Amazon treats DC floor to adapt to VNA configuration
When one of Amazon’s distribution centres in the North of England adapted a section of wide aisle racking to very narrow aisle, they needed a floor suitable for the change.
The online retailer shifts thousands of packages from their distribution centres each day, and for them to be able to continue to meet high demand and work to their optimum performance, their materials handling equipment needs the best floor possible to operate on.
“Amazon is obviously a big name client,” said Concrete Grinding technical services manager Paul Altham. “People use them because of the convenience, but also because of the speed in which they can deliver items that have been ordered on line. With offers like Amazon Prime which guarantees customers next day delivery, they need to be able to meet those demands at all times.”
A number of factors have to be taken in to account to make a distribution centre run efficiently. Not just staff numbers, automated equipment and picking processes. To be able to move around the floor quickly and safely, a flat floor is essential, particularly in narrow aisles.
Paul said: “A number of wide aisles were being replaced with six narrow aisles of 70m each to offer increased storage density and reduced pick times. Face Consultants carried out a Profileograph survey which allowed us to analyse which sections of aisle needed grinding and which didn’t. This enabled us to present Amazon with an accurate quote for the work based on treating just the areas out of specification.
“We started preparatory work while a steel joint that crossed through each aisle was being repaired by CG Flooring Systems. This was required so the joint location could be ground through to correct the flatness, but will also reduce wear to the wheels of the VNA trucks that drive over it every day.”
But it wasn’t so easy for the industrial floor expert from Yorkshire. Paul added: “We found the concrete at this particular unit was very hard and as a result wasn’t as easy to grind as it usually is in this part of the country. However, we used two of our patented laser grinders to accelerate the programme, which is the best in the world at what it does, so we soon managed to get through some stubborn flooring and complete another fantastic job.”
