Christie Lites

Bespoke Multi-Channel Shuttle System for Stage Trussing: The Problem No One Else Would Solve

When the standard answer isn’t good enough

The multi-channel shuttle system installed at Coventry-based Christie Lites has provided a dramatic increase in volumetric capacity and a five-fold rise in the number of pickable locations, ensuring optimum operational efficiency.

SEC Storage was invited by Christie Lites, a leading US stage lighting company, to design a solution to store their stage trussing, which was being bulk-stacked at their large warehouse facility in Coventry, as this existing system was causing several key operational issues, in both capacity and selectivity.

Why standard options weren’t good enough

The options Christie Lites had been considering before engaging SEC each came with a significant compromise.

Adjustable pallet racking would deliver full selectivity but leave nearly three-quarters of the available floor space unused, with volumetric utilisation of just 24.2%. Drive-in racking made better use of the cube but created a different set of problems: only 30% of products would be selectable at any one time, a specialist truck fleet would be required at additional cost, and the combination of drivers entering the rack and a high pick velocity created genuine health and safety concerns.

SEC identified a third option: a shuttle system that could deliver both the density of drive-in and the selectivity of racking. The challenge was whether it could actually be built for this load.

The problem no one else would take on

Stage trussing sits on castors, so it does not sit on a pallet – therefore, creating two fundamental problems for any standard shuttle system.

First, the irregular base and castors made it impossible for a conventional shuttle to safely pick up the load. Second, without a pallet to sense, the front-facing laser sensors that shuttle systems rely on for positioning would fail to detect the load entirely. Every major European supplier confirmed the same conclusion: their systems couldn’t handle it as standard, and they weren’t willing to adapt them.

SEC’s position was different. Rather than treating the constraints as a reason to decline, the team treated them as a design brief.

Engineering a solution from the ground up

Working with in-house logistics experts and reaching beyond the usual supply chain, SEC identified one supplier outside the UK who recognised the opportunity and was willing to develop the solution collaboratively.

The modifications required were substantial. A raised platform was designed to sit between the castors, allowing the shuttle to safely lift and transport the load without a pallet base. The sensor technology and positioning algorithms were reconfigured so the system could correctly locate itself beneath the load. A split-load configuration was developed, allowing two smaller cases to be stored within a single rack location, a flexibility previously only achievable with standard adjustable pallet racking.

To validate the approach before committing to installation, the actual load items were transported to the supplier’s facility for live testing. The testing process was documented with detailed data and analysis, giving Christie Lites the evidence they needed to approve the final design with confidence.

One further element completed the solution: a rapid-access ground-floor picking location was incorporated beneath the shuttle system, supported by a bespoke mesh safety structure to protect operatives from any falling equipment. This reduced the overall system cost while increasing pick velocity at the point of highest demand.

The outcome

The installed system delivered a five-fold increase in the number of pickable locations alongside a 229% uplift in volumetric capacity, while maintaining full selectivity across the entire stock range. Christie Lites had a warehouse that worked the way their operation needed it to.

Industry recognition

The Coventry project was recognised at the SHD Logistics Awards, where SEC was named winner in the Logistics Innovation category. For a solution that every major European supplier had declined to attempt, it was a fitting outcome.

“SEC prides itself on designing and delivering true innovation to solve often complex operational logistics challenges. To be announced as the winners of this category amongst some of the biggest names in logistics is a very proud moment, and goes some way to highlight our diverse capabilities and the lengths we go to deliver the optimum solution for the customer.”

Steve Watts, SEC Storage

What Christie Lites said

“We have been overwhelmed by the lengths they have gone to, designing and delivering a totally bespoke solution to an otherwise unsolvable issue. The other options out there were just not fit for purpose, and everyone told us we couldn’t do what was required. But not SEC Storage. Their team of experts together with the manufacturer have been incredible to develop this solution and we will be reaping the rewards for years to come.”

Robin Wain, Director, Christie Lites

The project also established something less easy to quantify but ultimately more valuable: a working relationship built on SEC’s willingness to take on a problem others had walked away from, and to deliver on it.

This relationship is what led us to work with them at their Berlin site.

Read the Christie Lites Berlin case study.