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Why Chemical Sites Are Switching to Automated WarehousesWhen people ask why a chemical operation would consider automate...
22/10/2026

Why Chemical Sites Are Switching to Automated Warehouses

When people ask why a chemical operation would consider automated storage, the answer they usually expect is labour. But that's not usually the case.

The bigger prize is usually control. Knowing exactly where every batch is, having a movement history you can show an auditor, and retrieving stock to FIFO or FEFO rules without relying on whoever happens to be driving the truck that shift.

Every time a drum or IBC is moved more than once before it’s used, that’s another interaction between a person, a vehicle and a hazardous load. Cutting those touches is a safety outcome as much as an efficiency one.

For many chemical sites, the sticking point has been the hazardous area itself. Where a site handles flammable materials, the storage system has to be suitable for the classified atmosphere it operates in, and that has ruled automation out for a lot of operations.

It’s why we developed AutoCube-X, an ATEX-certified version of our AutoCube four-way pallet shuttle system.

None of that makes automation automatically the right answer. It should have to prove operational value for your site, your products and your hazardous-area classification, rather than being chosen because the technology exists or the density figure looks attractive on paper.

Our latest whitepaper walks through what automation should be expected to prove, and how to compare it fairly against conventional storage.
https://thistlesystems.co.uk/media/white-papers/

The Role of the Digital Twin in an Automated WarehouseIn a conventional warehouse, you can walk the aisles. You can see ...
21/10/2026

The Role of the Digital Twin in an Automated Warehouse

In a conventional warehouse, you can walk the aisles. You can see a congested lane, check a location, or watch a forklift driver work. In dense automated storage, pallets sit deep in a block of racking that people rarely enter. The familiar ways of knowing what’s going on simply aren’t available.

So visibility can’t be an afterthought. It has to be designed in, and there are three things worth being able to see at any moment:
1. Where every pallet physically sits.
2. What every machine is doing, and in what mode.
3. How work is flowing across the system.

This is where a digital twin earns its place. It is most valuable when it is a live view of the software actually controlling the warehouse, rather than a separate picture of it.

Check out our latest blog about how our MAxIQ Digital Twin gives operations teams that visibility, and why it matters to the people who run the operation every day:

Find out more at https://thistlesystems.co.uk/digital-twin-warehouse-automation/

“It has been a real pleasure working with them.”When a client says that about your installation team, it deserves to be ...
20/10/2026

“It has been a real pleasure working with them.”

When a client says that about your installation team, it deserves to be shared.

Following our latest installation at Whole Ice Ice in Deeside, North Wales, we received this fantastic feedback:
“Just wanted to express my sincere thanks to Davie and his lads for the totally professional job they have done over the last fortnight. It has been a real pleasure working with them.”

The project that marks a huge step forward for the leading ice supplier. Following rapid growth, Whole Ice has moved to a factory five times larger than its previous site.

Their previous freezer held just 50 floor-stacked pallets, with hired trailers providing extra storage during peak periods. The new semi-automated pallet shuttle system will provide 990 pallet positions, operating at −25°C, and will provide them with a throughput of up to 30 pallets per hour.

That means more room to grow, less reliance on temporary storage and a cold store ready to support a much bigger operation.

A critical part of every project is the people who make it happen on site and we are proud to have the best inhouse installation team in the business.

A huge thank you to our amazing team for another job they can be proud of, and to Whole Ice for taking the time to recognise their work. We’re delighted to be part of your next chapter.

15/10/2026

Could a different storage system make your cold store more efficient?

Our latest whitepaper, Beyond Pallet Positions, puts Drive-In, Push Back, two-way shuttle storage and full automation side by side, exploring where each works well, the compromises involved and what it could mean for your cold store operation.

More capacity within the same footprint. Quicker access to stock. Less forklift travel. Less time spent working in the cold.

When you’re busy making it work, there’s little time to explore the alternatives to your current storage solution in your cold store.

This paper gives you a starting point, helping you understand what’s available and which options could be worth a closer look.

Check it out now at https://thistlesystems.co.uk/media/white-papers/

When the festive rush is over, will the same warehouse problems still be there?The festive rush will put your warehouse ...
13/10/2026

When the festive rush is over, will the same warehouse problems still be there?

The festive rush will put your warehouse under pressure but it can also provide the clearest evidence of where improvements would make the biggest difference.

Keeping product moving and customers supplied comes first. But the bottlenecks, repeated pallet movements and workarounds during peak can reveal more than occupancy figures alone.

Capturing these can help establish whether the constraint is space, access or the way stock moves through the warehouse.

That gives you a stronger basis for deciding what needs to change before the next peak, and where investment would have the greatest impact.

Our latest blog explores what to look for during peak and how those observations can help shape a better operation.

Read it here: https://thistlesystems.co.uk/food-and-drink-warehouse-peak-season-challenges/

We’re recruiting Racking Installers to join the Thistle Systems team, with full-time, permanent positions available.You’...
12/10/2026

We’re recruiting Racking Installers to join the Thistle Systems team, with full-time, permanent positions available.

