Steel Coil Storage: Solutions in safety and Storage

A safe and efficient work environment is a top priority of all steel employers. The shear mass of stored coils and the inertia created by the slightest coil movement makes the stacking of coils #1 on the list for maintaining such an environment. In the past, wood blocks or chocks were employed to hold coils in place (Figure 1). This practice comes with a multitude of issues; by avoiding this outdated practice, your company can:

• Avoid safety incidents & potential injury
• Focus manual labor hours elsewhere
• Increase productivity
• Prevent damage to coils – deter loss of product

For companies serious about implementing a cost-effective coil storage system that focuses on safety, the Rollstop™ system is the answer. With an easy to install, modular design, this system eliminates the need for wood blocks & chains and effectively resolves countless related issues.

The system is assembled on two rails that run the length of each storage row, maintaining parallel placement using regularly placed spacers. The rails, supplied in 13’ lengths, are joined end to end using a specially designed, threaded connector. Rollstop blocks, whose placement can be changed to account for coil size, are placed (4) blocks per coil, over top the rail system. These blocks secure themselves to the rails using a mating rib pattern, so there is no need for separate fasteners (Figure 4).

The geometry of this design allows for 3-high stacking of coils safely. Additionally, the stacking design allows for improved Crain process and productivity by reducing the quantity of coils moved. One operators study showed that the elimination of chains saved 2-5 hours/ shift and the efficient movement of coils saved 2.5 hours/ shift (Figure 5).

Investing in your company’s future

Utilization of this product enables companies to:

• Realize substantial cost savings by avoiding construction of new warehouse space 
• Improve personnel safety and labor efficiency through more effective coil stacking
• Eliminate the need for wood blocks and chains
• Increase the volume of stored coils by 30% – 70%

To illustrate the operational benefits of RollStop, a customer in the Midwest has shared with us real-world results; made possible by our system. In short, it was determined that this customer was able to store an additional 478 coils that would have otherwise required additional warehouse space.  For the company, that meant 30% additional storage capacity existed. Assuming 478 coils, stacked 2-high and chained, would require an additional 15,000 square feet space at a construction cost of $40.00 per square foot, a dollar value of nearly $600,000 can be realized. Additionally, this dollar value increases when invested in product that can turn a margin and facilitate company growth.

To learn more about this customer scenario & to see a breakdown of cost savings over the life of our product, please see our technical paper. 

Improve your business today

To learn more about our capabilities or to request a free customized estimate, please contact us, email sales@philpottrubber.com or call (330)225-3344.