MORE BEER HERE! Better Beer Storage Using Mobile Pallet Racks!

 With the multitude of new brands, breweries and specialty brews popping up around the world, beer storage is now at a premium.


According to the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) biannual Distributor Productivity Report, in 1996 the average distributor carried 190 unique Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) from an average of 9 different beer suppliers.  In 2010, the number of SKUs in the average warehouse skyrocketed to 536 to 18 different beer suppliers.*

Once clean and organized stock coolers are now jammed full of micro-brews that need to be accessed easily and often.  Seem impossible?  It isn't!  There is a way to have all of that stock FULLY accessible, while maintaining order among the chaos and that is through the use of mobile pallet racking.

A Midwest Beer Distributor recently installed Mobile Pallet Racking into their new keg cooler.  The cooler storage capacity was increased by 60%.  This was a major cost savings that allowed an increase in the number of SKUs over a conventional pallet rack storage system.  The system design allowed the distributor to use their existing pallet rack and accommodate the use of their existing counterbalanced lift trucks. 

There is NO NEED to purchase expensive material handling equipment to obtain this type of storage capacity.  The mobile storage system design allowed a major increase in cooler capacity storage as well as allowed 100% access to every SKU.  The customer has access to every pallet without being required to move a pallet out of the way to get access to another pallet.

Learn more about the Beer Distribution Problems Brewing by reading this whitepaper by John T. Phelan, Jr., P.E.

*Best Practices in Managing an Expanded Product Portfolio, Sponsored by the Beer Industry Electronic Commerce Coalition.

Repurposing Academic Libraries

In May of 2012 the University of Portland began a major renovation of the Wilson W. Clark Memorial Library.  The 12 million dollar renovation transforms traditional library space into a 21st century learning center.  The library will emerge as the shared Learning Commons of the University with a grand terrace and welcoming, transparent entry to the quad.  And, of course, Spacesaver!

Main Floor Plan - The Learning Lab

The L-Lab will be a highly flexible space for independent and collaborative learning, with Reference Librarians and Technology Assistants to guide the research process.  This floor and the upper floor will also be open as a 24/7 study space.

Upper Floor Plan - The Media Lab

The M-Lab will be a creative production space for developing and editing multimedia assignments and teaching units, supported with expert staff guidance.  The library classroom and more study spaces will also be on this floor.

 

Lower Floor Plan - The Study Lab

The S-Lab will be a quiet, traditional study zone adjacent to the Library's rich print and media collections.  Study rooms and seating around a fireplace will make this a cozy space for focused study.

 

So, where are the books?  According to the University 70% of the old library floor space was devoted to housing books.  In the "new" library just 25% of the floor space is needed to store the entire collection on the lower level in two very large Spacesaver compact systems.

You can learn more about this important project at www.library.up.edu.

   

How to Plan & Create an Efficient Industrial Shelving System

As a Spacesaver industrial storage expert, we’re often asked to evaluate and correct shelving layouts for companies hampered by inefficient storage areas. In almost all cases, these problems are caused by insufficient planning on the part of management prior to purchasing and installing the shelving.
Here are some basic guidelines and insights that’ll help you plan & install an efficient shelving system in your warehouse.
For simplicity and clarity, we’ll base shelving examples on the most common standard unit load size: A 36” x 18” shelving unit. Our space model for this blog is an area 30 feet wide by 46 feet long (1,656 square feet).

Want to save space? Avoid this layout!

