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In order to provide assistance during natural disasters and other emergencies, the volunteers of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) require vast quantities of equipment – even when they have to work in areas that are difficult to access. Compact storage units are essential for transporting this equipment. Sortimo has developed a storage container for the THW in which materials can be stowed away particularly efficiently and protected from the weather, and which also fits on a small truck. It is equipped with the FR5 and Globelyst4 shelving systems and the ProSafe load securing system.
Together with experts from the volunteer specialist working group (FAG) on logistics and the procurement office, part of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), Dirk Winterscheid developed the specifications for a compact container with a volume of seven cubic meters. According to the THW employee, the external dimensions of 2.2 meters long, 1.6 meters wide, and 2.45 meters high were chosen so that the container fits on light trucks with tipper bodies or trailers and can be set down with a forklift or loading crane. This is the only way to ensure that the container can be set up wherever THW volunteers need the material. They can often only access narrow old towns or field and forest paths with small trucks.
Stackable steel container with interior fittings from Sortimo impresses
In the product-neutral tender, the Mover Box from CTX Containex, a stackable steel swap body with a payload of one ton, combined with Sortimo's interior fittings, ultimately won the day. "The advantage of Sortimo lies in its large portfolio of standardized products, such as fixed and folding shelves in various dimensions, supplemented by different storage containers. This means that almost any material can be stored safely," explains Dirk Winterscheid. The systems have been tried and tested in trade and industry for years, are durable and robust, and are therefore very popular with many users. Many volunteers are familiar with Sortimo equipment from these areas and appreciate it.
“The flexibility of the modular system, the cost-effectiveness, and the adaptability of the product range are a good complement to the most economical offer, with which Sortimo convinced us and thus won the contract,” he argues. Thanks to the adaptable modules, Sortimo was able to make optimal use of the limited space available and create structured storage space for the load – including the associated load securing equipment for safe transport.
SoboPro, FR5, and Globelyst4 systems ensure secure storage spaces
The interior features a Soboflex subfloor with an aluminum checker plate tray and airline rails in the floor and ceiling for securing heavy loads with SoboPro telescopic tension bars. The shelves are anchored to the side walls: on the left, the flexible FR5 system with foldable, three-dimensionally adjustable shelves for loads of up to 100 kilograms; on the right, the Globelyst4 shelving system with BOXXes for structured organization. A ramp is also attached to the inside of the container door, which can be hooked into the container floor with pins. Despite the difference in height between the natural ground and the storage floor, THW employees can use the ramp to comfortably access the interior of the container with loading aids such as pallet trucks.
After Sortimo was awarded the contract, the concept was refined in several construction meetings. Dirk Winterscheid was very satisfied with the advice provided by Sortimo's product experts. Many detailed solutions were developed during the joint construction meetings. “The Sortimo employees contributed a wide range of ideas to make the expansion even more efficient,” he praises. According to Winterscheid, these included, for example, switching from toggle locks to tension belts to secure the load of the various storage containers. In addition, perforated sheet metal was added to the shelves, which can also be used to hang materials. “The Euroboxes are stored securely in the Sortimo system and, thanks to additional buffers, have hardly any play and do not rattle. This makes transport very smooth,” reports the THW employee.
The THW will receive a total of 26 converted storage containers. They are planned to be used for a period of 20 years.
It's good that Sortimo can also guarantee the availability of spare parts during this time.