The Potter Group

The reel challenge for paper storage and distribution

As the printing industry invests in ever-larger presses, the effects are being felt throughout the paper reel supply chain. Bryan Mulvey from road and rail paper logistics provider The Potter Group explains why, and how the company and the industry are rising to the challenge.

“Until recently, most paper reels weighed less than five tonnes, and companies storing and distributing paper in reel form had established procedures and equipment to meet the demand. While this is still the case for the majority of traffic, some of the latest high capacity newspaper presses take reels up to eight tonnes and measuring 4.3m high.

Virtually doubling the weight of a reel has a big impact on almost every aspect of handling and storage. Road and rail trailers carry fewer reels, which increases the cost per reel carried, a vital factor in such a competitive market where passing on additional costs is never easy.

Fork trucks equipped to handle paper reels have always been specially designed with features such as three or four stage masts for high lifts, double front tyres for stability and hydraulic paper reel clamps. While a typical fork truck to handle most reels might have had a nominal capacity of six tonnes, handling an eight tonne reel will require a 15 tonne truck and a bigger and more expensive clamp.

The bigger the truck, the more room it takes, so the aisle space between stacked reels will increase, reducing storage capacity. And even stacked two reels high, around 16 tonne of paper reaching a height of 8.6m represents a challenge for the truck driver. Larger trucks also place a greater pressure of the warehouse floor, adding to wear and tear.

Unlike most products that are shipped in protective boxes, cartons or other containers, newsprint reels are comparatively fragile with the paper wrapped in a few layers of Kraft paper. So careful, delicate handling with technology such as intelligent clamps, which automatically control clamp pressure to avoid damage, is vital to keep waste costs down.

In contrast, heavier reels can help the logistics provider raise productivity. We need to make fewer operations to move a given tonnage, taking less time and using less resource per tonne moved. As the paper and printing industry traditionally holds virtually no stock and often calls off materials at a few hours’ notice, the ability to respond and deliver quickly is paramount in offering an efficient service.

As part of a major review of its handling systems and equipment, The Potter Group recently made the decision to award Linde Material Handling with the contract to provide and maintain its entire materials handling fleet on a contract hire basis. One of the main reasons was the strength of the Linde range of paper handling equipment, mainly LP Gas powered cushion-tyre fork trucks with intelligent paper reel clamps.

As a result we believe that the industry and of course the Potter Group are well placed to rise to the challenge of bigger paper reels, in support of an industry facing up to competition from the web, blogs and other technologies eating into its market.”

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