Feature Lift trucks
Forklifts help maximise space in car part facility
The introduction of four Aisle-Master articulated forklifts for narrow aisle operation has helped a specialist in vehicle replacement parts to make the best possible use of warehouse space at its UK distribution centre based near Maidstone in Kent
B
lue Print is the European brand of quality replacement parts for Japanese, Korean and American cars and light commercial vehicles, and its range of aftermarket automotive components consists of 24,000 part numbers, covering over 160 different product groups. Impressive year on year growth has made the best use of warehouse space a priority. 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 capac- ity – 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 with- stand 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, 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. Edwards says: “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.”
Four Aisle-Master articulate forklifts are helping Blue Print make the best use of its ware- house space at its distribution centre in Maidstone
upplier of on-site facility units, Bunkabin has fitted Jayline Products load cushions to the carriages of its lift trucks to prevent damage to its range which includes various purpose-built sleeping accommodation cabins as well as toilet and shower facilities. These are hired to a wide range of customers from events organisers to construction sites. The cabins are built at Bunkabins’ purpose-built factory in the north west and hire stock is held at a 10-acre yard at the same site. Another open storage facility near Luton offers additional space and serves customers south of the Midlands. With dimensions similar to a typical cargo container and weighing some two tonnes, the cabins are made from steel which is laminate coated to ensure a smart exterior finish. They are designed to be handled by lift truck and feature ‘pockets’ near their base into which a lift truck’s forks can slide. Unfortunately, if the forklift truck operators do not show sufficient care when handling the cabins, the walls can be dented and the laminate coating scratched, leaving the units looking tired and in need of repair in a short time. “Our cabins are delivered directly to a customer’s site by wagon and are loaded on to vehicles by a fleet of Nissan counterbalanced forklifts,” explains the company’s transport manager, Andy Seddon. “We had a problem with damage caused by the lift trucks. The damage done is only cosmetic but the scratches look unsightly and units have to go back to the factory to be made good before being re-hired.” The damage problems has been “all but eliminated” thanks to Jayline Products’ load cushions. Made in the UK from heavy duty moulded rubber, the patented load cushions fit to the rear face of a forklift truck’s forks and provide a protective barrier between the load and the forks. At Bunkabin, the cushions prevent the cabins from hitting the forks or the fork carriage with sufficient force to cause any dents or scratches to the exterior of the units. “The return on our investment, which was only a few hundred pounds, was almost instant,” says Seddon. “Apart from the expense of having to put the cabins back in to the factory to repair damage, we risk upsetting our customers if a unit arrives at a client’s site showing signs of wear and tear. Since fitting the Jayline load cushions the number of repairs has fallen noticeably.”
Cushion effect eliminates handling damage S
Available in a choice of sizes, the Jayline load cushions are suitable for use with a wide range of materials handling equipment. Jayline Products
www.jaylineproducts.co.uk S10
T: 01386 854912 Enter 354
The Aisle-Master fleet is AC electric powered, and mast mounted cameras have been fitted to the trucks working in the high lift operation. Darren Baldwin from handling consultants Mexmast advised on the specifica- tions, and Mexmast also looks after service issues, which Edwards ranks as vital when it comes to choosing equipment. “Mexmast is an excellent service provider, and Aisle-Master was very accommodating by putting in an interim machine to help us while we were waiting for our order to arrive.” Blue Print’s operations continue to
grow, and with three or four inbound containers and two outbound HGVs to offload and load on a daily basis for the company’s European wide customers, the Aisle-Master’s dependability has been of major benefit. “We cannot afford to have a machine down with this workload, and the trucks have lived up to their reputation of unri- valled reliability, with no problems to report,” comments Derek.
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. The range is designed and built at the dedicated production facil- ity of its parent company Combilift in Monaghan, Ireland, and can be cus- tomised for individual requirements. Aisle-Master design engineers also offer a site visit and warehouse layout service and supply free layout propos- als illustrating how to maximise the use of available storage space. Aisle-Master
www.aisle-master.com
T: 07870 976758 Enter 353
JULY/AUGUST 2011 Materials Handling & Logistics
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48