More models. More sophisticated. More specialized. That’s today’s auto world. A delight for auto owners, but a headache for outlets that need to move and maintain stocks of spare parts in expensive warehouse space.
“It’s a problem we’ve been trying to solve since the company was founded in the mid-1990s,” says Morgan Andersson, Warehouse Manager at Toveks Bil’s multi-floor facility in Lidköping, Sweden. Toveks Bil is a multi-brand group (Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, and Volkswagen among others) with over 600 employees across Sweden offering new/used auto sales, spare parts, and repairs.
Warehouse at bursting point
“We were having to manage more components with ever faster turnaround, but we were unable to expand our floor space. It got to be a burning issue for us,” continues Morgan. The warehouse was using an overhead crane for lifting between floors, but loading and unloading were taking too long and efficiency was suffering badly.
“Worse still, the slow overhead crane was actually causing problems,” says Morgan. “It took so long to move the heavy stuff that the goods inwards area would get congested with new consignments. Safety was being put at risk.”
Safety at risk
Patrik Brandt, Sales Manager at Toveks Bil, brings up another safety aspect: “The overhead crane did not offer really accurate positioning. And unless it was perfectly loaded there was always the risk of crushing, or something falling, which may harm people or goods.”
Patrik investigated the possibilities and decided to contact Christer Martinell, Sales Manager at VPG. “We discussed the problem in depth,” recalls Patrik. “Christer came up with a solution that would not only improve safety but also boost efficiency – the MDL-I mast-driven goods lift.”
Fast, flexible solution
“The MDL-I gives us much more flexibility. Heavy palleted items can be loaded just as they are, while smaller components go in trolleys to be delivered to individual employees if we wish,” notes Patrik. “For our employees, that means improved safety and ergonomics, with no need to go hunting for parts themselves.”
“We were impressed by the speed of installation – just two days from start to ready to go. There was no need for an expensive pit to be constructed, and the lift was delivered in time-saving modules that the installers assembled quickly and cleanly.”
“Simply plug in, and things start moving – and improving – immediately,” concludes Patrik. “We would recommend the Marco/VPG MDL-I for handling any kind of goods movement between floors where space, efficiency, and cost savings are at a premium.”
MDL-I Product sheet (2,2 MB, .PDF) Get a quotation More about Goods Lifts More about Toveks Bil (in Swedish)
