Since the first lockdown over a year ago online sales have seen record growth, with as high as 87% of UK households making a digital purchase last year. Expanding warehouse provision has become a big priority for retailers and suppliers looking to take advantage of this booming market. The range of storage options is vast, from large sheds on industrial units near major trunk roads all the way through to smaller, unique options, such as disused shop units requiring bespoke racking solutions. The shift in consumer behaviour has presented many opportunities for the warehousing sector but also risks. The operational racking system is a highly stressed piece of engineering and getting the installation correct is essential to the safety of a warehouse.
This article was first published in the July 1st 2021 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
One of the simplest means of using the existing space in a warehouse more efficiently is to build up rather than out, taking advantage of what is often wasted space in warehouses with high ceilings. Pallet racking can be custom built to take advantage of the height available in an area, with pallet racking installed by S & L United Storage Systems extending up to a height of 10 metres.
Interesting to hear that the uprights and beams of BITO’s steel shelving and racking are either galvanised or come in various colour options so the company opted for electrostatically applied powder coating instead of conventional liquid paint, which needs an evaporating solvent. Only colour pigments that are ecologically safe and release a very low amount of volatile organic compounds during the coating process are used. Typically, powder coatings are cured at temperatures of 140 – 200°C but BITO uses advanced low bake thermosetting powder that cross-links at temperatures of less than 140°C. Powder-coated work-pieces are extremely impact-resistant and weatherproof.
Congratulations to AR Racking and Swisslog for starting the installation of the new clad-rack warehouse in Funes, Spain for Virto Group, leader in the production and distribution of frozen vegetables for retail, food service and industry. The new clad-rack warehouse, which covers 11,020 m2 and will be 38 metres high, will have a storage capacity for 56,166 europallets, which will allow Virto Group to have a stock of between 50 and 70 million kilos of frozen products.
Well done to BRCGS, whose newly upgraded Global Standard for Storage and Distribution will be adopted by HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit company. The new version of the Standard, which was launched in November 2020, has been expanded to include e-commerce operations, will ensure the quality and safety of Hello Fresh products during their storage and distribution throughout the supply chain.
It is encouraging to see the demand for storage space rising as the volume of e-commerce purchases increases.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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