“We actually had plans to build new premises at another location”, Van Kooten recalls. “However, partly due to the coronavirus and partly due to local-authority requirements, these plans fell through. That’s why we decided to install the new laser cutter and the sheet metal storage rack in our current premises.”
“We’d looked at the sheet metal storage rack a year earlier, at that time with our new location in mind. An advertisement had piqued our curiosity and we wanted to see it for ourselves. We were invited to visit one evening and were given a perfect tour. It was exactly what we were looking for.”
space and overview
And is the company happy with its sheet metal storage rack? “Very happy. We now have more space and a better overview. We always had the problem of where to leave the pallets; now we can remove them right away. And we have parted company with most of our old racks. The new rack is 7.80 metres tall and our premises are 8 metres in height, so we have made full use of the space.”
hole in intermediate floor
To make installation possible, however, Vanko had to cut through the intermediate floor. “Yes, we made a hole in the intermediate floor”, laughs Van Kooten. “Here again the fit was perfect, as between the steel beams that support the wooden floor we had exactly 10 centimetres left after the rack had been installed.”
As well as saving space, Vanko’s sheet metal storage rack also delivers efficiency gains: “Once the material is in the right position, we no longer need the forklift. We now only use it to unload the truck and place the sheets in the rack. And we have a much better insight into our stock position. Previously, we wasted a lot of time searching, but now we can see remotely exactly what we have and where. We no longer have to go onto the shop floor to do this, as we can log into the system from the office.”
pleasant relationship
Lastly, Van Kooten is keen to emphasise the extremely pleasant relationship with aalbers|farina: “It started with the way they welcomed us for the tour. But the contact we had during the measurement process was also excellent. The installation was flawless too. It was quite an operation, having to pass through the intermediate floor. You could see then that they are real experts.”