FOLLOWING OLYMPIC GAMES RELOCATION. The regeneration of East London ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games is providing work for many UK companies, amongst them Spaceway Group which has just completed the fitting out of Buhler Sortex's new distribution centre. Buhler Sortex, world leaders in optical sorting machinery for the food processing industry, have relocated from Pudding Mill Lane, Stratford, where they have been since 1985, to the new site four miles away.
Won on a competitive tender against six other companies, Spaceway was chosen by Buhler Sortex for its superb design skills and competitive pricing. Spaceway selected BITO Storage Systems as its partner for the project and the two companies worked closely together to provide Buhler Sortex with an impressive and extremely functional facility.
To begin the project, Spaceway's design team set about creating a design that would turn the 1,035 square metre area into a state-of-the-art distribution centre that would also enable Buhler Sortex to introduce a product rotation system that would ensure components are used in the correct batch order. Working with BITO as its single source supplier, Spaceway was able to ensure that the integration of a range of pallet racking, carton live racking and shelving would fuse together to provide the optimum storage system.
By utilising a variety of racking and shelving, Spaceway has met Buhler Sortex's storage challenge of needing to accommodate a diversity of products from large machine casings to small fixings.
Spaceway designed the storage system taking into consideration the diversity of products to be stored. Ceiling height was considered and every chance to utilise space was built into the design. Eighteen lanes of pallet live racking have been designed to carry large fixtures two deep whilst 474 pallets can be accommodated in standard pallet racking. Long tube pigeonhole locations accommodate articles such as fluorescent tubes up to 1.8 metres long and the inclusion of a large number of carton live storage is being utilised to accommodate a variety of boxes. The inclusion of a large number of two deep Carton Live locations enables Buhler Sortex to use a Kanban principle to ensure stock rotation and constant supply.
To complete the project Spaceway provided Buhler Sortex with a wide range of containers, from bulk storage to small parts, which were all printed and coloured to match Buhler Sortex's corporate colours to emphasise Sortex's strong brand image. Spaceway's designs have enabled efficient and easy access to the wide range of products and have also catered for future expansion, using the full height of the building if required.
"Spaceway was streets ahead of any other company on design and although we made a number of design changes, they quickly modified the designs without complaint", said Campbell Dixon, Production Engineering Manager at Buhler Sortex. "Due to Spaceway excellent designs and BITO's first rate products, we now have an impressive, more functional facility that will enable us to operate more efficiently and provide our customers with better service".
About Buhler Sortex
Since it was established in London's East End in 1947, Sortex has grown to become the leading global supplier of optical sorting machinery for the food processing industry in over 100 countries. The company has received the Queen's Award to Industry and Export on several occasions and in 2004 won the UK National Business Award. Besides core commodities such as rice, coffee, peanuts, tree-nuts, beans, pulses and seeds Buhler Sortex also offers sorting solutions for grains, snack-foods, confectionery, breakfast cereals and even plastics.
About Spaceway
Established in 1976, Spaceway is recognised as one of the UK's leading providers of integrated interior space solutions for private sector businesses and public organisations. Located in Hampshire but serving customers across the South and Midlands, the company provides an integrated approach to space solutions that includes mezzanine floors, partitioning, suspended ceilings, storage systems, special structures as well as furniture and small parts storage.
The Spaceway Group
Premier House
The Premier Centre
Abbey Park Industrial Estate Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 9DG Tel: 01794 835600
Fax: 01794 835601
Email: sales@spaceway.co.uk www.spaceway.co.uk