Two major problems faced Packaging Industries of Co. Durham when it had the opportunity to supply a large potential customer (Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK) with dry timber packing cases for knockdown car kits.
Firstly, for efficiency and economy Parkaging Industries wanted to buy "green" timber and "air dry" it on site and secondly the company had insufficient internal storage to handle the volumes involved. Hi-Store, provided the answer to both problems simultaneously with their Cantilever Rack Supported Buildings.
By purchasing green timber, rather than the considerably more expensive kiln dried material and storing it in the new facility, Packaging Industries is able to offer dry timber at highly competitive prices. This is achieved by by rotating the wood from the outside bays of the cantilever racking to the inside arms during the airdrying process, and the material is then moved into the company's mill.
The Hi-Store system installed at Packaging Industries holds 400cu.m.(500 tonnes) of timber. It consists of a special heavy duty, universally adjustable, cantilevered racking and is specifically designed so that it can be clad with side and/or end clad as well as roofed. The roofed only version is ideally suited to the application required by Packaging Industries.
After planning consent was obtained, two 400mm thick strips of concrete were laid (leaving the rest of the yard untouched) and the storage/buildings systems was erected on these. Aisle widths were designed for access by both sideloaders and frontlift trucks.
Green timber is now delivered and stored "in stick" using 16mm battens to facilitate airflow through the stacks. Packaging Indutries monitors the content of the timber using electronic equipment, which is capable of taking 40 readings per pack. After three to four weeks storage, moisture content is reduced from 30% plus to 22% with a margin of +/2%.
An additional benefit is that due to their height, the new buildings have provided a structure from which Packaging Industries can illuminate its yard both internally and externally a sort of giant lamp post!
Hi-Store was the chosen supplier based on their experience with this type of storage, their competitive price and their ability to carry through the complete project with maximum efficiency.
The system has now been in operation for more than one year and Packaging Industries says that it has proved a total success with both internal management and customers reporting no problems whatsoever.
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