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Aisle-Master is the Vital Part for Blue Print

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on 15 August 2011
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Blue Print is the leading European brand of quality replacement parts for Japanese, Korean and American vehicles. Impressive year on year growth has recently made the best possible use of warehouse space a priority. This has been addressed by bringing in four Aisle-Master articulated forklifts for narrow aisle operation at the company’s UK distribution centre in Kent.

 The first two trucks were assigned for a warehouse dedicated to the storage of brake discs, radiators and coil springs - 17,500 pieces in all when at full capacity - and they stack the varying sized pallets to a height of 7.5m. Blue Print inherited the narrow aisle system in this section from the former owners but chose Aisle-Masters over the previous articulated trucks, as Group Distribution and Logistics Director Derek Edwards explains: “The overall build of the Aisle-Masters, particularly the double bearing at the point of articulation, is much tougher than other brands, making them robust enough to withstand the continuous lifting of heavy loads into the racking.”

 Part of an additional warehouse for storing filters was racked out for two further Aisle-Masters which were ordered in the winter of 2010, and the resulting increase in pallet density got rid of the need for outside storage and saved the considerable costs of acquiring further warehousing facilities. Derek Edwards: “We changed from a very wide aisle system with reach trucks to about as narrow as you can get, with 2.1m aisle-widths. By stacking up to 9m we have used all our vertical space to achieve an impressive capacity in an area of just 10,500 ft².”

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Toyota to showcase specialist kit at TCS&D

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on 11 August 2011
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Toyota Material Handling UK is to showcase its latest range of warehouse trucks and equipment at the Temperature Controlled Storage and Distribution (TCS&D) exhibition on the 14th to the 15th September 2011.

Toyota will showcase a range of warehouse equipment that is designed for chilled and cold store environments.

 Sam Coles, commercial director for Toyota explains: “The cost of handling goods in chilled or cold storage warehousing is a lot more expensive than normal environments.

 ”At Toyota we have significant experience working with customers who operate in these environments and we use that experience to help our customers to drive down their costs.”

 At the exhibition Toyota will display its latest warehouse equipment including: a BT Reflex reach truck fitted with a cold store cabin, a BT Levio ride-on powered pallet truck and a selection of BT Lifter hand pallet trucks that are designed for both warehousing and distribution applications.

 ”While chilled conditions are less extreme than those for frozen produce, it is essential to have equipment that fully meets operational demands; this is why Toyota offers a complete range of equipment – all of which are designed to work effectively in chilled operations without any modification. This means that customers have the flexibility to develop a full range of handling solutions for chilled stores without any constraint in terms of truck capability,” said Coles.

 In addition, Toyota will also demonstrate the latest BT Radioshuttle which is a high-performance solution for efficient handling of goods in high-density racking.

 BT Radioshuttle is based on electrically powered load carriers that transport goods in and out of storage tunnels within specially designed racking. The load carriers are operated by wireless remote control, and several units can be controlled from one transmitter.

 This gives operators the freedom to work elsewhere while already initiating retrieval of the next load(s) to be handled. Individual load carriers can be quickly and easily transferred between different storage locations by a conventional forklift truck, adding flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

 The BT Radioshuttle system is suitable for both first-in first-out (FIFO), and first-in last-out (FILO) operations, allowing extremely cost-effective use of expensive warehouse space – particularly in cold or chilled storage operations.

 Coles said: “These new shows are a welcome addition to the events calendar and allow us to talk to visitors about our extensive range of warehouse equipment suitable for this specialised industry. With space utilisation critical in temperature-controlled environments, we will be showing our range of high-density storage solutions that are designed to work in chilled environments and can also be engineered for frozen applications.”

 

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Maintenance Free Traction Batteries

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on 20 July 2011
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Hawker evolution is a new valve regulated gas recombination battery with gelled electrolyte, accepting up to 80% DOD C5. This range is suitable for use in forklift trucks, pallet trucks, electric vehicles and automatic transport systems. The cells have a greater capacity than most other maintenance free batteries on the market. The full benefits of Hawker evolution’s high performance is optimised by using the battery in combination with our high frequency smart chargers, Lifeplus or Powertech, which allow a short charging time of only 8 hours in condition of 60% DOD or 12 hours charging time at 80% DOD C5.
Thanks to the benefits offered by the Hawker evolution technology, (no water topping up, very low gas emission, no acid leakage .), which requires a much simplified charging room, this range offers significant operational cost benefits. With minimal gas emissions it is ideal for use in sensitive environments such as the food industry. The Hawker evolution battery range is available in DIN and BS dimensions, complying with standards DIN/EN 60254-2 and IEC 254-2.

