Efficient and safe goods lifts optimize performance for a large online shopping retailer’s warehouse

The top online fashion retailer improves its productivity, efficiency and safety to meeting higher market demands

Online orders for the fashion industry have significantly peaked over the last few years, making fashion retailers recognise the need to expand their warehouses. The international and rapidly growing fashion brand has opened a new warehouse in Litchfield to supply their multinational customers efficiently and on time. In 2021, Lödige Industries was contracted to design, manufacture, deliver and install one SHERPA and one ESCORTA goods lift for the new facility. Installation work of the goods lifts was accomplished in November 2021, while the rack system will be finished afterwards.

Location: Litchfield, United Kingdom

Completion date: 2021

Customer: Fashion retailer in the UK

Optimizing space and serving each mezzanine floor efficiently

Due to the increasing number of online orders, the international fashion retailer needed an efficient and space-saving lift solution. The client envisioned a multi-level storage solution, to fully utilise the available warehousing space.

Lödige Industries in the UK decided to implement large goods lifts as a solution to access each floor. The free-standing SHERPA and ESCORTA goods lifts fully automate the transfer of goods across five and six floors and were easily integrated into the rack system. The two lifts have been configured specially to help the flow of goods in the building. They have been fitted to align with their vast increase in orders, facilitating their constant success globally. Overall, the cabin sizes of the goods lifts allow the customer to fit all their equipment in the shaft without any disturbances between different stops.

Safety and security are key priorities for the customer

Safety for employees in installation and operation of goods lifts is one of the key priorities for the fashion brand. Therefore, engineers from Lödige Industries installed the goods lifts in line with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. It contains guidelines to minimise any injury to the user or people close to the machine. It specifies the maximum gap in a guard and directives regarding the lift such as lift speeds for different applications, alongside many other guidelines.

For the ESCORTA, Lödige Industries fitted a bumper rail to protect the emergency stop button from being damaged. Additionally, rumble strips were installed to prevent the trolley from moving and maintaining the smooth running of the lift. As a result, this reduces downtime of the goods lifts, the amount of call outs and allows them to be more cost efficient.

Consistent site coordination to apply the best lift solution for the customer

The biggest challenge for the customer was the limited space available for the goods lifts. Consequently, the customer required a lift solution to fit between the steel building columns and respecting all other work and storage areas. This made the sizing of the lifts become complex.

In close collaboration with the customer, the efficiency of the building was maximised by optimising both, general goods flow and use of space within the goods lifts areas. The constant coordination and communication between the customer and Lödige Industries allowed a precise location for the lifts within the space available.

Solution: SHERPA & ESCORTA goods lifts

Application: Warehouse & Distribution Centre

Lifting capacity: SHERPA & ESCORTA = 1500 kg

Lifting height & Stops: SHERPA = 12 m, 5 stops; ESCORTA = 12 m, 6 stops

Nominal speed: SHERPA = 0.2 m/s; ESCORTA = 0.5 m/s

Cabin dimensions: SHERPA & ESCORTA (WxDxH) = 1.9 m x 2.95 m x 2 m

Pit depth: SHERPA & ESCORTA = 70 mm recess

Shaft head height: SHERPA & ESCORTA = 0.5 m above structure; 3.2 m above upper floor

Solution

In order to save space and meeting the available space restrictions, free standing goods lifts were attached to the rack system.
The applied safety measurements reduce downtimes of the goods lifts, the amount of call outs and allows the customer to operate more cost efficient.
Close collaboration between the go-to fashion brand and Lödige Industries enabled the customer to optimise goods flow while respecting all site specifications.