OXFORD COLD STORAGE – MELBOURNE, VIC

Oxford Cold Storage, Australia’s largest privately owned, temperature-controlled storage specialist, has recently added a new state-of-the-art freezer housing more than 23,000 pallets at its 60 acre Laverton North complex in Melbourne.

 While the majority of the pallets in the 11,000 square metre freezer are stored in double-deep ColbyRACK pallet racking, a key feature is Oxford’s first application of mobile pallet racking, which raised storage capacity within a section of the new warehouse from 5,748 pallets with double-deep racking to 7,672 – an increase of 30%.
 
A multi-national team comprising Oxford’s long-term logistics partner Dematic, mobile racking equipment supplier Storax from the UK and South Africa’s leading mobile racking installer Barpro, worked in conjunction with building contractor Vaughan Constructions to deliver the technically-demanding project in seven months.

Mobile pallet racking system

The mobile pallet racking system comprises 25 double rows of selective ColbyRACK, split across three zones. This configuration allows up to three aisles to be open simultaneously, enabling multiple RF-directed forklifts to put-away and retrieve stock concurrently, ensuring high productivity levels.
 
The system is 20 pallets wide, seven pallets high and features a combination of two and three pallet-wide bays, with a specially developed single pallet-wide cantilever bay at the end of each row making efficient use of the headroom above a pedestrian walkway running through the rear of the storage system.

Mobile pallet racking design features

The design practice used for mobile racking superstructures differs from conventional static pallet racking, with some commonality to that used by Dematic when designing for light seismic conditions.
 
The upgraded pallet racking superstructure includes:

• Stronger ColbyRACK beams and uprights
• A special end frame to support the cantilevered bays
• Heavy-duty baseplates
• Flexible back ties, allowing the racking to sway slightly when moving.

For more information on the Oxford Cold Storage Mobile Racking solution contact us today.