Figure 1

Let’s start by analyzing a shelving pattern we often see that is clean and deceptively simple. It also is about the least efficient layout you could implement, accommodating only 135 sections of shelving in our model shelving section.
See how this plan violates 4 key principles of efficient shelving layout. The layout displayed as logical as it may appear is a bad use of space because it violates all four of these shelving efficiency rules:

1. NEVER lay out shelving across the short dimension of your space. This creates wasted space equaling approximately 5% of your floor space.
2. NEVER create a perimeter aisle with single-deep shelving single deep around the walls. This error will cost you another 5% of your storage space (and limit other options, as well).
3. NEVER position shelving in the same area oriented in two different directions, i.e. part of the shelving going north/south, the remainder oriented east/west. A gain, this error imposes another penalty of at least 5% penalty in utilization of your available floor space.
4. NEVER create an aisle at a wall. Every aisle should give access to shelves on both sides. It takes the same width aisle to serve two sides as one side, so if you use only one side, you’ll waste space unnecessarily. 

Follow the rules, save 12% floor space

Figure 2

A more efficient layout, illustrated in (Fig.2)  accommodates 150 sections of shelving compared to only 135 sections in (Fig. 1). That’s 12% more storage in the same 1,656 square feet of floor space.

Now, I know from real world experience, it may not always be possible to create the perfect shelving layout. But keep in mind, to the extent you bend any of the four key rules, you are costing yourself part of your available floor space (up to 25% if you’re careless enough to break all four rules).

More shelving types provide options

Mobile Shelving - Figure 3

Besides static shelving, there are various kinds of shelving that can help you store more in the same space.
Using versatile mobile ActivRAC shelving on our model floor (Fig. 3) allows us use wasted aisle space for storage and increase storage capacity to 240 shelving sections…a substantial 60% increase over the standard static shelving layout.
Mobile shelving systems operate on mobile carriages that eliminate unused aisle space. There are virtually no limits to the size, bulk, weight or shape of items they can store.
Flexible and adaptable, mobile systems work within many building support or ceiling restrictions and can be reconfigured easily if needs change. They’re particularly good for the 80% of your inventory that’s slow- moving or seasonal.
Verticle lift modules let you use dead air space as storage space. Vertical lifts or vertical carousels up to 40-feet high can convert unused overhead space into productive storage space.
In this example, two 25-foot vertical lift units store the equivalent of 150 sections of shelving in a fraction of the space required by standard shelving. Vertical lifts also provide a safe ergonomic picking process.
Modular drawers and cabinets provide the same capacity as 150 sections of shelving. Replacing shelving with modular drawers or drawers in shelving provides easy, secure access and can achieve up 50% -75% in floor space savings.

Valuable tip for drawing your layout

Here’s another rule I've found invaluable for quickly and efficiently designing shelving layouts.
Draw your initial shelving layout (using space-saving rules above) as if there are no columns or obstructions present in your building.
After you’ve designed the most efficient layout for your space, then draw in the columns and obstructions and adjust your initial, highly efficient layout as little as possible to accommodate obstructions.of course, there are always floor space obstructions.
Columns may be positioned in awkward places...heaters, lights, drain pipes, and other hardware may clutter your headroom... and your safety engineer may have requirements that further complicate your layout task.
That’s why creating an efficient shelving layout system always involves flexibility and compromise.

More ideas, no-cost professional help

Remember these ideas when planning your shelving layout project:
1) Keep all shelving rows going in one direction, in the direction of product flow
2) Manage the obstructions to good layout. Don’t let them manage you.
3) Allow enough clearance for smooth traffic flow under varying conditions.
4) Design your system with your next storage expansion in mind.
With all the traps and pitfalls involved in setting up an efficient shelving system, it often makes sense to get professional advice on the best, most cost-effective layout for your operation.

Originally posted by Tom Jameson, ShelfPlus President.  Guest blog on Spacesaver.com.

Five Reasons to Consider Mobilizing Your Industrial Shelving

Industrial Shelving is the storage solution typically used in warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, small parts storage rooms and even coolers. BUT, there is a way to make better use of this industrial shelving and that is by placing it on mobile carriages and making it MOVE. Here are the top five reasons to consider mobile shelving for your facility:

5. Mobile shelving is definitely not just for large warehouses or distribution centers. Some of the best uses include small parts and tool storage for maintenance departments.

