A few years ago, I looked out a Chicago hotel room window at the sub-roof of a skyscraper hotel. A long run of pipes and air ducts cut the roof in half, so that anyone who needed to work on it would have to walk a long way around or climb over. Since there were obvious points of maintenance and other equipment on both sides of the obstructions, I’m guessing that maintenance workers were doing exactly that. They needed a crossover, and a roof top isn’t the easiest place to install one, particularly post-construction.
How to Position Crossovers on Rooftops
June 9, 2020
by Scott Stone
Tags: Space Optimization
Posted in Safety & Ergonomics|
How to Specify Your Mezzanine Project
January 7, 2020
by Scott Stone
Increasing space in your current facility is a big decision that requires an evaluation from a number of perspectives for the best outcome. Mezzanines are a common, relatively fast and economical way to add space to warehouses, factories, hangars and other commercial facilities. You should work through the following considerations for mezzanine design and specification.
Tags: warehousing, Space Optimization
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|
How to Measure Conveyors
October 9, 2018
by Scott Stone
This is part three of our guide to measuring material handling equipment. When you want to lay out a conveyor, there are methods to measurement that can ensure the equipment fits where you need it to, interfaces with machinery, matches work station heights, and other critical measures.
Tags: Space Optimization
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
OSHA Safety Standards for Mezzanines & Platforms
November 9, 2017
by Scott Stone
We help clients with structural mezzanines and rack supported systems in a range of facilities.
Mezzanine options range from professionally manufactured to home-made to local fabrication shop to professional contractors. If you have a mezzanine or storage platform custom fabricated, you need to be sure your contractor is complying with OSHA & local safety regulations, particularly on guard railing, stairs and gates. If your fabricator doesn’t routinely work with mezzanines, this is something you’ll have to do on your own. The best policy is to look at established vendors if you don’t want to micro-manage the details of building permits, code compliance, and OSHA’s blessings. Here’s a breakdown of the handrail issues you might run into:
Tags: warehousing, Material Handling, OSHA, Mezzanines, industrial safety, code compliance, building codes, Space Optimization
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|
Download Cisco-Eagle’s Guide to Mezzanines
November 2, 2017
You’re already paying rent, taxes and for utilities of the space in your facility. Even if nearby space is available and suitable, using a work platform to expand makes sense because all these costs are wired in—and don’t typically rise with a mezzanine installation. Use platforms and mezzanines to leverage your existing space for offices, production equipment, storage areas, manufacturing process, product/conveyor sorting and much more. It’s a fraction of the cost of new construction and delivers long term value. Mezzanines also offer significant tax depreciation advantages.
Tags: Mezzanines, Space Optimization
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|
Crossovers and Work Platforms: The Advantages of Modular
March 1, 2016
by Scott Stone
I recently attended training on a crossover and work platform product that continues to impress me for its flexibility and innovative engineering. Because of its modular design, it stands out from fabricated and manufactured products because it can morph and change as your needs change. There are times where a fixed, welded platform is fine, but it has hidden costs. Let’s examine those…
Tags: crossover, work platform, modular, Erect A Step, Perfect A Step, Space Optimization
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|
How to Reduce Your Storage Footprint with Spiral Conveyors
February 9, 2016
by Scott Stone
In any warehouse or distribution facility, there are two critical—and usually very limited—commodities: time and space.
Warehouses and DC’s are limited by these two constraints – you basically have your square footage, your people, and 24 hours in a day—or less, if you aren’t running three shifts. These constraints drive us to refine processes and optimize performance. Let’s discuss a type of equipment that can save time and slash the need for space: spiral conveyors.
Tags: Space Optimization
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
Mezzanine, Platform & Pick Module Fall Prevention
April 9, 2015
by Scott Stone
Above: the edge of this pick module, which leads to a fall of over 20 feet, is guarded by a series of pallet flow swing gates.
When companies install storage platforms, the hustle and bustle of a busy working day can soften safety processes–a kind of soft that might lead to a hard and very expensive landing. Here are some ways you can reduce issue with work platform falls.
Tags: Space Optimization, Safety & Ergonomics, guard rail, handrail, mezzanine gate, pedestrian safety, pedestrian gate
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|
When Is a Mezzanine Not a Mezzanine?
August 4, 2013
by Scott Stone
What a difference a name can make.
People tend to call any elevated platform a “mezzanine” in this industry, but that may be a mistake. When you are installing or otherwise specifying a platform, you need to be aware that the word “mezzanine” can cost you money and cause headaches when applied incorrectly.
Tags: Mezzanines, taxes, Space Optimization, warehousing, Building Permits
Posted in Mezzanines & Industrial Platforms|