Cold Link Africa January/February 2021 | страница 31

FEATURE

INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

process , design and manufacturing is

warehouses is picking and thinking more

also very automated from international

about the operational needs . It ’ s also

suppliers which also boosts their global

too easy for clients to go into an analysis

competitiveness . Often too , producers

paralysis mode about what they want . I

from Euope and China are subsidised

also second Grant ’ s observation about

by their governments and get extremely

specifying their racking for a palette

cheap loans or finance , and this all aids in

that is too light because over time

being able to supply products cheaper .

palette loading can get heavier . Any

“ When asked , I tend to initially suggest

commercial store must accommodate

the use of locally-produced racking

for growth and diverse products that

because it is attuned to our market

obviously have differing weights . Clients

requirements . When racking is damaged ,

too often don ’ t include any flexibility .”

and this is a given , the supply and

Training of staff is also extremely

installation of replacement components

important , and further racking

can be quicker with local product .

maintenance cannot be stressed enough

Local manufacturers also create much

– companies just put the racking up and

needed jobs . On the other hand , South

forget about any maintenance . You

Africa is experiencing a steel shortage ,

so local raw material prices have risen

might get a break today and the smallest thing like a gust of wind comes through

Acrow

considerably , and our steel industry is not

an efficient producer . Renewed import

and can create instability and the entire store comes down . Periodic checks

Mobile racking solutions allow up to a 90 % increase in capacity .

duties on raw steel profiles can give

overseas rack suppliers an additional

advantage . If Government could

resolve these issues , then South Africa ’ s

rack manufacturers could be more

competitive , and even consider export

markets ,” says Cunningham .

SOME COMMON MISTAKES TO CONSIDER

“ One of the common mistakes that we

see clients make include not getting their

designs done correctly the first time for

the store layout which means re-doing

the layout and this then becomes a

costly exercise . Trying to always cut back

on costs is another major challenge

because the client then opts for a system

that will need to be replaced anyway in

time . We also find installing a system with

load capacities that work for the current

needs but fail to take into account the

possible growth of the company leads to

loading more than the specified ratings

onto the racking resulting in collapses ,”

says Boonzaier .

Moya adds , “ We also find clients

don ’ t chose the racking that is fit for their

purpose and sometimes insist on , for

example , an automated solutions that is

not necessary at all . Some clients want

the ‘ shinest solution ’. What is important

in South Africa around cold stores and

and maintenance through both internal checking and external companies is commonly neglected . This type of damage can cause millions of rands in losses or even death on your hands .

“ In recent years and especially in freezer stores – freezer heights continually increase and racking is required to handle heavier loads . A mistake companies make is that they don ’ t plan to go high enough – they only want a store that is 7 metres high and these days if you want any sort of competitive operation , commercial freezer stores should consider racking that is at least 10 metres high . But , given all of the solutions and options on offer , one point must be stressed . Here the industry as a whole could improve . Rarely , if ever , is warehouse racking checked correctly on at least a weekly basis . This should be done by a competent person to identify any damage or overloading which can then be rectified before rack collapses occur . Unfortunately this just doesn ’ t happen in South Africa . It is a mandatory requirement in overseas warehouses and there is no valid reason why it isn ’ t happening here ,” Cunningham remarks .

People often worry about working with heavy machinery but racking and storage is just as dangerous . The equipment used in a store and the

operators all tie directly into any racking

solution as together they make up either

an efficient system or not . How the

racking setup is completed is also highly

dependant on the the equipment at the

facility , so for example if the facility only

has forklifts , a high solution is not possible

without further investments .

Equipment operators have been

trainined and are productive based on

their equipment but when you have run

a nighmare shift its becomes very difficult

to pick a palette 14 metres up in the air .

This also leads into another aspect

that is not commonly understood in

this country , that in a cold or freezer

store you have to work in temperatures

as low as -25 ° C . If an operator does

not have a heated cab he or she is

sitting for an entire shift , most likely with

poorly insulated safety clothing , getting

cold because not moving means not

generating heat .

Local manufacturers offer solutions that are attuned to local needs and dynamics .

With this in mind second hand racking

has become a hot commodity , now

more than ever , even if it is only for a

short period of time until manufacturers

can again get production going fully .

Boonzaier states , “ When buying back

racking for sale as a used product , both

buyer and seller need to consider the

following aspects :

• Has the racking on offer been looked

after and still in good condition ?

• Often when buying racking from

freezers companies , the bottom of

the frames are badly rusted so this is

evaluated and may be cut off and

scrapped . Scrapping occurs around

20 % of the time .

• The same goes for standard pallet

racking , which , if the company didn ’ t

have column guards to protect the

uprights , the bottom of the frames

will be badly damaged from forklifts

or turret trucks and we have to scrap

them as well .

• A cost when buying back , that

clients seldom take into account , is

that somebody has to dismantle the

racking at their own cost , which , if

you have a buy back of racking for

a big warehouse , can often be the

same price as the offer we would

make to the client for the racking

alone .

If the operator gets cold enough that

• Used racking is not advisable for

their core temperate decreases by

the cold store arena as you want

merely half a degree , which happens

to supply the client with a premium

very quickly by the way , then they

product for their fridge / freezers and

would not be able to judge distances

new is always the best option here

accurately and not be able to add

as it gives the client as well as the

figures – essentially all fine motor control

supplier peace of mind from a safety

gets degraded . This has a direct impact

aspect and what they have been

onto the racking because the instances

supplied will ensure that it does the

of damage increases exponentially .

work that it has been designed to do

Savings in this way is a huge mistake and

correctly and safely .

result in additional costs for the owners

• Used racking in the general

such as high racks needs more space in

workplace has the same concerns

the aisles , cameras on the forks .

and that is why you need to be

THE CASE FOR USED GOODS

At the current moment , as alluded to

100 % certain that the racking one is

buying back can still carry the load

capacities it has been designed to .

earlier in the article , there is a significant

shortage of steel in the country , primarily

Sometimes it does happen with used

Acrow

due to Covid-19 and the disrupted supply

chains , and manufacturers are struggling

racking that customers are happy to take

any product and install it as is as they are

An example of a fixed static racking system .

to secure raw materials for their production .

shopping on price only .”

CLA