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In JYSK's new distribution center in Lelystad, everything will soon run on automation. Robots, cranes and AGVs process the flow of goods day and night. This is precisely why collision protection is an important precondition for the operation.
Van Straten Geleiderail BV of Opijnen provides the collision protection for the DC. Project leader Remko Jansen takes care of the complete collision protection: from columns and dock doors to sprinkler pipes and shielding the pedestrian walkways. “You also want to protect everything that is automated,” he says. “In fact, it might actually be protected more, because in case of damage, everything comes to a standstill.”
Van Straten's work revolves around protecting the building structure and installations. At all internal passages, she installs heavy steel portals. These keep forklifts away from fire doors and sprinkler lines. All columns in the building will have a protective coating to keep corners intact, and skirting will be placed along the office walls to protect the wall finish from collisions with forklifts. All dock doors will have guard pillars that cushion the blow if a truck or forklift truck drives a little too far during loading or unloading. With 137 docks in this DC, this is a considerable number. And in a number of places Van Straten separates the walking routes from the driving traffic - a requirement in a building where people and machines share the same space.
Van Straten is working on this project on behalf of Vrolijk, partner of general contractor Willy Naessens Netherlands. “We have had warm contacts with Vrolijk for years,” says Jansen. “That relationship makes coordination on the construction site easier.”
For Van Straten, the scale of the project is large, but not unfamiliar. The mechanics have knowledge and experience about all the details of the project. “Our experienced fitters can assess on site whether everything is correct and there can be a quick switch with the production process if the dimensions need to be adjusted.”
Van Straten is often one of the last parties on the construction site. That can mean having to make up for delays from others, but in this project that is not so bad, says Jansen. “JYSK is installing the automation itself, so the commissioning follows later. That offers a little more leeway in terms of planning.” Full assembly of all the collision protection is expected to take two months.
In addition to the safety devices, the company also supplies the bike shed canopy, planters and trash receptacles, as well as some furniture. For the collision protection itself, steel is the standard. “Rust, especially in our business, is killing,” says Jansen. “That's why preservation is very important.”
