Feature Lift trucks VNA sows seeds of success
British Seed Houses (BSH), part of the largest independent family owned seed company in the UK, has taken delivery of an Aisle-Master articulated forklift which has speeded up the handling of bags of seed at the company’s site in Lincolnshire
SH supplies a wide range of seeds and fertilisers to the agri- cultural, amenity and domestic markets across the UK, Ireland and Europe as well as distributing grass and clover varieties on a global scale. A new warehouse has recently been opened at its site to accommo- date the growing volume of products and also to allow BSH the flexibility of reserve capacity due to the seasonal nature of its business.
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Aisle-Masters are able to work in very narrow aisles, enabling maxi- mum storage density in any given area to be achieved. For BSH, other fea- tures of the truck’s design were the deciding factor in this case when it came to choosing a new forklift, as operations manager Matt Stevens explains: “The aisle widths of 2.2m in the new facility are fine for us in terms of space optmisation. More crucial was the ability of a truck to move quickly across our very extensive 10-
Wireless height sensor for pallet storage safety F
lexi Narrow Aisle, manufacturer of the Flexi range of articulated forklift trucks, has introduced wireless, solid state laser lift height selector technology across its range of very narrow aisle trucks.
The height selector allows the truck operator to pre-set
the required pallet storage height simply and efficiently which results in faster throughput and reduced fatigue particularly in larger, high bay stores. Unlike other forklift height selection systems currently on the market, the Flexi Narrow Aisle technology does not rely on wires, tapes or other cables to monitor the height of the forklift carriage as it is raised or lowered in the aisle. Instead it uses state-of- the-art laser technology developed in consultation with a leading German sensor-solutions specialist to precisely check the carriage height. “Traditional lift height sensors have used tape to measure the carriage’s height. The tape becomes stretched and worn and has to be replaced, whereas our wireless system is vir- tually maintenance free and remains accurate no matter how many times the mast is raised or lowered,” says John Maguire, sales and marketing director of Flexi Narrow Aisle. The system automatically stops a forklift load carriage at the correct height when the operator is performing a
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pallet put-away or retrieval operation. Importantly, the sensor allows the load to be raised or lowered at the opti- mum speed – bringing it to a controlled stop at the desired location. Maguire adds: “Because
Flexi articulated forklift trucks enable pallets to be picked and put-away up to 14 metres high they are increasingly used in
the high bay warehouse sector. Indeed, some 40 per cent of all trucks we supply are already fitted with high definition LCD screens to enable the operator to clearly see the load, pallet and racking system at all levels. “The new Flexi Narrow Aisle lift height sensor is an additional piece of technology that will further eliminate operator error, enhance throughput reduce fatigue and, improve safety in the warehouse.” Flexi Narrow Aisle T: 0121 557 6242
www.flexi.co.uk
Aisle-Master’s 20SHE electric- powered articulated forklift truck is helping British Seed Houses to speed up bag handling
acre site with 80,000 square feet of warehousing, to keep operations moving at the pace we require.” BSH was drawn by the Aisle-
Master’s ground travel speed which it felt was superior to other brands it had looked at, and the 20SHE electric pow- ered model is now ensuring rapid transfer of the 700kg bags of seed across the three warehouses on site. Versatile indoor and outdoor capabil- ity also means that bad weather or uneven ground conditions are no impediment to 12-hour operation. The new facility has been fitted with racking to a height of 7.2m and has provided 450 extra storage spaces. “A further concern we had after previous experiences with other trucks was mast stability at this height,” says Stevens. “But we had nothing to worry about with the Aisle-Master. Drivers find it extremely smooth and stable to operate even when quickly lifting and lowering bags from the top beams.” At the busiest times of year, typi- cally in the spring, BSH needs to pull out all the stops to ensure customer orders are fulfilled, and the Aisle- Master’s build, easy maintenance and therefore minimum risk of downtime has been of great benefit. Stevens says: “We have been so impressed that we will definitely go for an Aisle-Master again should we need to expand our fleet.”
Enter 356
Aisle-Masters have capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes, and now offer lift heights of up to 15 metres, with a choice of AC electric or LPG power. The range is designed and built at the dedicated production facility 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 T: 07870 976 758
www.aisle-master.com
Enter 355 MARCH/APRIL 2013 Materials Handling & Logistics
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