Dach Walter, one of the leading medium-sized specialist roofing dealers in Thuringia, has expanded its storage capacity with a pallet rack from OHRA. Equipped with metal gratings, it offers flexible storage options for a wide variety of materials. But this is only the most recent project – Dach Walter has been continuously investing in OHRA racking for over 15 years. The wholesaler for roofing materials is thus responding to the constantly growing range of materials in the industry, which places very different demands on storage.
Since its foundation in 1992, Dach Walter has been supplying its customers in Thuringia with building materials for roofs and façades. This also means more than 30 years of experience with racking solutions. “Racking systems made from folded sheet metal profiles are often damaged during operation. And replacing them is time-consuming,” says Managing Director, Thomas Walter. Since 2009, the company has therefore relied on racking from OHRA, one of the leading manufacturers of heavy-duty storage technology in Europe.
The pallet and cantilever racking from the Kerpen-based manufacturer is made from solid, hot-rolled steel profiles and is therefore characterised by its high load-bearing capacity, impact resistance and durability.
Customised racking solutions in demand
The range of customised racking solutions that OHRA offers was also important. This is the only way to store the different materials efficiently. For example, some of the pallet racking is equipped with metal gratings to accommodate non-standardised disposable pallets. In the cantilever racking, cantilever arms with a load-bearing capacity of up to 1,200 kilograms each enable the safe storage of timber up to 13 metres long.
Weather protection included
“Our customers also expect more and more building materials to be stored protected from the weather,” says Thomas Walter. This is made possible, among other things, by the rack supported buildings that OHRA has built at both of the company’s sites. The cantilever racks also serve as a load-bearing structure for the roof and walls – this is cheaper and quicker to realise than building a separate building in which the racks are then placed.
OHRA also fitted additional racking externally with an integrated roof. The company also provided the structural analysis and planning required for the approval, so that the process could be completed quickly.
Teamwork to find the right storage solution
The racking manufacturer also worked closely with Dach Walter on the planning of the new branch in Petersberg – a former car dealership. The building presented special challenges due to its unfavourable geometry and the load-bearing columns on the usable area. Together with the forklift specialists from Kirchner & Partner, Weimar, a customised utilisation plan was developed for the building. The columns were integrated into the racking, and the use of an Aisle Master articulated forklift truck enables the warehouse to be operated efficiently even with narrow racking aisles.
The combination of the technical properties of the racking, the broad portfolio, the customisability of the storage solutions and the planning expertise continue to convince Thomas Walter of OHRA. “We have found a sustainable supplier for long-term, safe and economical storage solutions,” concludes Thomas.
