Heavy mettle
April 1st 2009 Steel tube specialist, Dudley Tubes, drastically increased its production lead times across
thousands of product lines, reduced its cost base and improved operator output by
working with Cooper Specialised Handling to customise heavy duty sideloaders
Dudley Tubes handles up to 30,000
tonnes of steel tubing each year.
When the company recently came
to review its operations, it soon realised that
it could significantly increase its business
efficiency and add value to its customer
base via its warehousing and MHE strategy.
Steel tubing is traditionally stacked in low
rise posts on the floor of stockholder
warehouses, often taking up a great deal of
floor space. Overhead cranes are typically
used to move the steel around the
warehouse, which can be a cumbersome
process. In addition, this method of
operation hinders stock rotation as the last
product in has to be the first out.
Dudley Tubes wanted to take a fresh
approach to the storage and handling of steel
and looked to the timber industry for
inspiration. As a result, early in 2008 the
company introduced a new concept in high
racking throughout its 55,000ft2 warehouse.
This included investment in a fleet of five
specially designed Baumann sideloaders to
assist with its handling operations.
The 5t Baumann machines incorporate a
new cab design which increases visibility
and improves operator access; both of
which are crucial in preventing accidents
and improving safety when handling long
goods in tight spaces. In order to meet the
demands of handling heavy steel, the five
sideloaders were modified by Cooper
Specialised Handling to meet the high lifting
requirements of Dudley Tubes.
As the sideloaders are usually designed
to carry timber they needed stronger
reinforcements in order to cope with the 18
metre-long heavy steel tubing, which can be
lifted as high as six metres in the specially
designed warehouses. Extra strengthening
was needed in the form of a frame around
the cab of the machine to protect the
driver, while heavy duty guarding was
placed around lighting to prevent damage.
Dudley Tubes' decision to use the
specially modified sideloaders in high
racking has enabled it to move away from
using labour-intensive overhead cranes.
This has meant that the company has been
able to reduce the number of operators in
its warehouse, thereby almost doubling
operator productivity. At the same time it
has virtually eliminated the risk of accidents.
"The time savings we have made in
loading, unloading and storing steel has
significantly increased our productivity and
customer lead times," says Dudley Tubes
director, Wayne Peters. "Handling steel is a
dangerous job and these trucks are the
engines of our business, yet the driver never
has to get out of the cab. This helps provide
a very safe environment for our operators."
The strengthened cab, which
incorporates the new cab design, also
significantly reduces noise and vibration
levels, ensuring compliance with new
legislation and increasing operator comfort.
To ensure that the trucks completely
satisfied the demands of the steel
stockholder's application, Cooper SH
arranged a visit to the factory in Italy where
Dudley Tubes could try out the new product
and input into the final design process.
"It was essential to involve our customer
in the design process," says Cooper SH
managing director, David Cooper. "By
custom-building this truck and keeping the
comfort and safety of the operator
paramount, drivers perform their day-to-day
tasks more efficiently and productively."
To hold the 6,000 tonnes of galvanised
steel and thousands of product lines,
Dudley Tubes designed a warehouse with
2.7m wide aisles, at least three foot wider
than typical steel holding warehouses, to
accommodate the sideloader trucks. The
racking is six metres high throughout; with
such a new concept, an off the shelf racking
solution was not available, so bespoke
racking was designed and ordered.
The strong relationship between Dudley
Tubes and Cooper SH meant that the
solution evolved over time. "Our
relationship with Cooper Specialised
Handling goes back fifteen years, giving
them in-depth knowledge of our business,"
adds Wayne Peters. "We were able to work
with them from the early stages and design
the warehousing and racking around the
truck specifications. Cooper's expertise in
bespoke machine design has ensured that
we have a product that is perfect for our
application."
Of the five sideloaders contracted to
Dudley Tubes, four are on long-term rental
and one is on short-term hire. The seven
year all-in maintenance contract gives the
company dedicated engineering support
through Briggs Equipment, a national
materials handling service provider,
assuring a three hour call-out time, if any
maintenance is required.
Working in-depth with a key supplier,
from concept to completion of the project,
helped secure business success for Dudley
Tubes, which has seen its output double in
the last four years through organic growth. More articles from Cooper Specialised Handling Ltd.: | 