You’ll be working on the installation, dismantling and modification of racking, mezzanine floors and partitioning, as part of projects for a systems integrator covering the UK. It’s practical, hands-on work where teamwork, attention to detail and safe working matter every day.

Already an experienced installer? Great.

Coming from construction, warehouse fit-out or a similar practical trade? Your skills could be a good fit too, with training potentially available for the right candidates.

We’re looking for reliable, hardworking individuals who are confident using tools, comfortable working at height and able to follow basic technical drawings.

As our work takes place across the UK, the ability to travel and work away from home frequently is essential for this role. A full UK driving licence is also essential.

What’s on offer?
- Competitive salary
- Training and development opportunities
- Varied work across client sites
- Full-time, permanent employment
- A supportive team
- Overtime opportunities where available

Qualifications such as PASMA, IPAF or CSCS would be an advantage.
Ready to put your practical skills to work with Thistle?
Send your CV to [email protected].
Know someone who’d be a good fit? Please share this with them.

08/10/2026

16 hours of runtime from a 2-hour charge is one of those figures that tends to get people's attention when we talk about AutoCube® - and quite rightly so.

In a warehouse automation system, battery performance matters, and it's usually one of the benchmarks that many clients use when comparing partners.

But the more important point is how we achieve this class-leading performance.

The AutoCube® hardware is now in its sixth generation, with years of development going into the carrier technology, controls, charging, movement and overall reliability of the system. It has proven to be reliable in live warehouse operations around the world, shift after shift, with maximum uptime.

That confidence carries through when we design AutoCube® systems to meet different customer requirements, throughputs and SKU profiles.

So while 16 hours of operation from a 2-hour charge is an impressive figure, its the engineering and experience behind it that makes the number meaningful and the performance dependable.

Less forklift travel. Faster pallet picking. Wagons loaded sooner.That’s what a move to shuttle racking helped one UK fo...
07/10/2026

Less forklift travel. Faster pallet picking. Wagons loaded sooner.

That’s what a move to shuttle racking helped one UK food producer achieve, while easing the demands on its forklift operators.

If you’ve watched a forklift working inside drive-in racking, you’ll understand where the time goes.

The operator has to enter the lane, carefully line up the forks, lift the pallet clear of its supports and reverse back out. All within the tight clearances of the racking.

It takes care and precision to avoid damaging the racking and the products. You can’t simply ask someone to do it faster.

With the shuttle racking we installed, the shuttle brings pallets to the front of the lane. The forklift collects them from the aisle, without having to enter the structure each time.

This has enabled the client to dramatically reduce the loading time for wagons - and the extra 60% storage capacity within the existing warehouse by storing 19 pallets deep? Well, that was a pretty good bonus too.

Coffee, cake, curry… and cocktails! Not your usual coffee morning at Thistle Systems. 🍰We were delighted to host our ann...
07/10/2026

Coffee, cake, curry… and cocktails! Not your usual coffee morning at Thistle Systems. 🍰

We were delighted to host our annual Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning, with the team bringing in home-baked cakes, crisps and all sorts of goodies, including a fabulous buttermilk curry from Scott Hynds.

It was also our first coffee morning with a cocktail service, courtesy of our in-house cocktail specialist Colin Jones. All non-alcoholic, before anyone gets concerned about our afternoon productivity!

Together, we raised £310 on the day, with the company adding another £500 to take our total to a fantastic £810.

Macmillan is a cause very close to our hearts, and we’re so grateful to everyone who baked, cooked, mixed, donated and tucked in. It means a lot to see the team getting behind it so generously.

And if you’re passing, there are still a few cakes left. Although we can’t promise how long they’ll last…

Think warehouse automation is off the table because you store chemicals? THINK AGAINStoring chemicals brings enough cha...
06/10/2026

Think warehouse automation is off the table because you store chemicals? THINK AGAIN

Storing chemicals brings enough challenges without running out of warehouse space.

Yet automation is often ruled out early because of the hazardous nature of the products being stored. When you’re handling flammable liquids, aerosols and other hazardous materials, zoning, ignition sources, containment and emergency access all need careful consideration.

That’s one reason we developed AutoCube®-X, designed for suitable hazardous storage applications involving pallets, IBCs, and drums.

For us, the starting point is understanding where the existing operation is under pressure:
• Do you need more storage capacity within the same building?
• Are forklifts spending too much time moving hazardous products around?
• Are IBCs and drums being handled more often than necessary?
• Do you need to improve control over what’s stored and where?

These are real challenges that could be affecting operations or limiting growth.

Of course, automation has to suit the project. The products, DSEAR assessment, throughput, load types and access requirements all help determine what’s appropriate. And most importantly, the investment has to make commercial sense too.

If chemical storage is limiting your capacity or holding back growth, and you’ve assumed automation wouldn’t work on your site, it’s time to discover what’s now possible with AutoCube®-X.

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2 Deerdykes Court
Cumbernauld
G689FL

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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