 

http://www.enersys-hawker.com

Combilift Pulls in the Crowds at CeMAT

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on 1 June 2011
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combi

Innovation and debuts were high on the agenda for the Irish manufacturer Combilift at CeMAT. The company’s largest ever stand at this event featured 16 exhibits, over a third of which were shown for the first time. The skilled drivers of the Combi-CB display team also had their premiere at CeMAT, drawing large crowds for their regular performances of the impressive CB dance routine.  

MD Martin McVicar comments: “We have substantially augmented our range since the last CeMAT, and the scope of our exhibits at the show reflects the leading role we play in the global market as well as our ability to react to customer feedback and develop customised handling solutions of any size.”

 

By far the largest exhibit was the new Combilift Straddle Carrier, designed for the flexible and economic handling of containers and similarly oversized loads. Its ability to manoeuvre quickly and in a limited space was well demonstrated within the confines of the stand, and attracted an exceptional amount of interest from visitors keen for an alternative to more time consuming and expensive methods of container handling.

At the other end of the size spectrum three very narrow aisle Aisle-Masters, including the new narrow chassis 1.5t model, were on hand to illustrate how articulated trucks can achieve immense increases in available storage space for more productive operations. As well as the new warehouse safety yellow livery, the redesigned range includes a host of new features such as over articulation for easier access to aisles, a new automotive style foot pedal layout and repositioned handbrake and hydraulic controls in the restyled cab.  

Other exhibits included the new generation of the Combilift ‘core’ C series, with a roomier cab, a redesigned dash panel for improved ergonomics and a curved windscreen with the addition of more glass for even better driver visibility. In addition to the original 2.5t Combi-CB model, Combilift has reacted to feedback indicating a need for larger capacities of this counterbalance design truck and showed the new 4t version on the stand. Combilift’s ability to devise specialist customised trucks was also in evidence with the low profile sideloader designed for a military application. And finally, the Guinness bar - as popular as ever - looks certain to become a permanent fixture at  Combilift’s CeMAT stands.

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Aisle-Master is Degrees Better for Castlecool

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on 16 March 2011
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Ireland’s largest independent Temperature Control and Logistics company, Castlecool, has seen a marked increase in available storage space at its Castleblayney facility since it took delivery of an Aisle-Master articulated forklift.

Operating from three sites in the North East of the country, Castlecool offers a wide range of services such as chilled, frozen and ambient storage, blast freezing, quality testing and food sampling. The company previously used reach trucks to service the racking in the 200,000 ft² warehouse in Castleblayney, but a changeover to the articulated system has enabled aisle widths to be cut, adding 25% to Castlecool’s storage capacity.

 

aisle

 
“The costs incurred per ft² in cold stores make space saving absolutely crucial to productive operations,” says Managing Director Paul Shortt, “and as we had experience of an Aisle-Master at another site we were keen to adopt this system at the Castleblayney facility. It was some time ago since we acquired the original machine so we trialed the major brands of articulated trucks on the market, but found that the Aisle-Master still outperforms the competition, particularly in terms of reliability.”

Before the truck was delivered, Paul took advantage of Aisle-Master’s free site survey and warehouse layout service which was particularly beneficial: “the engineers’ drawings demonstrated that we would be able to operate in 30% narrower aisles and therefore achieve the best possible pallet density.” A further benefit is the truck’s flexibility to work both inside and out, which has led to much quicker loading and offloading, speeding up operations all round. The ability to offload HGV’s from both sides is a real bonus when the company is working at full capacity, in the run up to Christmas for example.          

The lack of any need for back up has also enabled Castlecool to make substantial savings, as Paul explains: “The Aisle-Masters have such a good track record of dependability that we can operate in full confidence without back up trucks in place. If there is an issue – which is rare, the response from the service department is so quick that this can be resolved with the minimum of delay.”

