The logistics department of the Swiss Mail „Schweizerische Post“ changed 1200 swap bodies to extra light and easy cargo control systems.
The employees of the three packing centers of the „Schweizerische Post“ are lucky people – the company focusses on their healthcare and what they do almost sounds like wellness holidays: twice weekly a physical therapist takes care of tense muscles and a trainer in the company-own sport-studio offers personal fitness training. This programme is completed by tips for a recreative sleep during shift work and the opportunity to buy healthy food very cheap.
„We invest in targeted methods to support the wellbeing of our employees“ says Roger Meister, responsible for the purchase of operating resources at the Härkingen site. The aim is a reduction of illness-caused work outage. As much as possible the direct impact at the working place should be reduced, too. The cargo control system gave a concrete opportunity to do so.
Active since 1999
PostLogistics, the logistic area of the Swiss Mail is using 1200 swap bodies, loaded with either roll boxes or layered parcels. Since 1999 the cargo control is executed by four shoring beams each, guided in roller guiding tracks in the ceiling. To secure the last row of roll boxes or parcels the employee tears down the shoring beam from the ceiling and locks them in the floor tracks. Loose parcels are additionally secured by a Safeguard load securing net
This very robust and clever system was developed by WISTRA GmbH Cargo Control from Selmsdorf near Lübeck in Northern Germany – a company specialized in cargo control systems.
Ethical values in practice
The weight of the first generation shoring beams was 21 kgs. Part of this weight was carried by the suspension, but anyway the load securing of the swap bodies was hard physical work. “Quite a number of swap bodies are loaded and unloaded by each employee – every kilogram less is recognizable tremendously!” Meister says.
Considering this, in 2011 the Schweizerische Post decided to replace the steel shoring beams by the much lighter ones in aluminum. After examination of possible suppliers, the Schweizerische Post again decided in favour of WISTRA. Reasons were – beyond the performance, competence and economy Wistra offered – values like ethics and reliability. Before placing the order Roger Meister and two colleagues travelled to the Wistra production site in Selmsdorf. “We wanted to know who we were talking to” explains Meister who was not yet in the company when in 1999 the first deliveries were made.” Since our visit we were convinced about the reliability and the ethical values in the company of Wistra.
Economical – due to a robust basis
After the order intake Wistra started with the technical development. “It was a big challenge to align the constantly high stability with a considerably reduced weight on the one and the costs on the other hand” says Kurt-Rudolf Born, Wistra’s Head of Engineering. After six months of development work the result was not only a weight reduction by 8.2 kgs to only 12.8 kgs now, furthermore even DEKRA confirmed the required stability of the completely redesigned aluminum shoring beams, which was proved afterwards during a dynamic road trial with the SBB Cargo AG. Employees of the PostLogisitics, part of the Schweizerische Post have to lift considerably less weight per swap body now.” The Postlogistics move approx. 15000 shoring beams a day. That means every day 123 tons of weight less must be lifted and put down.” Meister calculates.
This is reason enough to quickly remodel all of the 1200 swap bodies to this new solution. Wistra delivered the 4800 necessary shoring beams in three tranches which were installed immediately by the Schweizerische Post. Only the old steel beams had to be exchanged against the new aluminum ones. The existing Wistra lashing tracks – 14 years old by now – as well as the roller guiding tracks can still be used without limitation. "The economics of this project was tremendously improved by the very robust basis” Meister underlines.
Not so tired in the evening
Besides all advantages in terms of figures the new shoring beams first of all convince in every day’s work. The workers in the loading and unloading area felt the clear weight reduction at once. “The work is much easier and we are not so tired in the evening” Erich Nydegger reports, the Head of Loading. He may go to the physical therapy all the same.
Background: Schweizerische Post Postlogistics
PostLogistics is the logistic area of the Schweizerische Post and the biggest provider of logistic services in Switzerland. Business areas are courier- express mail and parcel transport as well as warehouse and transport logistics. The company employs more than 5000 employees and has 3 parcel centers and 41 logistic centers at their command. The own fleet of vehicles consists of 60 mail trains, 364 railway wagons, 1200 swap bodies, 314 lorries and 1547 distribution cars and the PostLogisitics move more than 100 million parcels a year handled by one of the parcel centers in Daillens, Härkingen or Frauenfeld. In Härkingen alone 277 000 parcels a day are handled.
Background: Wistra Cargo Control
Wistra GmbH produces and trades a wide range of cargo control systems like lashing straps in various models and up to a lashing capacity LC of 10000 daN, load securing nets “Wistra safeguard” for the use in all types of vehicles from station wagons to big trucks, lashing tracks, shoring beams, cargo bars and parting wall locks. Wistra’s own developments like GTS-beverage securing, the SAFECON load securing system for IBC containers and the innovative Quick-View Labels are Wistra’s USPs. Wistra is a medium sized family owned company in Selmsdorf near Lübeck in the north of Germany. Other load securing devices like edge protection and anti-slip mats complete the range of products. Beyond that Wistra still successfully produces the Powerbrace door gears for containers they started their business with back in 1988.
Press Contact:
WISTRA GmbH
Cargo Control
Mark Zubel
An der Trave 11
D-23923 Selmsdorf
Telefon: +49 (0) 38823 258-11
E-Mail: info@wistra.eu
KfdM - Kommunikation für den Mittelstand
Marcus Walter
Sudetenweg 12
85375 Neufahrn
Tel. 08165 / 999 38 43
E-Mail: walter@kfdm.eu