The middle of the 2000s was a time of active economic growth: new production facilities were opened in Russia, new tasks were faced by warehouse complexes. Most of them have been preserved since the Soviet times: loading and unloading was carried out manually, special dock equipment for warehouse automation was ordered from European manufacturers. There were no analogues in Russia. Thus, in the Russian Federation there was a need to open a new direction in engineering: the production of warehouse handling equipment (dock-levelers, dock-shelters, etc.). It was decided to base the production line on the capacities of Krasnokamsk repair and mechanical plant. For the first time such equipment (dock-leveler) was installed in the branch of the world's largest food producer.
History
Stages of STL direction formation
The marketing Department organized the display of innovative equipment at the international exhibition of logistics equipment «Warehouse. Transport. Logistics-2009» (Expocentre, Moscow). Representatives of transport terminals, development companies, distribution centers, as well as warehouse complex designers noted the need to use this equipment in all warehouses under construction and in operation for a faster and safer process of cargo handling between the warehouse and transport. New contracts were signed and various agreements were reached, including the formation of a dealer network.
The construction of new logistics centers and modernization of existing warehouse complexes revealed the need to form a network of trade and service offices of STL in all regions of the country. The first dealer representations were open in Moscow, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Krasnodar region, Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Novosibirsk regions. The emergence of sales and service centers allowed to solve the problems of selection, installation and further operation of warehouse handling equipment.
Russian enterprises have appreciated the advantages of automated warehouses, and the growth of production demanded the modernization of warehouse complexes across the country. Not only standard equipment, but also individual solutions became in demand.
For brewing plant «Vyatich» in Kirov was designed and custom made non-standard dock-leveler. Its length was 5.5 meters. The unusual long platform worked effectively, performed all the necessary reloading processes in the warehouse.
The logical continuation of the formation of the dealer network was the supply of equipment to the CIS countries. The first foreign customer of the Russian STL dock-levelers became the cannery «Kubley» in Kazakhstan (Uralsk).
STL equipment was again presented to warehouse and transport logistics specialists from all regions of Russia and Europe. This time the marketing and sales Department of STL took part in the largest construction exhibition in Europe «MosBuild – 2013». International contracts were signed.
A new need for warehouse logistics was the need to unload cars outside the warehouse. This possibility has overpasses adjacent to the body of the car, and make it possible to perform loading and unloading operations from the car to the ground level. The design Department has developed a range of STL mobile ramps. The first STL mobile ramp with a load of 7 tons was designed, manufactured and assembled for the warehouse complex «Navigator» in Perm.
The sharp rise in the exchange rate increased the cost of foreign handling equipment. The priority of the economy was import substitution, and Russian enterprises increased the volume of purchases of STL dock-levelers by 80%. Cooperation with the CIS countries also continued.
In 2016 Krasnokamsk RMP has released the serial production of another novelty cargo handling equipment: STL lifting tables. Initially, the series includes scissor lifts with single, double and triple scissor mechanisms with a capacity of 500 to 10 000 kg.
At the STL stand at the international exhibition of warehouse equipment and systems, lifting and transport equipment and automation equipment of the CeMAT Russia 2016 warehouse, a fully equipped transshipment dock was installed: a dock-leveler, dock-shelters, gateway-tambours and resistant rubber bumpers.
Following requests from our customers in the STL line appeared budget decisions: mini dock-levelers and folding bridges.
As the design Department Krasnokamsk RMP has made the modernization of hydraulic dock-levelers node, providing it with heated oil. They can operate at temperatures up to -50͒С. The first platforms were sent to logistics centers in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district and Krasnoyarsk region.