The company Gread Elettronica from Rovereto chooses to optimize resources and reduce costs thanks to a retractable tunnel, first used as a connection between buildings, then as a storage tent, thus also improving internal logistics. Additionally, the flexible structure allows for adaptation to various operational needs, promoting a more efficient management of the company’s spaces.
Gread Elettronica, a company active in the design and production of hardware and software, as well as in the provision of IT services and products, needed to create a retractable tunnel to link two production areas located 10 meters apart. This was to ensure a covered passage for vehicles dedicated to material transportation.
Retractable tunnel: a quick and practical solution
Due to technical and bureaucratic constraints, the construction of the structure would have required a partial interruption of activities and rather long timelines for obtaining the necessary certifications. To continue production while waiting for the permanent canopy, Gread Elettronica entrusted its operations to a retractable tunnel on wheels, which allowed for the creation of a temporary link between the two buildings without making any technical or architectural modifications to the existing structures.
Specifically, Gread Elettronica, following the advice of the expert team provided by Giulio Barbieri S.r.l., decided to purchase two retractable tunnels, each measuring 3.7 × 3.7 meters. These were connected by a joining flap, which allowed them, depending on the needs, to either extend one part of the tunnel while keeping the second retracted, or to create a single, larger retractable tunnel, providing a covered link between buildings.
This solution also allowed the company to speed up transitions from inside the retractable tunnel to the outside without the need to create a new access point, thereby keeping costs down. To ensure solid resistance against wind and snow, the retractable tunnel used for connection was secured to a wall of the adjacent building and to the ground with additional anchors. On both retractable tunnels, the company has also chosen to insert a windowed wall for a greater brightness of the covered areas and to make the transit of forklifts safer.
Despite being a medium-to-large-sized structure, the two tunnels were installed directly by Gread Elettronica’s staff in just under half a day, allowing the company to immediately utilize the new connection point to facilitate production and logistics.
About a year and a half later, after obtaining the necessary permits for the construction of the permanent canopy, Gread Elettronica repurposed the retractable tunnel from a connection point to a storage tent. The ease of transport and relocation, thanks to the practical scissor-like opening and closing system, along with the lightweight aluminum components of the structure, allowed the company to move the retractable tunnel to a different facility. Here, the company needed to create a large, covered area for the storage of materials placed on pallets.
To make the new storage space better insulated from the elements, Gread Elettronica requested several additional accessories from the Ferrara-based company to be installed on the retractable tunnel they already owned. These included a fixed rear closure made of windowed PVC, a front closure made of windowed PVC that could be opened on both sides to facilitate loading and unloading operations, and two gable ends to complete the structure’s coverage.
Two needs, one solution: a Giulio Barbieri retractable tunnel, which, in just a few simple steps, thanks to its extensive customization options and versatile use, was able to promptly meet two specific and distinct production requirements, while keeping costs and implementation times low.
In conclusion, Gread Elettronica’s choice to rely on Giulio Barbieri’s retractable tunnels has proven to be an extremely effective and versatile solution. Thanks to their ability to quickly adapt to various operational needs, these tunnels have allowed the company to optimize resources, improve internal logistics, and reduce costs without compromising the continuity of production activities. The ease of installation and transport, combined with customization options, has enabled Gread Elettronica to efficiently manage its logistical needs, confirming the importance of flexible solutions in the modern industrial context.