Aisle-Masters can work in aisles of just 1.75m, have capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes,  lift heights of up to 12.5 metres, with a choice of AC electric or LPG power. A 20SE AC electric powered Aisle-Master fitted with an 8m customised mast was specified as the most suitable model for the Castleblayney site. The cold-store environment can be unforgiving on equipment, quickly draining batteries for example, but the batteries fitted in Castlecool’s Aisle-Master are more than powerful enough to counteract this, and other cold-store specific features have been incorporated to ensure streamlined operation throughout long shifts in temperatures of around - 22°C (cold-store spec Aisle-Masters will work in temperatures of up to - 40°C).
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Mitsubishi Forklifts helps firm to downsize fleet

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on 4 March 2011
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An innovative Mitsubishi Forklifts fleet design has boosted productivity for the UK’s leading printer of paperback titles, CPI Bookmarque.

Downtime was a daily occurrence for its fleet and Bookmarque’s gm Mark Grice turned to Bronze Mechanical Handling – the premier Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer for the South East – for a solution.

Sales director Chris Slater of Bronze Mechanical Handling assessed the application. “I was able to downsize the previous fleet of eight trucks by recommending a fleet of five versatile Mitsubishi counterbalance trucks,” he says.

“Over 1,000 tonnes of raw materials are processed each month at the Croydon site. The Mitsubishi GRENDIA ES 3.0 tonne gas counterbalance (FG30N) with a Cascade rotator roll clamp makes light work of this task.” Bookmarque’s busy lorry loading area is supported by two smaller 1.5 tonne GRENDIA ES models (FG15N). The pair provides Bookmarque and its drivers with a combination of high efficiency, low emissions and very low noise levels.

 

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Toyota launches electric trucks

Published
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on 3 March 2011
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toyota

Toyota Material Handling has launched a new range of compact electric forklifts with three new models offering capacities of 2.0 tonnes, 2.5 tonnes and 3.0 tonnes.

 Designed for all indoor materials handling applications, from food and beverage to general manufacturing, warehousing and distribution centres,

Toyota electric 8FBCU models are said to provide better performance than their predecessors thanks to higher drive and lifting speeds.

 

“Like all Toyota forklifts, they offer excellent value in the areas of safety, productivity and performance,” says Dave Rylance, product manager for counterbalance at Toyota Material Handling UK.

 

“The main advantage of the 8FBCU is their compact size, allowing use in smaller work spaces than conventional forklifts.”

 

Every 8FBCU counterbalance model features the Toyota System of Active Stability (SAS).

 

Other standard 8FBCU features that support workplace safety include a low dashboard for excellent visibility of the fork tips, a maximum drive

speed setting to help enforce workplace speed limits, and a wheel indicator that shows the position of the wheels at a glance to support safe driving habits.

 

For maximum productivity and performance the Toyota 8FBCU range features the exclusive Toyota AC2 power system. Toyota AC2 is built around new Toyota 48-volt motors and controllers developed together for optimal compatibility, resulting in higher drive and lifting speeds.

 

In addition, the ‘accel-off’ braking function delivers smooth regenerative braking performance, which in addition feeding power back to the battery.

 

Toyota 8FBCU’s ergonomic design helps reduce driver fatigue and stress resulting in greater productivity. Standard features include a low, wide step and a new large driver entry assist grip for easy access to the truck.

 

The new slim-line adjustable steering column and small (300mm diameter) steering wheel allow comfortable driving, while a new, easy-to-read digital display offers detailed operational information at a glance.

 

Optional mini-levers provide fast, accurate, ergonomic load handling, and optional PIN-code start-up helps ensure that Toyota 8FBCU can only be operated by authorised personnel.

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Flexi truck offers quick put-away

Published
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on 14 December 2010
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Flexi truck offers quick put-away

Flexi Narrow Aisle has launched a new version of the Flexi EURO VNA articulated forklift truck.

 

The four-wheel, electric-powered truck is designed to offer faster, safer work cycles with optimum stability in aisles as narrow 1600mm wide.

