Have you considered how much money you spend every year stocking and retrieving pallets from you warehouse? The cost of fork lift trucks and drivers is a sizable element of any warehouse operation but is often overlooked when it comes to deciding on the optimum racking solution. It was certainly the case when we spoke … Continued
IBCs are a popular and highly efficient storage solution, especially in sectors such as chemicals, engineering and food and drink, however, IBC storage is not without its challenges, both from a space utilisation AND a health and safety point of view. Whilst IBCs may be cube-shaped, which should allow them to be stacked, guidelines published … Continued
The concept of push back racking is very easy to understand, however the full benefits that pushback racking offers are often overlooked. For more examples of how Push Back Racking has helped companies maximise their capacity, click here or see below for an outline of the benefits. The Benefits of Push Back Racking As you … Continued
When was the last time you evaluated your true Warehouse Racking Costs? What factors did you take into consideration? Thistle Systems has compiled data from over 3000 installations and projects over the last 10 years in an attempt to identify how people measure their racking systems and what they believed were the costs involved in … Continued
When it comes to increasing capacity in your warehouse, it may seem that the easy option is to get more of the same type of racking and dedicate more space or get a new warehouse. But that isn’t always the best option, as one of the UK’s largest drinks manufacturers discovered. The company had originally … Continued
One of the biggest challenges for many companies is developing a cost effective storage facility which provides them with the flexibility to store all of their products whilst maximising the potential capacity. This is particularly an issue for companies which receive a variety of pallet types and individual products to be stored in a single … Continued
Looking for the best warehouse racking system to maximise capacity and improve the performance of your warehouse? It’s a question that we are often asked but unfortunately, there isn’t one simple answer. The footprint and height of each warehouse may be slightly different. The pallet size may vary. The products being stored are likely to be … Continued
The days of simply carrying out a formal racking inspection once or twice or year just to meet your HSE obligations are now seen as a reactive approach to warehouse management. Therefore, Thistle Systems has developed a practical hands-on training programme for storage safety awareness, to provide your warehouse operators with the basic knowledge of safe … Continued
The very mention of an HSE Inspector can strike fear into the heart of even the toughest, most safety- orientated Warehouse or Production Manager. Add in the threat of Intervention Fees of £129 per hour for any “material breach of HSE regulations” and it’s easy to see why they are probably not the most welcome … Continued
Max the Cube® is a unique approach which shows companies how they can maximise capacity and productivity within their warehouse, interiors and production facilities whilst dramatically reducing operating costs. We are on a crusade to help companies to capitalise on the huge potential that exists within every organisation to maximise every inch of storage space, … Continued
Max the Cube® is NOT for the Average Company If there is one thing we have learned from the last few years, it’s the fact that simply being average is effectively guaranteeing failure. The seismic shift in the way people now have access to a world of information prior to buying products and services means … Continued
As part of the initial process for developing Max the Cube®, we carried out extensive research to understand the challenges being faced by the key sectors in our economy. We found that companies were not maximising the capacity or the utilisation of their warehouse. This meant they were facing unnecessary costs such as external storage, … Continued
Thistle Systems has seen its Max the Cube® approach successfully achieve certification to the recently updated and internationally recognised ISO 9001:2015 quality standard. This certification demonstrates that the unique approach is more than simply a powerful concept, but is supported by a high quality management system which covers the design and project management of storage systems … Continued
The recent racking collapse in a cheese warehouse in Shropshire has highlighted the need for companies to carry out regular rack inspections in addition to the annual inspection which companies are legally required to do. The incident saw the entire racking system, which was up to 18 metres high and contained thousands of 20kg boxes … Continued
Thistle Systems’ Max the Cube® approach has been recognised as the perfect vehicle for companies looking to implement the 5S methodology within their warehouse storage and production facilities. Check out our ultra high density storage solutions – ideal for small components The Max the Cube® approach draws upon the key philosophies promoted by the 5S … Continued
Despite being in business for 20 years, its only in the last 4 where we have truly been able to tell people what it is that we can actually do for their business in a manner they can instantly relate to. This came when we developed our Max the Cube® approach which effectively harnessed the … Continued
As more companies look for ways in which they can make savings, Thistle Systems Group, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of racking has urged all companies to think carefully about the potential dangers of purchasing and installing used racking systems. With offers of amazing savings from online retailers and auction sites such as ebay … Continued
Dangerous Racking is a key issue in any warehouse as it may present a major health and safety risk. No matter how much action you take to protect damage to your racking system or how much training you provide your forklift drivers, you cannot account for wear and tear or of course human error. The truth … Continued
It’s all too easy to put off carrying out racking inspections or indeed the costs of rectifying problem – however the true cost of racking which is unsafe could be far greater. Clearly the cost of replacing an upright or a section of racking is a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire racking system, however … Continued
There is incredible video footage shows the devastating impact poorly constructed racking can have on a warehouse. The most worrying aspect is how little contact there is between the forklift and the horizontal beam which causes virtually all of the racking to collapse. It’s almost impossible to determine the real cause of the problem from … Continued
Did you know that by moving pallet racking beams you could be reducing your load capacity by as much as 80%? During a recent site survey we identified that the bottom brace of a system we had installed had been removed to allow other non-palletised items to be stored. The client was horrified to find … Continued
We are always discussing the benefits of rack protection with our clients and how they can save money in the long run by a comparatively small investment. Last week I visited a new client who was looking for assistance with some rack repair work after a forklift truck had crashed into his racking system. The … Continued
© 2026 Thistle Systems
© 2026 Thistle Systems
