I opened my email to find this great blog by Spacesaver: 10 Things You Didn’t Know Spacesaver Could Store. It really showcases all the unique things that businesses are storing – everything from beer to dinosaur bones! And one of our jobs for the Houston Police Department (HPD) was highlighted. This got me thinking about all the non-traditional projects we have done over the years. I figured I would jump on the bandwagon; so here are 3 non-traditional storage systems for unique businesses and applications.

Hand Crank Lifts for Storing Hospital Beds and WheelchairsHand Crank Lifts used for Stacking Beds in Hospitals with 8 Foot Ceilings

Storing hospital beds usually just means shoving them in a hallway or storage room while waiting for them to be occupied or repaired. Our idea was to create a stacking storage system so that beds and wheelchairs can be kept out of the way in unused overhead space.

A customer came to us for our Motorized Bed Lift; however, once we finished measuring their space, we realized it wouldn’t fit. There was not enough room for the motorized lift and the required 18” clearance because they only have 8’ ceilings.

To solve the problem, we got to work on a brand new storage system for beds – Hand Crank Lifts. They might be a little less sophisticated than the motorized ones, but they will store 2 beds stacked on top of each other while meeting all clearance requirements. Also, because the Hand Crank Lifts use a platform that the beds roll onto, you can store anything from wheelchairs to IV poles on them. With this new solution, the customer was able to purchase 24 Hand Crank Lifts. (Read specifications for the Hand Crank Bed Lifts)

A Vertical Lift Module Used for Part Storage and Multi-Level Part Distribution

Typically, Vertical Lift Modules are used for storage and retrieval. With this project, we took it one step further and designed the lift to do triple duty as storage, retrieval, and an elevator.

Diagram of the Vertical Lift Module PicturesThe project began because a large manufacturing company was searching for a way to save space and increase productivity in their maintenance and repair operations area. The company was storing small and medium size parts in bin shelving on a two level mezzanine located on the first floor of the facility. The third floor of the facility was used to store large heavy duty parts. This meant that if a part needed to be sent from the third floor to the first floor an employee would have to go get the part, take an elevator down, and walk it over to where it was needed.

We worked with them to install a 40’ tall Vertical Lift Module (VLM) in place of the mezzanine that stores all the small and medium parts and acts as an elevator for transporting the heavy duty parts on the third floor. The VLM goes through all three floors of the facility with openings on the first floor and third floor.

Now, small and medium parts are brought directly to the employee at the ergonomic workstation. And if an employee needs to send a heavy duty part from the third floor to the first floor, they can just load it on an empty tray and the VLM will deliver it right to the employee on the first floor. (Learn more specifics about the VLM and this project)

High Bay Shelving for the New Joint Library Facility

Two rival universities came together to design a unique storage facility for books, and we helped by providing them unique shelving to go in it!High Bay Shelving Storing Archives in the Joint Library Facility

Texas A&M University and The University of Texas recently collaborated to open the Joint Library Facility, a large warehouse used as a shared archival book depository between the two university systems. With space on campus at a premium and limited financial resources, the universities wanted a cost-efficient solution to free up space for higher circulating materials and new study areas for students. The Joint Library Facility represented that solution, and the High Bay Shelving helped to keep building costs down. Because the High Bay Shelving extends so much vertically, the universities were able increased storage density. In fact, they were able to drastically reduce the building’s entire footprint. (View pictures of the High Bay Shelving at the Joint Library Facility)

What Do You Need Stored?

Do you have some non-traditional items that you need to store? Are you looking to creatively use a storage system? If so, than let us help you! Give us a call at 1-800-803-1083 or send a message, and we can put you in touch with the representative in your area that can give you a free storage assessment.