ROLL STORAGE: Why you should transport film or paper on roll carts
“Hauling 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 storage that is as simple as it is revolutionary: a transport cart for rolls – with or without drive.
By NEPATA CEO Fabian Franke, November 2023
Summary
Moving rolls of film or paper from the storage area to further processing is strenuous. The rolls are bulky and heavy. We at the German machine manufacturer Nepata, specialists in converting and film logistics, have now developed a roll transport cart. In this article, I will give you three reasons why you as a film dealer, film manufacturer, in advertising technology or in printing should use such carts in your warehouse. I’m not saying this primarily to sell the carts. But because I am convinced that you want to relieve the physical strain on your employees. And because in economically tensed times, every contribution to greater efficiency counts.
Not ideal: transportation with muscle power and platform trucks
Let’s be honest: do your warehouse employees drag rolls from A to B using muscle power? Or do they balance the rollers back and forth on a platform trolley? This is exactly what I have observed time and again during my visits to film distributors throughout Europe. Strangely enough, I didn’t question that either.
It was only when we developed an automatic storage system for roll media at Nepata that the question arose: How do the rolls of film that the robot has retrieved from the vertical storage system get from the transfer point to the employee at the rewinding machine? Where are they stored temporarily until they are processed? The solution was a specially designed transport trolley. And finally the realization: This trolley is exactly what was missing in the roller store – even without robots.
In the future, when it comes to media on wheels: “Hauling is a thing of the past.”
The idea: transporting castors more easily and safely through the warehouse
On the roll transport cart, the rolls are hung with their sleeves on spikes. This is safe and gentle on the material. The cart is available in two versions – the robust standard version without drive and the powerful model with drive.
The drive system in particular helps to maneuver the cart effortlessly through the warehouse and the converting area – an enormous physical relief for the workers.
transporting multiple rolls at the same time speeds up the picking process considerably. One cart can load up to 20 rolls of film or other media.
Given this, I dare to say:
Nepata’s roll transport carts set 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, the roll weight up to 25 kilograms. All technical data here.
Three reasons why you should use roll trolleys – as a film dealer, film manufacturer, in advertising technology, vehicle wrapping or a print shop
- More efficiency in the picking process
Moving several rolls at once – of course, that means faster work processes and more productivity. Why is this important? Process optimization is essential in warehousing and logistics in order to remain 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 the employees can process.
The design also ensures that damage to the castors is minimized. This is because the rollers are transported suspended and therefore gentle on the material. This reduces waste – a further contribution to avoiding unnecessary costs.
The innovative roll transport cart from Nepata is a prime example of process optimization in the warehouse: a big boost to efficiency with a comparatively low investment.
2. Less stress for employees
Handling the rolls requires strength and skill. On the one hand, this fact limits the circle of potential workers and, on the other hand, is a risk factor for sick leave.
Therefore, any way to make work easier is welcome, especially in times of labor shortages. In particular, the roll carts with integrated drive make moving even heavy rolls around a breeze – even over ramps or inclines. This significantly reduces the physical strain and thus time off due to illness. And work accidents can be reduced because the rolls are safely suspended during transport and employees do not tire so quickly.
The main added value is that it makes work easier and reduces the physical strain on employees.
3. Store or temporarily store rolls in a mobile and space-saving manner
With this in mind, we see the roll transport cart without drive in particular as a valuable addition to any warehouse. It is designed as a mobile storage solution. This allows companies that do not have immense capacity or space to store rolls directly on the cart. This makes it easy to access without getting in the way. If necessary, the cart can simply be moved somewhere else. But of course the roll transport cart with drive is also suitable as a small interim storage facility directly in the converting area or in the showroom. By the way: Rolls or other material in boxes can also be safely transported or stored on the roll transport cart.
Conclusion: This trolley meets the challenges of manual handling and transportation of rolls. A key added value is the reduction in workload because heavy castors are driven instead of carried. The result? A smoother, more efficient workflow that not only increases productivity, but also provides an improved working environment.
Would you like to increase productivity in your warehouse and relieve your employees at the same time?
Request your quote for NEPATA roller transport trolleys here:
Many other clever strategies for optimizing your film logistics you can see in this video >>>
