Mobile Cantilever Racking System for Timber Storage

Stocker Fenster: Optimised use of space

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A new mobile racking system from OHRA enables J. Stocker Fensterbau AG to significantly expand its storage capacities for squared timber with only a very small additional space requirement. Four double-sided cantilever racks mounted on transfer carriages make it possible to gain storage space while at the same time saving on transport routes. The system is controlled by radio, for example from the forklift truck, or alternatively manually on the transfer carriages. The radio remote control also enables special functions such as positioning the racks for manual order picking or automatically releasing the passage to a hall door after a certain time without movement. In addition, the remote control of the system has been expanded so that it can also be used to operate four hall doors.

Stocker manufactures individual wooden and wooden-metal windows for all types of buildings. Thanks to state-of-the-art production, the company can react quickly and flexibly to customer requirements. The expansion of the wood cutting now required significantly more capacity for storing the six-metre-long squared timbers that serve as the basic material for the windows. For this, however, as little space as possible was to be occupied in the existing hall. Therefore, Stocker installed a mobile racking system from OHRA: It consists of a cantilever rack fixed to the floor and four double-sided racks mounted on transfer carriages. By moving the carriages to form a compact storage block, only one racking aisle is ever open for operation with a four-way forklift - so space utilisation is very high. The four mobile racks are 6.4 metres long and offer a maximum storage height of five metres on five racking levels. Each chassis can be loaded with over 39 tonnes. 

The system is operated via two radio controls or manually on the transfer carriages. Since the more than 16-metre-long travel path of the racks crosses a passageway to a neighbouring hall, an additional button was installed on the hall door to open the corresponding racking aisle. Furthermore, the control system was programmed in such a way that the racking automatically clears the door aisle after ten minutes without movement. The control of the racking system also enables the control of a total of four hall doors - so the forklift driver only needs one remote control with which he can operate both the racking and the doors. The racking can also be moved into a picking position via the control system: In this case, all five aisles between the racks are open so that timbers can be removed by hand.

The racking system, which will be put into operation in August 2020, offers both the required increase in storage capacity and an overall significantly more efficient and convenient timber picking.