Concrete Grinding Ltd returned to France to provide a floor grinding solution for an existing client, 3 Suisses. Working in partnership with the main contractor, Promadis, an extension to the existing VNA facility in Villeneuve d’Ascq near Lille, North of Paris required the floor to be ground to tolerance ready for racking installation.
Concrete Grinding Ltd has previously worked for 3 Suisses in December 2008 through to January 2009 when they were first commissioned to provide Laser Grinding to two of the client’s DC near Lille, one of which was in Villeneuve d’Ascq. At that time the client had an aging MHE system in a large portion of their facility. However, after seeing how beneficial the Laser Grinding system can be, the client then modernised with an extension area, resulting in the revisit completed this year.
Using the Laser Grinder®, Concrete Grinding Ltd carried out 2 wheel tracks grinding to 13 aisles totalling 702 metres to meet with TR34 CAT 2 floor flatness specification. A further 197 metres were laser ground in the centre of the narrow aisle where joints in the floor were out of specification.
No Inconvenience to the Warehouse Operation
See below:
1. Fully ground floor
2. Operational aisle with the Laser Grinder® working in the next aisle, with no inconvenience to the warehouse operation.
Fully Ground Floor
The VNA Fork Lift Trucks (FLT) are guided within the aisle by high profile guide rails. At the client request, the Laser Grinding was set up in such a way that the FLT wheels and the guide rails both sit into the ground paths. As the Laser Grinding preceded the racking installation, the alignment of the grinding was critical, particularly as the guide rails and front wheels of VNA truck were required to be located in the cut path. By using a 380mm diameter cutting blade, designing tight tolerances and also maintaining straight cutting lines, this was successfully achieved with minimum clearance either side of the guide rails and the VNA front wheels. This is the best approach when considering ground clearances of VNA truck’s out-rigger wheels.
Operational Aisle
After the designated aisles had been ground, the new racking was fitted and stocked. Concrete Grinding Ltd then proceeded with the remaining aisles, proving that the Laser Grinder® system is clean enough to work alongside fully stocked racks and does not affect the day to day warehouse operation – a factor that is vital for a busy client.
3 Suisses International has operations in France, Belgium, Germany and China. Through its catalogue and via its website, 3 Suisses offers up-to-the-minute fashions for men, women, children and a selection of household and leisure products.
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