schedule which instructs on how frequently certain aspects of the mobiles need to be checked as well as fault diagnosis with typical faults and solutions. Another way to ensure maintenance checks are done regularly is to have a Service Level Agreement in place. Inspections will be done by one of Barpro’s experienced technicians either once or twice a year, depending on how often the client prefers and will report on housekeeping and visible damage. Contact us today to enquire about our Service Level Agreement and Maintenance Inspections               [gravityform id=”18″ title=”true” description=”true”] Read more: Motor repairs in Johannesburg Read more: Need spares for your mobile racking system?  Read more: The Strength of Continuity

Why are you replacing push buttons on your mobile racking? Read More »