- Consolidating two sites to a new purpose-built 12,115 sqm facility
- Increase storage density per square metre
- Six-week installation schedule
- 12,167 pallet spaces
A family owned and operated business, Secon Freight Logistics was founded in 1969. Today Secon is an industry leading freight company specialising in wharf transport, warehousing, containerisation, side lifting, bulk services, and the running of Australian Customs and AQIS approved warehouses and depots.
The business has a 50-year history in which integrity and innovation have been a key factor for its success. Secon prides itself on delivering a reliable service with a personal touch, considering themselves to be
not just service provider but a delivery partner.
THE SITUATION
With plans in place to consolidate two sites to a new, purpose-built facility in Truganina, Secon sought a comprehensive pallet racking solution which would offer flexibility and a return on investment well into the future.
Previous racking installations at Secon facilities did not allow for scalability, which created limitations across the warehouse that became more evident as the business grew and advanced its processes.
It highlighted to Secon the need to ensure the new storage solution was not just the standard approach. In addition to safety, quality and budget requirements, their new facility would need to consider the business’s operational needs and have the flexibility to adapt to future growth.
Secon required a storage solutions provider that shared their vision for a scalable and efficient storage space that would stand the test of time.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP
It quickly became evident that Secon and Safer Storage Systems’ values were aligned, which made for a smooth and enjoyable process for all involved, from the design to construction and handover. Secon General Manager of Operations, Matt Whitfield commented, “Safer Storage Systems had a reputation for supplying a complete solution, and it was clear that the team are passionate about quality products and quality solutions.
We were very impressed by the GMH product and its engineering. We also saw great benefit in proceeding with full front and rear upright protection proposal and its safety ability to impact and longterm protection of the racking.
The clear presentation of exactly what we were receiving highlighted that we were getting a lot more for our investment compared to other providers. Supporting local manufacturing was also a positive, which became even more important as impacts of the global virus pandemic were emerging.”
THE SOLUTION
As a freight and logistics company, the type and size of items to be stored vary considerably. This meant the storage system would need to provide flexibility in row height to be able to safely store a combination of pallet configurations, while maximising pallet density to enable high volume pallet storage and stock turnover.
Another important factor to address was to improve efficiency for picking and packing by the way of improving stock accessibility and reducing travel distances within the warehouse.
To do this, the design incorporated:
- Single entry pallet racking for 100% accessibility
- Allowance for over-sized pallets and flexibility in frame design configurations
- Storage levels suitable for pallets weighing up to 1.2 tonnes each Racking heights to 10,000mm to maximise the vertical space within the warehouse (while also ensuring adequate space between top rack and the roof)
- Aisle widths which could also accommodate building support pillars that were already in place
- Racking aisles located to ensure best traffic flow and maximum storage capacity
Consideration was also made for other building features, including the location of lighting, skylights, sensors, hose reels and emergency exits.
RACK PROTECTION
In a warehouse environment where there is a high volume of goods moving in and out of the racking, the base of the uprights often bear the brunt of frequent impact from materials handling equipment.
Even the most robust, and well-planned pallet racking is susceptible to damage. For Secon protecting the base of the upright was a critical aspect of protecting their investment and maintaining the safest warehouse environment.
SSS put forward a comprehensive solution with rear upright protection and rack end protection in the iconic SSS yellow.
RACKING LABELS
Using high quality products, Safer Storage Systems incorporated a fully colour coded labelling system, inclusive of alphabetical rack end signage, into the overall plan.
“The process of having SSS look after rack labelling and signage for us took a significant headache away from us at Secon and ensured that the project was delivered as an operational site once the last beam was inserted.” Matt Whitfield adds.
THE INSTALLATION
After time spent carefully planning the design and execution of the storage solution at the new Secon facility, the project ran efficiently over a six-week period with a total of 12,167 pallet spaces installed in that time.
An important aspect to this project was the ability for Secon to maintain normal business activities throughout the duration of the installation and understand milestone dates. The planning and coordination of this was executed perfectly through the project management arm of SSS and Scott
Gannaway.
With both Safer Storage Systems and Secon working together towards the same goal, decisions were able to be discussed and resolved quickly and the project ran without disruption.
Secon was able to commence moving pallets into the racking immediately with Safer Storage Systems handing over a fully compliant solution.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Utilising the available height and the ability to accommodate the maximum pallet weights at all storage levels dramatically expands Secon’s offering for new clients. It offers the ultimate flexibility for storing any pallet size and weight.
Matt Whitfield says, “SSS did not hold back on product specification. Having a bespoke solution developed for our facility meant we were maximising the capacity, using the full available height without affecting the overall capability of the structure. This is something we hadn’t considered in the past and allows for future growth. We now feel, when our customers view our site, that there is an instant level of satisfaction and comfort that we have a state-of-the-art facility and service.”
“Safer Storage Systems exceeded our expectations every step of the way. The solution provided by SSS was comprehensive and executed with expertise – the collaborative approach meant we didn’t have any downtime and our regular operations could continue as they worked in with our team. The quality of product also gave us confidence that we would see value from our new storage solution for years to come. Safer Storage Systems has now delivered two market leading facilities for us totalling over 31,000 stored locations. Consequently, I would have no hesitation recommending the SSS team for future works.”
Matt Whitfield, Secon General Manager of Operations
Recent Comments