When Revell Monogram, a major manufacturer of plastic and die-cast models, closed a plant, the company moved its customer fulfillment department to another location with only one-third of the space previously available.

Quality assurance manager Marco Cozzone knew a high-density storage system with a small footprint was required to store at least the same replacement part quantities as before. Cozzone decided that two vertical lift modules (Kardex Systems, 800-234-3654) were the answer. In addition to high-density storage, the units eliminated both walking and search time. They also reduced the time required to pull parts from an average of one minute to 15 seconds—a 300% increase in productivity.

"We were able to increase our storage capacity by 20% while consolidating parts storage into a much smaller centralized location," Cozzone says.

Unlike fixed shelving where vertical space between shelves is often wasted due to irregular product heights, the VLM features adjustable storage pan spacings based on the product height. This allows maximum storage density without sacrificing easy accessibility and visibility of stored parts.

To take full advantage of vertical space, the company installed two units that were extended above the new facility's eight-foot drop ceiling. One unit is 16 feet high with 65 storage pans. The other is 15 feet high with 50 storage pans. The 11-gauge steel pans feature four- and six-inch openings, and measure 75 inches by 32 inches. Dividers help fulfillment operators keep parts organized. Both units use direct-drive 5 horsepower AC motors.

Although the system was justified completely on space savings, it has resulted in additional benefits. These include improved record-keeping with the system's integrated software as well as a major increase in productivity.

"We receive up to 400 requests per day for replacement parts from consumers who have lost or damaged parts in hobby kits. So being able to pull a part in a quarter of the time is a tremendously important profitability factor," Cozzone says.