Mobile vs Fixed Workshop Storage: What HeliMods Teaches About Throughput

Every minute a tech­ni­cian spends walking to a store and back is a minute not spent on the job. In busy workshops that time adds up to hours a week. HeliMods, a Queens­land he­li­copter en­gi­neer­ing business, tackled it with a simple principle: bring the tools to the work. Read the HeliMods case study.

The HeliMods challenge

HeliMods engineers he­li­copter mod­i­fi­ca­tions, from equipment mounts to full fleet con­fig­u­ra­tion. Its workshop re­fur­bish­ment had one firm con­straint: raise through­put without adding floor area. The business needed shorter turn­around on en­gi­neered aircraft work without a larger building.

The solution: bring the tools to the work

OFS Group specified a com­bi­na­tion of Boscotek products:

• Work­bench­es for en­gi­neer­ing and assembly

• High-density cabinets for organised storage of tools and parts

• Line-feed trolleys with parts bins, so parts and tools sit at the airframe, not in a distant store

The result was a workshop that supported shorter turn­around on en­gi­neered aircraft work in the same footprint. (The products were man­u­fac­tured by Wilson & Gilkes, before Boscotek became part of OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group.)

Mobile vs fixed: when to use each

Most workshops need both. Our article on mobile storage versus fixed cabinets goes deeper, but here's the summary.

When fixed storage wins

• High volumes of small items: fasteners, con­sum­ables and spares are best in high-density cabinets, where drawers maximise storage per square metre

• Con­trolled items that need to stay locked in a known location

• Heavy, rarely moved items best kept low and stable

• Central stores that serve the whole workshop

Boscotek high-density cabinets come in S Series (605mm deep) and D Series (755mm deep), with full-extension drawers rated around 150–200kg depending on width.

When mobile storage wins

• Work that moves: aircraft, vehicles and large as­sem­blies where the job can't come to the bench

• Shared stations: training workshops and flexible bays

• Line-side supply: kits of parts delivered to the point of use

• Changing layouts: workshops that re­con­fig­ure often

Boscotek's mobile range includes tool carts rated to 400kg, linefeed trolleys rated to 400kg or 800kg depending on length, A-frame trolleys and mobile Flight Line cabinets.

Designing the mix

1. Map the work. Where does it happen, and how often does it move?

2. Map the walking. Track trips to the store for a week. The results usually surprise people.

3. Decide what lives where. Daily-use tools at the point of work; bulk and con­trolled items in fixed cabinets.

4. Design as a system. Mobile and fixed units should share drawer standards and finishes so kits move between them. Boscotek is designed as a system, not a single product.

5. Review after a month. Adjust kits and positions based on real use.

Five signs your workshop needs more mobility

1. Tech­ni­cians walk to a central store several times per job.

2. Benches are cluttered with tools that "might be needed".

3. Parts for a job are collected one at a time.

4. Work bays are re­con­fig­ured often, and storage gets in the way.

5. Turn­around targets are slipping without an obvious cause.

If two or more sound familiar, start with a few line-feed trolleys or mobile carts and measure the dif­fer­ence.

Fre­quent­ly asked questions

Won't mobile storage end up scattered around the workshop? Only without a home. Mark parking bays for mobile units and include them in end-of-shift checks.

Are mobile units as strong as fixed ones? Boscotek mobile units are built for load. Linefeed trolleys use 3mm welded con­struc­tion, and castors are selected for the rating.

Can mobile and fixed units share drawers and ac­ces­sories? Yes. They're designed as one system, so drawer standards and finishes are con­sis­tent.

Where should we start? Track a week of trips to the store. The jobs with the most walking are the best can­di­dates for line-feed trolleys or mobile carts.

Plan your mix in the Boscotek con­fig­u­ra­tor, find a local dis­trib­u­tor, or talk to our team. Boscotek is man­u­fac­tured by OPIE Man­u­fac­tur­ing Group in Western Sydney and backed by a 5-year warranty.