At Aveva® Drug Delivery Systems, parts necessary for maintenance were being stored throughout individual departments in a 117,000 sq. ft. facility. If a part was needed in one department and it was not in the local storage area, it resulted in loss of valuable production and extended downtime. ActivRAC was used as a solution to consolidate individual departments into one space and create visibility to over 10,000 parts in order to better service the needs of each department.

4. You can store pretty much anything on mobile shelving. With weight limits that range from 7,000 lbs to 30,000 lbs you can mobilize your small and lightweight tools, or even large car parts, motorcycles or bulk supplies and heavy materials.

3. You can use mobile shelving in any industrial storage environment, from coolers (think of temperature controlled items like foods and beverages or certain pharmaceuticals) to specialized cantilever applications and work-in-progress on the production floor.

2.  Going mobile with your industrial shelving can be less expensive than you think.

	The top mount rail used with ActivRAC is anchored right into the unfinished concrete, which means no raised floor or grouting is needed to complete your mobilized storage installation. With traditional compact storage solutions, the rail system often requires grouting, or raised flooring.
	You don’t need to purchase new shelving to implement a mobile solution. Racking that you already own can be placed onto the mobile carriages, which then move along the installed rail. If you need to purchase new racking, ActivRAC carriages can work with whatever racking fits your specific needs.

1. Mobile shelving frees up space or increases storage capacity.

And because this ultimately saves YOU money, this is, plain and simple, the number one reason to choose mobile industrial shelving as your storage solution.

Originally posted by Julie Weber, Spacesaver.com

 

Sustainable Trend: Shelving and Mobile with Integrated Lighting

Gone are the days of dark and ominous libraries, as portrayed in the Harry Potter movies or the classic opening scene of Ghostbusters.

Today’s library is one of vibrant colors, translucent panels and natural daylight flooding the space. In most new construction, this light airy feeling is accomplished by providing windows and skylights, and can help in the effort to achieve LEED® Certification for the building. Positioning the stacks methodically to allow the most natural light to flow through the space and using translucent end panels will make a huge difference in creating a brighter interior environment.
However, during reconstruction or remodeling projects it can be harder to achieve this abundance of light when there are rows and rows of books, dimly lit aisle ways, and perhaps less windows present than in a newly constructed building.
A great way to add light to these spaces is to integrate fixture right into the shelving, and though this is not natural day-lighting it can still contribute to sustainable design in many ways.

At Gateway Community College, Spacesaver shelving units were outfitted with integrated lighting triggered by motion sensors, which not only helped brighten the aisles but will also conserve energy in the spirit of sustainable design.

Integrated lighting does not stop with libraries. In spaces where storage is the main function of the space it can be expensive just to keep the facility running.

At Mercy Toledo Health System, a high-density mobile storage system for active records was equipped with automatic overhead aisle lighting that illuminates only the occupied aisle and turns lights off automatically after a predetermined period of inactivity to further reduce energy consumption. Overall, the health system experienced a 40% reduction in operating costs.

And if saving energy (and money) is your main objective Spacesaver lighting fixtures can also be retrofitted with LED T8 Florescent light fixtures. LED tubes consume less energy, last longer, don’t contain harmful aluminums and generate lower amounts of heat! The LED tube can work with existing magnetic and electronic ballasts already in place, so it’s basically a plug-in installation. Not only can this one small retrofit save you money, it can save your staff valuable time changing bulbs throughout the year (ultimately saving the company money on man hours) and help contribute to your corporation’s green goals.

Originally Posted by Julie Weber, Spacesaver.com

Save Money with ActiveRAC Mobilized Storage System

Avoid the Static. ActivRAC it.

This week Spacesaver is showcasing ActivRAC® mobilized storage systems at ProMat, the world’s largest material handling expo!

Don’t know about ActivRAC? ActivRAC industrial-grade carriage and rail systems move your existing or new racking and shelving side-to-side, eliminating aisles and maximizing square footage. It’s a simple, cost-effective way to add capacity without expanding.

