Warehouse space does not come cheap, but for companies that store frozen and chilled products, the costs per m² are even higher compared to ambient facilities. Jordan International Transport, which delivers frozen and chilled fish and seafood to Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe, has maximised the capacity of its new purpose built storage facility in Co. Tyrone thanks to a combination of automated racking and a Combilift Combi-WR pedestrian stacker.
The Combi-WR features the unique, patented and award winning multi-position tiller arm which enables the operator to remain at the side of the unit rather than the rear. This allows full visibility of the loads, the forks and the surroundings so it’s safer for operators and other staff nearby, particularly when working in narrow aisles and tight spaces.
Storage and Distribution Manager Barry McIlvanna also wanted to improve the ratio of stored products and the amount of space needed to access them. With standard racking and counterbalance and pallet trucks, only about half of the space could be used for storage. With the new system, this has risen to 85% so the freezer circuit can operate much more efficiently and of course more cost effectively.”
As well as enabling an almost doubling of pallet density, the performance of the electric powered stacker, even in the demanding cold store environment, has been exemplary according to Barry. “Working at -18 degrees over a few hours it never misses a beat. We were initially concerned whether a truck could work equally effectively in such cold temperatures compared to normal conditions, but the team at Combilift had all the right specifications and solutions.”
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