Feature Lift trucks
Raising the bar in handling efficiency
One of the largest family-owned logistics companies in the UK, Howard Tenens, has been able to pass on substantial cost savings to a major client by replacing counterbalance trucks with a bespoke combination of a Combilift four-way forklift and cantilever racking at its Gloucestershire facility
T
he new system was introduced as part of Howard Tenens’ ongoing commitment to provide added value for customers, and has enabled the company to reduce the amount of space needed to store steel bars for a major concern in the on and offshore drilling sector by more than a half - from 70,000 ft² to just 30,000 ft². This has not only resulted in lower costs but has also speeded up handling and storage procedures and enhanced health and safety on site.
General manager Mike Jones explains: “The bulk storage system we operated with the old trucks was space consuming, and the limited manoeu- vrability of the counterbalance trucks meant that it was quite complicated to get lengths of up to 10m through the warehouse doors in the first place. We asked our materials handling consul- tants Briggs for advice and they recom- mended the four-way Combilift as the one machine solution, which has proved to be ideal.”
Jones admits that when he first started looking into alternative fork-
lifts he originally thought that a con- ventional sideloader would be the best option. After using a hire Combilift at another of the group’s sites however he realised that it would not only easily cope with the loads in question but would also need much less room to manoeuvre than the sideloader, enabling the impressive percentage of space saving which has been achieved. The LPG powered four tonne capacity Combilift has been fitted with a number of features to make the handling of the long cylindrical product (which is delivered either boxed or loose) safer and easier for operators: the tapered platform design gives extra stability to the loose bars when they are being offloaded and transferred to the racking and a 7m removable spreader bar prevents any flexing of the longest lengths. Rubber buffers fitted to the front face of the forks also protect the product from ‘metal on metal’ damage when the bars roll back onto the tilted forks, with the additional advantage of eliminating noise and jarring when this occurs.
Combilift’s four-way forklift and cantilever racking have enabled logistics company Howard Tenens to reduce the amount of space needed to store steel bars from 70,000 ft2 to 30,000 ft2 at its Gloucestershire facility
Two types of racking have been installed to accommodate different lengths of stock, and the Combilift’s 6.8m mast height enables full exploita- tion of vertical space. Guide rails also ensure quick and easy travel in the aisles and keep the product safe. “We decided to go upward with racking rather than bulk store, which has made a key contribution to the space rationalisation,” says Jones.
“Payback on the racking investment will be quickly achieved as a result of cost savings from the reduced space. Our Combilift has given us greater flexibility, so this upgraded facility has been a resounding success.”
Combilift
www.combilift.com
T: 07870 976758 Enter 351
New truck reaches for the stars with innovative features J
ungheinrich has introduced a new version of its ETM/ETV 214/216 reach truck. The new model offers increased mast lifting and lowering speeds and improved acceleration. The new features combine to deliver overall operational efficiency gains of 10 per cent while, thanks to advances in the truck’s software, energy consumption during a typical shift is reduced by 10 per cent. The lift height of the new truck has been raised to 10.7 metres which allows racking with a shelf height of up to 10.5 metres to be serviced. The truck can lift and loads up to 1,600kg while the new model’s residual capacity has also been increased so the truck can now lift loads up to 1,000kg to heights of over 10m. The truck’s mast is positioned between the support arms which means a counterweight is not required and the truck can work in aisles as narrow as 2,711mm: a comparable electric counterbalance truck requires an aisle width of more than 3.2 metres. To further aid operational efficiency, improvements to the overhead load guard give the driver a clear view of the fork tips and racking surfaces which means loads can be quickly and easily picked up and deposited safely – even high up in the racking. The operator also benefits from the new truck’s larger cockpit and can adjust his or her sitting position for maximum comfort. The main operating elements are all easily accessible and control pedals are arranged in the automotive style that the operator will be familiar
with.The truck also features a position control system which ensures easy and quick stacking at previously defined storage heights. Load sensors on the truck recognise whether a pallet is at the correct height for put-away or the forks are raised to the appropriate height when retrieving a pallet. This feature means that potentially costly errors are avoided. The truck features an operation control system which measures the load weight via sensors and synchronises it with the truck’s lift height. If the residual capacity is exceeded a visual and audible warning goes off. Jungheinrich UK
T: 01908 363100 Materials Handling & Logistics JULY/AUGUST 2011
www.jungheinrich.co.uk Enter 352 S9
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