MechChem Africa November 2017

Mecalux Movirack ® mobile storage solution, designed to enable increased storage by eliminating aisle space, was recently used in Durban’s Idube Cold Storage facility for perishable goods.The facility, approximately 50% deeper than other similar local facilities and consisting of three cold chambers of varying temperatures, is now an 8 500 hi-cubed capacity mobile storage system, certified to carry 1.4 tonnes per pallet space. Extra high and deep cold storage solution

S outh African industrial storage solu- tions authority, APC Storage Solu- tions SA, recently completedamobile storage system installation for a greenfieldmulti-temperature, multi-chamber cold storage facility for Durban-based com- pany, Idube Cold Storage. The internal height of the cold storage facility required someplanned ingenuity from APC Storage Solutions SA, which resulted in elevating a casting wiring harness to conduct the roof installation. It is thefirst time inSouth Africathatastoragesystemhasbeeninstalled in this way. Situated in the Dube Trade Port at King Shaka International Airport in KwaZulu- Natal, Idube provides cold storage facilities for importers and exporters of perishable goods. To ensure adequate storage capacity across varying temperatures in the 4 700 m² cold store, the facility was divided into three cold chambers, in which the storage solution would be installed. The contract included the complete design, supply and installation of storage systems for the three cold chambers and all associated electronics that facilitate mobile operations. APC Storage Solutions SA in-

stalled the Mecalux Movirack ® mobile stor- age solution, designed to enable increased storage by eliminating aisle space. The cold storage facility is approximately 50%deeper than other similar facilities in South Africa, which means the number of bays usually used is almost doubled. The result is an 8 500 hi‑cubed capacity mobile storage system across three chambers certified to carry 1.4 t per pallet space. This means the cold storage facility is now capable of storing 12 000 t of frozen product. The 18mhigh roof installation necessitat- ed drilling fromthe bottom. Using specialised equipment, such as scissor jacks for example, APC Storage Solutions SA elevated a casting wiringharness, whichenabled the installation to be conducted from the roof down. “This is the first time in South Africa that a storage system installationhas been conducted in this way,” says FredAlbrecht,managingdirector of APC Storage Solutions SA. Using equipment for rigging in lieuofman- ual handling is one of APC Storage Solution SA’s hallmarks, and the company is the only storage solutions company in South Africa to do so. “This is because theMecalux brand we distribute and install requires us to adhere

Installation complete: One of the chambers inside Idube’s 4 700 m² cold store. The installation of the storage system from APC Storage Solutions SA enables Idube to store 12 000 t of frozen product across all three chambers. to European safety regulations, which neces- sitatesminimal manual handling procedures,” Albrecht explains. One of the cold chambers is used spe- cifically to handle drums for export and it is designed so that drum temperatures can be reduced in short times, similar to those of a blast freezer. To ensure the storage system could accommodate the export drums, it was specifically designed to contain 1.2×1.2 m type M pallets. “APC Storage Solutions SA carried out its scope of work among some trying work-

An inside view. The 8 500 hi-cubed capacity mobile storage system is certified to carry 1.4 t per pallet space.

Aisle closed for now. One can clearly see the break between aisles 7A and 7B where racking will open to allow for aisle space when required.

24 ¦ MechChem Africa • November 2017