Could a Mezzanine Floor Transform your Logistics Operations?
In a fulfilment or distribution centre, your priority will be efficiency. An organised system for collecting, packing and distributing parcels in the quickest time possible will have a massive impact on revenue. In addition, your warehouse needs to hold as much product as possible.
Many warehouses have found that the installation of a mezzanine is the way forward; both for space efficiency and time management. Cleverly designed, a mezzanine structure allows for an additional floor space at higher level, so without extending the buildings footprint, workspace area can be drastically increased.
Multiple levels
Mezzanine floors can be designed to have multiple floor levels and can be constructed to have as many floors as you like; limited only by the height of your warehouse. In a logistics warehouse a multi tier mezzanine floor can be used to house different departments such as office, picking, packing or storage. Using the mezzanine levels to support the activities of these departments can drastically increase productivity.
A greater number of floors will be heavier, and mezzanine installation may require foundation piling. However, lightweight operations such as picking and packing are ideal for multi-level mezzanines – in some cases three picking and packing floors may have the same weight bearing requirements as a single storage mezzanine. The different levels can be joined with conveyors, lifts or chutes; making it simple to transfer goods from one floor to another.
The mezzanine floor design
The mezzanine can be designed to work in whatever way is best for your facility. In some cases, the picking will happen throughout the ground floor of the warehouse, with all the packing happening on the mezzanines. This will work particularly well if you are storing a great variety of products with a low volume of each product type, so that there can be picking at the bottom of multiple tiers of pallet racking.
In other facilities, the bulk of the storage happens on the ground floor of the warehouse using a vast pallet racking system to house large volume of product. Shelving can be placed on the mezzanine floor to store items securely once separated into smaller quantities, until required for picking. WSL representatives will be able to advise on the optimum use of your mezzanine, depending on the products you store and the way that your facility is organised.
Mezzanine floor building and safety requirements
Your mezzanine floor manufacturer should ensure that all safety and fire regulations are incorporated into the design of your mezzanine floor. WSL are well versed in all current legislation relevant for mezzanine structures including fire and building regulations. Our highly recognized accreditations which include FULL SEMA membership and CE Marking reflect our ability and commitment to ensuring of the highest quality standards at every stage, giving our clients extra assurance.
Moving goods from level to level
WSL designers can ensure that your mezzanine floor plan is optimised to be as efficient as possible, with no time wasted on struggling to transport stored products from place to place.
There are many different ways in which product can be moved from floor to floor. Conveyors and chutes are an excellent way of moving items around, ready to be packed and labelled. Chutes can lead from all floors down to a conveyor at the bottom, in turn leading directly to the loading bay, ready to be placed onto vehicles. A pallet can be brought to and from the mezzanine level using a forklift truck which transports the pallets safely with the assistance of pallet gates. Goods lifts can be installed to carry heavy loads from floor to floor.
Passenger lifts, escalators and stairs can all be utilised to help people access different levels swiftly and safely. Again, WSL designers are experienced and can offer advice on the best access for your warehouse.
Is a mezzanine right for your company?
The installation of a mezzanine floor can drastically increase your storage space, offering a cost effective, practical solution. These additional floors can completely revolutionise your picking and packing capabilities, making them more efficient whilst saving you time and money. If you have the height we have the knowledge, experience and enterprise to advice you on how a mezzanine floor could work for your company. If you are considering a mezzanine floor as an addition to your warehouse Call WSL today on 0113 2045350 for advice and a free, no obligation quotation, or email us at sales@wslmail.co.uk