Murphy & Son has invested in a new shuttle system to increase the efficiency of its supplies operation.

Murphy & Son Ltd, based in Nottingham, provides brewing supplies and technical support for professional brewers across the UK. Following continued growth, they were looking to increase capacity for their range of brewing supplies and processing aids, with a significant quantity being liquid based.

These finished goods are stored in a number of ways, from intermediate bulk container (IBC) and individual barrels, through to small boxed items stored on traditional pallets, and subsequently required a storage solution that would maximise the cubic capacity of the building.

SEC Storage Scarried out a detailed analysis of their finished goods SKU data on a volumetric, cubic and quantitative basis, which identified a unique operation and requirement.

In order to optimise the efficiency of the temperature-controlled warehouse, which has doors at either end (one for incoming finished-goods from production and one for dispatch), it was identified that separating dispatch and replenishment would be best suited to the space.

They also discovered a type of bulk storage system would be best suited to the space as opposed to the more traditional wide aisle or very narrow aisle racking system.

Taking into account the varying factors and complexities, the resulting solution SEC designed was a pallet-shuttle system which would optimise the capacity of the building, similar to a drive-in system, but provide an efficient operation on a FIFO basis.

This pallet-shuttle system is a semi-automated solution that intelligently moves pallets within the racking system, enabling warehouse operatives to carry out other tasks. The shuttle is loaded onto the desired lane by a forklift truck.

Once initiated, the shuttle travels down the lane until it reaches the next available pallet position. When it has located the pallet, the hydraulic loading plate activates, securing the pallet on top of the shuttle. The shuttle then takes the pallet to the instructed location.

For this particular solution, the shuttle takes the pallet from the finished goods end of the system and delivers it to the dispatch end.

Overall the six-lane wide, thirteen-meter-deep pallet-shuttle system provides storage for over 450 pallets in the 5,000 sq. ft space. Due to the way in which the pallet-shuttle operates, it is able to transport varying pallet and container types, which is particularly suited to Murphy & Son’s operation.

John Orson, site engineering manager at Murphy’s & Son, said: “We were looking to optimise our new chilled warehouse space and we all agreed that the shuttle system with its versatility would be our best option, and gives the opportunity to expand for future demands.

“It has made a small space very useful and productive. A very simple system to use and maintain.”