Meet Hi-Level Mezzanines

Exhibiting at IMHX 2022

Stand UK6

Ahead of IMHX 2022, Chris Baxter - Sales Director at Hi-Level Mezzanines, chatted to us about all things IMHX, new product launches, sustainability and key market trends to watch out for.

To learn more about Hi-Level Mezzanines, visit them at IMHX 2022 or head over to the Hi-Level website.

How do you view the outlook for the UK logistics industry?

Like all industries, in the last few years everyone in logistics has weathered some serious changes from Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently, the war in Ukraine.

During the past two to three years we have seen many clients in the warehouse, fulfilment, production and logistics sectors making significant changes in moving to automated solutions. In particular, there has been a large increase in companies introducing robotics to futureproof their operations.

According to research recently published by Warehouse magazine, 68% of warehouse, fulfilment, production or distribution companies have plans to invest in automation in the next 6 to 12 months. It reported that the “tremendous effect” of COVID-19 has spurred them to use robotics as a way to insulate them from future disruption. Firms also highlighted the benefits for their employees, including less repetitive manual work and the opportunity to upskill.

A great demonstration of how companies are already moving to this way of working is a project Hi-Level completed last year for an international client’s ecommerce operations at their new warehouse in the Midlands. This mezzanine was 17,000 square metres in area and showcases how a huge quantity of space was created below the mezzanine for racking, conveyors and robots and more than enough space for a sea of pallet storage on the mezzanine.

With the constant innovation of smart warehouses, automation and robotics solutions this sector just gets more exciting every year!

What new products or services are you launching in 2022?

With logistics firms increasingly investing in automation to store, manage and dispatch products, Hi-Level Mezzanines has developed a unique robot-ready flooring solution which we are pleased to be able to exhibit this year.

Our innovative robot-ready flooring system consists of a robust interlocking 7mm textured PVC floor tile with a high point load to bear the weight of robots.

The tiles are exceptionally hardwearing to prevent indentations caused by robots running 24/7 along the same routes, are slip resistant and have the electro-static resistance required by robots. They are quick to install and moisture resistance makes them easy to clean and maintain.

We have many new projects planned for this year for large high street retailers, supermarkets, logistics specialists and more and we are confident this innovative new product will become the go-to solution for companies implementing warehouse robotic solutions.

How has Hi-Level Mezzanines embraced sustainability?

We are constantly aiming for more sustainable ways of working ourselves and to offer more products and services to our customers that align with our environmental policy. A great example of one of these products is our new robot-ready flooring solution mentioned earlier. The floor tiles are made out of 100% recyclable PVC and any surplus material is converted into more tiles.

We minimise emissions for travel to our sites by having sub-contracted installation teams based around the country. When our team of account managers, surveyors and project managers travel to site they use our company cars which are all 100% electric.

For this year’s exhibition we aim to re-use existing marketing materials wherever possible and if we do need to purchase new items we seek out products that can be used multiple times at other shows or at our head office before eventually being fully recycled.

What key trends should we watch out for?

A key trend we are already seeing is the rise in smart warehouses. Smart warehouses combine the technologies of augmented reality (AR), robotics, the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence to turn a conventional warehouse into a much more efficient, time- and cost-saving operation – good for retailers and logistics companies, and good for their customers.

Smart warehouses recently featured in the Top 3 of the logistics and supply chain trends to watch in 2022, according to Parcel Monitor (www.parcelmonitor.com). They are predicted to disrupt the industry, while McKinsey & Company (www.mckinsey.com) has calculated they have the potential to reduce logistics costs by a remarkable 40%.

Mezzanines can be an integral part of the process. Installed to maximise unused vertical space, providing additional room above and below, they are cost-effective space creators that can carry robotic pickers, conveyors and more.

We have worked with Amazon at the company’s Derby sortation facility where thousands of robot drive units pick up mobile shelves of products and take them to employees who select the items they need for each order. Items are placed in plastic crates that are carried to the packaging areas on conveyors running on our mezzanine floors.

We have also installed mezzanines to complement Ocado’s auto bagging machines and for online retail giant ASOS we installed a three-tier mezzanine to create space and streamline the automation process in its distribution centre.

Smart warehouses are the way ahead, according to analysts. Research from Warehouse magazine showed that 68% of warehouse, fulfilment, production or distribution companies have plans to invest in automation this year and mezzanines are the perfect way to maximise the benefits.