HPC Healthline – Dab Hands

Expansion meant a new warehouse was needed to maintain the service levels the company is renown for. Built in Bourne, Lincolnshire the new facility is double the size of their previous depot in Middlesex.

Having previously used RediRack, HPC Healthcare asked us to look at the new warehouse and recommend an appropriate storage system. Space utilisation was key, together with fast, efficient handling.

A narrow aisle pallet racking system was installed to work in conjunction with articulated fork lift trucks. Being able to work in aisles under two metres wide, articulated trucks enabled us to maximises space utilisation without HPC Healthcare needing to buy specialist narrow aisle trucks.

Following the pitch of the roof to make the most of the building’s volume, the storage system is over eight metres high in places. The thirteen double and two single runs of racking extend over seventy metres in length, leaving space at the front of the building for load consolidation.

The aisles are 1900mm wide and pallets are stored 1000mm deep. Each run has 24 bays, and two pallets are stored at each beam level. Most bays have five beam levels with the top beam being at 7500mm. Over 6,500 pallet locations were created. The finished racking system looks very smart, finished in HPC Heathcare’s corporate colours of green and yellow.

Completing the storage system are square rack end guards. Installed at the end of each aisle they protect the rack from accidental knocks. A tunnel half way along the block of racking enables the fork lift trucks to change aisles without having to travel to the end of the aisle. The use of articulated trucks means in-aisle guidance is not necessary.

The whole system was installed in just three weeks. Barry Pritchard, Director of HPC explains: “RediRack offered us a cost effective solution and a service that was second to none. They helped us with our choice of fork lift trucks, which are ideal for our business, and they work perfectly with the storage system.”