 

The new model, which can lift pallets to heights of up to 7.9 metres, is supplied as standard with treaded cushion rubber tyres for maximum traction in wet outdoor conditions, while twin front wheel drive means that the weight of the truck and the load is evenly divided between the front two tyres to further enhance traction and minimise tyre wear.

 

With a compact axle design which, combined with the ability to articulate through 220 degrees, it can stack in 1600m aisleways.

 

Instead of ‘pivot’ steering the Flexi EURO VNA’s “true articulation” turning system means that the Flexi EURO VNA trucks require minimal manoeuvring in the aisleways. This, in turn, is said to result in faster pallet put-away and picking. In a 1600mm wide aisle the Flexi EURO VNA needs only one articulation to put-away a standard ISO (or Chep-style) pallet.

 

Flexi Narrow Aisle says comparative tests have highlighted the fact that some three wheel articulated trucks with ‘pivot’ steering technology, require up to four movements to achieve the same result.

 

John Maguire, sales and marketing director of Flexi Narrow Aisle, says: “Some articulated trucks require the operator to perform a five-point turn in the aisleway before a pallet can be put-away or picked. The Flexi EURO VNA , with its ‘True Radius’ design requires one turn to enter or de-stack a pallet.

 

“This results in very significant time savings. In any application involving articulated trucks the amount of time spent in the aisleway picking and putting away pallets has to be minimised if optimum operational efficiencies are to be achieved.

 

“We believe that with its True Radius articulation principle, the Flexi EURO VNA can reduce the amount of movements that an operator has to make in the aisle during the stacking and de-stacking cycle by half.”

 

 

www.hsssearch.co.uk

Schedule to avoid spikes

Published
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on 13 December 2010
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Schedule to avoid spikes

PowerNet, the new software system from EnerSys, is said to be a breakthrough in effective battery fleet management of all lead acid battery technologies. By scheduling charging to avoid costly spikes in electricity demands and ensuring the correct rotation of batteries, PowerNet brings control and significant savings to battery fleet management. Management reports can be accessed remotely via a LAN or internet connection.

“This is what everyone working in motive power has been waiting for,” says John Lawton EnerSys European marketing director.

“Scheduling power consumption to minimise peak charges while achieving optimum life and service from batteries is the goal of good battery management.” PowerNet software runs on a standard PC and automatically switches chargers on and off at the best time to maintain consumption within desired parameters.

 

www.hsssearch.co.uk

Inmates on forklifts help repair riot damage

Published
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on 10 December 2010
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Inmates on forklifts help repair riot damage
Forklift trainers with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation certified several inmates in a program of recovery from a 2009 prison riot in Chino.

“On this project (at the California Institution for Men), the …  safety officer certified five inmates to operate forklifts,” says Brad Long, a level-three construction supervisor in the inmate ward labour program with the department’s project and construction management division. Since 2006, the program in region three has certified 174 inmates for forklift operations.

On 8 August 2009, a riot mainly involving Hispanic and African American inmates broke out, resulting in about USD5.2 million in damage. Rioters ripped bathroom sinks from walls and started fires. Officials needed more than 12 hours to lock down the site and six nearby prisons. More than 250 inmates were injured, and about 50 were taken for hospital treatment. An October ceremony recognized completion of repairs to the prison infrastructure.

The inmates operated a Lift King counterbalance forklift with 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) lifting capacity, a 6,450 lb (2,903 kg) Clark GPX-40 counterbalance forklift and a 10,000 lb Skytrak 1042 high-reach all-terrain forklift as part of the work to repair a heavily damaged west dormitory.

Long says region three has two trainers to certify state staff, union trade staff members and inmates in the safe operation of equipment. The trainers receive classroom and hands-on IVES-level certification through classes at the Safety Center Inc in Sacramento, California. IVES is an acronym for “integrity, value, expertise and support.”

The institution in Chino serves as a reception centre for parolees returning to custody and male felons who have been newly committed to the department from several southern California counties.

A paroled inmate holding a forklift operator’s certification has the opportunity to keep that credential current as part of his training resume in seeking employment.

A statewide safety coordinator is responsible to ensure all necessary training is conducted in compliance with regulations of the California Occupational Safety and Health Division and inmate ward labour policies.

www.forkliftaction.com