Balustrade manufacturer could no longer do without automated warehouse

In the manufacturing industry, many large and small parts are often used to create a finished product. These materials must be stored in an orderly and efficient manner. In an ordinary shelving system, they are often not put back after use and it is difficult to maintain a correct view of the stock. This was also the case at Lammertyn in Ardooie. That's why the railing manufacturer invested in an automated warehouse type Hänel Lean-Lift®, delivered and assembled by DDD Technics, at the end of 2019. At Lammertyn, they couldn't live without their platform lift system any longer.

Roger Lammertyn started manufacturing railings, stairs and handrails in 1978. Three years later, he moved to the current location. "When my father passed away, together with my wife Saskia, I further developed his life's work into a dynamic SME with about thirty employees," says business manager Krist Lammertyn. "We mainly produce balustrades for professional customers, for example construction promoters. The range includes about fifteen standard models, but thanks to our modern machinery and our expertise, we can also deliver custom-made products. All products are produced and finished in our own workshop. We also have an in-house design office and installation is done with our own assembly teams."

The company invested last year in a Lean-Lift® platform lift system, which allows parts to be stored in an orderly and efficient manner.

Hänel Lean-Lift®

Lammertyn wants to continue growing in the future and therefore invested in the further expansion of the workshop. He bought a piece of land from the neighbors, on which a 16 m high profile warehouse with a total area of 1,300 m² was built. In production, space was cleared for a new machine by Soenen Hendrik. "All small parts, such as bolts, screws and nuts, as well as maintenance products and other materials used to be stored in a rack warehouse in production. Everyone could get in and out freely, and often the remainder was not put back in its place, so everything was lying around, things got lost and we never had a clear overview of our stock," says Lammertyn. "That's why last year we were looking for an appropriate solution that would allow us to store our parts more easily and, above all, more efficiently. So we came to automated warehouse solutions and, after thorough comparison of the possibilities, to DDD Technics and Lean-Lift®."

Thanks to this system, the retrieved items are automatically brought to the work opening within seconds, where they can be taken out by the operator at an ergonomic height.

Flexible, effective and cost-effective

This platform lift system from Hänel Büro- & Lagersysteme makes maximum use of the available height of the room, and parts are stored in an optimized way without loss of space in height. "The Lean-Lift® exists in models from 840 to 4,460 mm wide, with a choice of four different depths: 635, 825, 1,047 and 1,270 mm for the storage of goods with weights ranging from 300 to 1,000 kg per platform and a maximum payload per system of 60,000 kg," explains Chris Cherretté, technical commercial representative at DDD Technics. "At Lammertyn, a platform elevator 2,460 mm wide, 825 mm deep and 6,000 mm high was built. Thanks to this system, the retrieved articles are automatically brought to the work opening within seconds, where they can be taken out by the operator at an ergonomic height."

Satisfied of system and service

The Lean-Lift® was commissioned in November 2019, and at Lammertyn they are already very satisfied with both system and service. "With this platform elevator, everything is now nicely sorted. Actually, we should have made this investment much earlier. Soon there will be another badge system," Lammertyn concludes. "Chris and his team provided an appropriate solution based on our needs. We were able to turn to DDD Technics for expert advice, installation and commissioning as well as after-sales service. If we need an automated warehouse in our new building in the future, we will definitely think of them again."