Altronics Distribution Centre

Client: Altronics
Location: Balcatta WA

Briefing

Rapid growth with an unprecedented increase of sales saw National electronic wholesalers Altronics outgrowing their existing facility. Consultation and development of a new custom built facility to accommodate further aggressive expansion whilst also suiting their requirements for product turnover, picking efficiency and storage was now required. With over 45 years of experience delivering Australian designed and engineered storage systems worldwide, APC's ability to provide custom and compliant solutions in a timely manner made them a fitting partner for Altronics.

Challenge

Coordinating our engineering, designing, modeling and installation so that it did not clash with other builders or consulting suppliers was extremely important so that the project was on schedule. Due to this a special build sequence was designed so that the installation time was minimised and no inconveniences to other companies were had. The build sequence began with the installation of the racking inside the mezzanine, with the structural mezzanine following. The narrow aisle pallet racking was then installed while the top hats and purlins were added to the structural floor. Grating, shelving, conveyor, carton live storage and racking protection were the last additions to finish off the job.

Solution

APC utilised it's Product Realisation and Planning process (a part of APC's ISO9001:2008 accredited quality management system) to map out the project sequence including engineering, designing, modeling and installation. The complex system that was proposed included a shelving pick module enclosed in a structural mezzanine which incorporated a powered conveyor system, carton live storage and bulk storage (Narrow Aisle Pallet Racking). Due to this a thorough process was required to determine the optimum build sequence that would minimise disruption with other trades as part of the construction process. The overall solution was designed to meet the building code of Australia and relevant Australian Standards complete with APC's engineering certificates of compliance.

Result

By going through an extensive consultation phase, APC provided a Combination System Solution that used Altronics' operational data such as: SKU profiles, invoices per month, lines picked per bay, inbound container activity and cartons dispatched per month (amongst many others). This allowed us to create a system that is tailored to their existing needs whilst also having a provision ready to handle potential future growth.