To further get in the material handling spirit, let’s talk a little bit about why freeing up space or consolidating like-items in your warehouse, distribution center, manufacturing facility or maintenance room actually matters to YOU.

Example 1: Parts necessary for maintenance were being stored throughout individual departments in a 117,000 sq. ft. facility. If a part was needed in one department and it was not in the local storage area, it resulted in loss of valuable production and extended downtime. ActivRAC was used as a solution to consolidate individual departments into one space and create visibility to over 10,000 parts in order to better service the needs of each department. Duplicative part purchases have been all but eliminated through centralized storage.


Example 2: When Toyota combined its Tacoma and Tundra operations at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMX) plant in San Antonio, Texas, rather than take on a facility expansion, TMMX put the ActivRAC 16 system to work and gained 54 percent more storage capacity in the same footprint. There’s also room for additional storage, even though the plant is humming at peak capacity and producing 200,000 vehicles per year as planned.

Notice any common themes?

Duplicative part purchases eliminated = $$$ SAVED
No need for a facility expansion = $$$ SAVED
Gained 54 percent more storage capacity in the same footprint = $$$ SAVED
No more loss of valuable production time = $$$ SAVED

Originally posted by Julie Weber on Tue, Jan 22, 2013

Spacesaver High-Density Storage Saving Law Firms "Big Bucks"

For the last decade we have been having a global conversation about the future of the traditional office environment. Many companies have moved to more open concepts with less square footage, not only due to the rising cost of real estate (which is the biggest fixed cost of any corporate budget) but because of the new way workers work. Working remote is becoming the norm and people come to the office mostly to collaborate with others. Technology is essential to the success of most projects, and people no longer need solitude to solve problems, but interaction with their colleagues

Even law firms are starting to embrace this new way of working and the idea of doing more with less space. According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, by Jennifer Smith,  a law firm might pay between $1 million to $2 million a month in rent to house 300 attorneys in top legal markets such as New York or Washington, D.C., so the need to consolidate and shrink office sizes could save a firm big bucks!

The attorney of today also works remotely, collaboratively and they are constantly plugged in. The law office of old is no longer meeting the needs of today’s employees. Firms “are shrinking private offices, swapping out walls for glass, and installing high-tech meeting rooms in dead space once occupied by law libraries and filing cabinets…” says Jennifer.

So if the law library and filing areas are being replaced by offices and meeting rooms, where are those materials going? Practicing law requires the use of reference documents and records, which presents an interesting challenge to planning for a more open, modern law office space.

Berkeley Law, a top five Law School, recently used high-density mobile systems in their new LEED® Gold Certified building to store 875,000 volumes all in one location. Without the need for aisles, the library was able to move from two separate buildings onto just one floor and the space was able to accommate study areas, collaboration spaces, lectures halls, and a café.

The same concept works within a law office. Lathrop & Clark LLP, a 100 year-old law firm in Wisconsin, used high-density mobile to increase their records storage capacity. High-density mobile is a great solution for a firm on the lookout for more space, but with the ever-changing needs of a law practice, flexibility is also key.What if your lease is up and you decide to move? What if you need to expand your space onto the next floor?

What if you could have high-density mobile storage systems that could easily be moved and reconfigured when you move, remodel or expand? Enter: XpressDEK® Rail System and Wheelhouse® High Density Mobile Storage System.
Most high-density mobile systems must be installed on top of an anchored rail system (think a rail road track drilled into your floor). But XpressDEK is a truly modular floor system that can be picked up and moved across town, leaving no permanent fixtures bolted into the floor where your file room once was.

So, it can be done. Offices can shrink, collaboration can flourish and your old law library and records room can consolidate to make more space for your firm to grow and change!

This story was originally posted on Spacesaver.com by Julie Weber, January 15, 2013.