Roll storage: Why should film rolls or paper be transported on trolleys?
“Dragging is a thing of the past,” says Nepata CEO Fabian Franke. Once again, his company has come up with an idea for film or paper warehouses that is as simple as it is groundbreaking: a trolley for rolls – with or without a drive system.
By Fabian Franke, CEO of NEPATA, November 2023
Not ideal: Transport using manual labour and hand trolleys
Let’s be honest: do your warehouse staff haul rolls from A to B using sheer muscle power? Or do they balance the rolls on a platform trolley as they move them back and forth? That is exactly what I have observed time and again during my visits to vinyl film distributors across Europe. Strangely enough, I hadn’t questioned this either.
It was only when we developed an automated storage system for roll media at Nepata that the question arose: how do the vinyl rolls, which the robot has retrieved from the vertical storage system, get from the handover point to the employee at the rewinding machine? Where are they temporarily stored until they’re processed? The solution was a specially designed transport trolley. And finally, the realisation: this trolley is exactly what was missing from the roll storage system – even without a robot.
In future, when it comes to roll-fed media, the motto will be: “Dragging them around is a thing of the past.”
The idea: to transport rolls more easily and safely through the warehouse
With the roll transport trolley, the rolls are suspended from mandrels by their cores. This is safe and gentle on the material. The trolley is available in two versions – the robust standard model without a drive and the high-performance model with a drive
It is the drive system in particular that helps to manoeuvre the trolley effortlessly through the warehouse and the converting area – providing enormous physical relief for the workers.
Transporting several rolls at once speeds up the picking process considerably. A trolley can carry up to 20 rolls of vinyl film or other media.
In view of this, I feel confident in saying:
Nepata’s roll transport trolleys
sets new standards in logistics!
A few more figures: The rolls can be up to 160 cm wide, which is a typical size for many materials. The diameter can be up to 16 cm, the core two or three inches, and the roll can weigh up to 25 kilograms. All technical specifications can be found here.
Three reasons why you should use roll trolleys – whether you’re a vinyl film reseller, film manufacturer, in signmaking, vehicle wrapping sector or a print shop
- Greater efficiency in the picking process
Moving several rolls at once – obviously, that means faster workflows and greater productivity. Why is this crucial? In warehousing and logistics, process optimisation is essential for remaining competitive. This is because processes such as fetching and delivering media do not directly add value. The faster this can be done, the more converting jobs staff can process.
Incidentally, the design ensures that damage to the rollers is kept to a minimum. This is because the rollers are transported in a suspended position, which protects the material. This reduces waste – a further step towards avoiding unnecessary costs.
Nepata’s innovative roll transport trolleys are a prime example of process optimisation in the warehouse: a major boost to efficiency for a comparatively low investment.
- Less strain on staff
Handling the trolleys requires strength and dexterity. On the one hand, this limits the pool of potential staff; on the other, it is a risk factor for sick leave.
Any measure that makes work easier is therefore welcome, particularly at a time of labour shortages. In particular, roller trolleys with integrated drive systems make moving even heavy rollers a breeze – even over ramps or inclines. This significantly reduces physical strain and, consequently, sickness-related absences. It also helps to reduce workplace accidents, as the pallets are securely suspended during transport and staff do not tire as quickly.
The key benefit: making work easier and reducing the physical strain on staff.
- Storing or temporarily holding rolls in a mobile and space-saving manner
From this perspective, we see the non-motorised roll transport trolley in particular as a valuable addition to any warehouse. It is designed as a mobile storage solution. This allows companies that do not have vast capacities or space to store rolls directly on the trolley. This makes access easier without getting in the way. After all, the trolley can simply be moved elsewhere when required. But of course, the powered roll transport trolley is also suitable for use as a small temporary storage solution directly in the converting area or even in the showroom. Incidentally, rolls or other materials packed in boxes can also be safely transported or stored on the roll transport trolley.
Conclusion: This trolley addresses the challenges of manually handling and transporting rolls. A key benefit is that it makes work easier, as heavy reels are driven rather than carried. The result? A smoother, more efficient workflow that not only boosts productivity but also creates a better working environment.
Would you like to boost productivity in your warehouse whilst reducing the strain on your staff?
Request a quote here for NEPATA’s roll transport trolleys:
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