More speed with a mixed fleet

The company has ordered a new fleet of industrial trucks from long-standing partner Crown Lift Trucks to support its Andover operation. After consulting with Crown's logistics experts on possible storage and racking arrangements, Westcoast opted for a fleet solution based on the TSP range of narrow-aisle high-bay trucks - equipped with Auto Positioning System (APS) and Auto Fence automation technologies. The narrow-aisle trucks are supported by a mixed fleet consisting of reach trucks from the ESR series with a lifting height of 13.5 meters, order pickers from the SP series, order pickers from the GPC series with short forks, ride-on pallet trucks from the WT series with rear entry and four-wheel counterbalance trucks from the SC series with electric drive.

22,000 high rack spaces and 16,000 pallet spaces are served

Andy Newberry, Logistics Director at Westcoast, explains the background to the decision: "Since its foundation in 1984, Westcoast has become the preferred distribution partner in the UK for many of its suppliers and customers. Westcoast has also been successful in order fulfillment - the company delivers goods directly to private and business customers. The Andover site was acquired in 2019 to drive Westcoast's consistent growth strategy. When Westcoast took over the building, it was really just a shell. We then invested ten million pounds in the building's infrastructure, including automation of the conveyor systems and a modern warehouse management system. The warehouse was commissioned in spring 2020 and now comprises 22,000 high-bay storage spaces and 16,000 additional pallet spaces."

Simon Ralph, Site Operations Manager at the Andover site, explains the decision to use narrow-aisle trucks: "We had never worked with high-bay trucks like this before, which was a real challenge for us. But Crown's open and straightforward approach helped us enormously in choosing the right trucks for our needs."

The focus was particularly on increasing productivity and safety in the warehouse. Part of the solution was to equip the TSP high-rack stackers with the APS, which allows stackers to take the fastest and most effective route to the next rack location, increasing productivity by up to 25 percent. The auto fence system automatically limits the truck's speed or lifting height depending on its position and stops the truck if necessary.

Significant increase in demand necessitated expansion

At the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, there was an increase in demand for IT equipment. It quickly became apparent that it made sense to expand the fleet. "Today, our Andover site operates 24-hour shifts, five and a half days a week, and we are already approaching a sixth full day. Around 400 pallets are dispatched every day and around 1,000 orders are processed. That's three times the handling capacity we had when the site opened in spring 2020," says Ralph. Growth in 2020 alone was 25 percent.

Westcoast expanded its fleet with additional TSP high-rack stackers and low-lift order pickers from the GPC series. Reach trucks from the new ESR-1000 series were also added. Thanks to the assistance systems, the operators were able to increase their efficiency. The forklift functions enable faster working at height, supported by the automatic lift height preselection; at the same time, the lowering speed can be doubled with Xpress-Lower-TM.

Safety was a top priority for Westcoast during the procurement process. Crown therefore recommended that all forklifts be equipped with the Info-Link system. It ensures greater safety and strengthens employees' safety awareness. ESR operators are accompanied by instructions on the display. Dynamic coaching messages in real time promote safe behavior during forklift operation. Westcoast manages training certificates and access controls electronically via Info-Link.

http://www.westcoast.co.uk http://www.crown.com