Dealing with density

Alex Jones,product marketing manager at Linde Material Handling (UK), outlines a number of points to consider when running the rule over VNA trucks

The market for VNA (very narrow aisle) trucks has grown considerably over the years as the need for greater storage density, operator productivity and cost efficiency within warehouse racking installations has also increased.

When considering a totally new or reconfiguration of an existing warehouse operation, there are a number of factors which will influence both the final design of the installation and the type of truck used.

1 Density Very narrow aisle installations provide this high volume storage density, while retaining the flexibility of 100% product availability and is therefore a very attractive option for customers. For example, recent developments within the Linde range now mean that we are able to offer very narrow aisle trucks with lift heights up to 17250mm, covering most customer requirements, and this now starts to offer a flexible alternative to crane solutions.

2 DesignWhen designing a VNA system, the important areas to be considered are load weight, load size, load stability, aisle width, guidance type, pallet throughput and shift patterns. Linde operates a specialist VNA team that works along side any prospective customer to ensure that customer receives the best advice and operating solution.

The Linde VNAP design program allows our specialist team to design a truck to match the exact requirements of every customer rather than just offering the nearest available truck in a standard range. Our modular truck system then allows this specific design to be manufactured.

We are also now able to offer alternative cab designs to assist those customers who want to order pick within the narrow aisle as well as handle full pallets.We have also introduced a new picking cab, with a clear front bulk head and optional new tilting barrier system, to increase picking efficiency and reduce driver fatigue.

3 Software Another product innovation for the VNA truck market is our award-winning intelligent software system - NavMan. NavMan is a semi-automated system that can be configured to provide an interface for warehouse management software systems in standard VNA trucks. It operates in a semi automated mode by taking a signal from the customer's warehouse management system into the truck control system, which will then position the truck in the exact location to either pick or deposit the load in the most efficient manner when handling full loads. This system ensures that all operators, whether experienced or novice, can work at the most efficient rate and reduces the loss in productivity due to the effect of fatigue at the end of each working shift. It also removes the risk of human error in misplacing valuable pallets of stock within very large, very high volume warehouse operations.

4Whole life costs Finally, when looking at VNA options, it is important to calculate the total lifetime cost of the required fleet - a calculation often overlooked at point of purchase. At Linde, we are constantly upgrading our trucks by the use of maintenance-free, long life components to reduce downtime and operating costs.We provide 24/7 service support for better fleet management through our network of 23 national network centres across the UK and our team of over 1,000 factory trained technicians.

We can also help customers design and validate existing or planned warehouse operations for maximum efficiency using our Stratos warehouse planning and simulation software.