Industry: Service & Repair
Application: Modular Office, Storage & Warehousing Systems
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company, invents, manufactures and services technologies and parts associated with global macrotrends. This particular facility services, maintains and restores equipment for worldwide defense-related government applications; therefore, it is critical that in-house repair services operate without compromise. By creating additional work stations and storage areas within its existing facility, Honeywell has maximized inventory control, reduced overhead costs and expedited repairs.
Operations and inventory from a second location were merged with this facility, which meant Honeywell needed a way to accommodate the additional square footage – all under one roof and without building construction. It was important that each operation be strategically located to its supporting counterparts – 18-foot-high ceilings and fire codes would not permit stacked storage units to exceed 12 feet in height. So, simply reorganizing work cells or moving and stacking inventory wasn’t an option. A method was needed to capitalize on the existing footprint and utilize the six feet of unused vertical space to create the square footage required.
From idea to install, the MiTek Mezzanine Systems team along with Western Storage and Handling worked closely with Honeywell to determine the ideal solution. The addition of a fire suppression system and HVAC paired with a mezzanine would enable the facility to add more space and utilize the previously unused vertical space. Two mezzanines were installed to make room for offices, work areas and storage, and foster a more efficient process flow. This includes a 6,130-square-foot mezzanine with PortaFab walls to accommodate repair shop and office operations on the ground level and house inventory on the mezzanine level. In addition, a 750-square-foot mezzanine for shipping and receiving was also installed which included ground-level modular office space and storage space above. This enabled inventory previously stored on ground level to be moved up to mezzanine level and make room for uninterrupted shipping and receiving operations.
Since the mezzanine installation, Honeywell has noticed an overall transformation in operational efficiencies. Travel from one side of the facility to another is no longer required as work cells are now strategically located next to one another. This has resulted in expedited repairs and shipment of goods, more efficient work flow, and has helped to reduce cycle count time by 50 percent. Due to mezzanine-level storage, the highly sensitive product is no longer out in the open which means there is less of a chance for damage or compromise.