Mace is the UK distributor for Geda lifts and hoists.
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Creative conveyors
Mace Industries has continued to expand its portfolio of material handling products, designed to enhance productivity and profitability. Alan Guthrie reports.
The various industrial estate roads that you drive along to reach Mace Industries’ Corby factory are named after inventors like Edison, Brunel and Macadam. While Mace’s achievements might not be on quite the same scale, it nevertheless shows a similar entrepreneurial spirit.
The business dates back to 1986, when engineer, Tony Mace, along with his brother Richard and his father, Colin, started to develop a mechanical solution for ‘bumping up’ tiles to the tops of
The Bumpa facilitates moving repetitive loads to roof height.
houses. The result was the Bumpa, a folding 8m or 10m long, narrow conveyor that was robust
enough to meet the needs of hirers. The company went on to develop the Hoddi, for handling bricks and building materials, and the modular Shifta site conveyor system, a versatile solution for moving items on indoor and outdoor sites. Other products launched subsequently include the Lifta, derived from the Bumpa for handling solar panels and plaster board, and the Supa-Screen for grading soil and aggregates. Several of these will be in operation on the company’s Executive Hire Show stand to create an eye-catching display.
“The beauty of products like the Shifta is its suitability for many applications, such as moving construction items and recycled materials, filling skips, and loading and unloading packages,” said Marketing Manager Luke Mace, one of Tony’s sons who are now in the business. “They are engineered carefully to give maximum efficiency. For example, the motors on our machines are at the bottom instead of the top, making them easier to handle, and the drive systems push the conveyor belts, rather than pulling them, for better performance and reliability.
“We are constantly exploring ways of modifying and improving our machines in the light of our own trials and feedback from hirers,
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who represent our principal market. A year ago, we changed the Shifta’s bogey design to incorporate fold-away wheels, and re-designed the aluminium extrusion to facilitate stacking of the conveyors when not in use. As our equipment is so robust, some hirers might still be running old or, even, original machines. To help them refresh their fleets, we will be launching at the Show a new trade-in initiative, enabling them to offer the very latest models, which will look good in their fleets and on their customers’ sites.”
All products are designed and made at the Corby factory, which is currently undergoing expansion to meet growing demand. The extra space is also needed to accommodate the range of hoists from German manufacturer, Geda, for which Mace was appointed UK distributor last year. “Half our exhibition stand will be devoted to Geda products, which range from small rope hoists and passenger lifts, to ladder lifts and rack and pinion hoists. We will also show a new Geda lift, specially designed for the UK market, which incorporates an innovative braking mechanism to ensure safe unloading. Overall, the range complements our own products beautifully, and as hirers can now obtain more items from a single source, it simplifies their supply chain. At the Show, we will also display new Geda rubbish chutes made of a very heavy-duty plastic, meaning that they last longer and can achieve a greater return on a hirer’s investment.
“We pride ourselves on being a family- owned, family-run
The Shifta has been re-designed for easier handling and storage.
business that is approachable and easy to deal with. We are geared up for the rapid supply of products and parts that hirers depend on, and we are always looking for new ideas and opportunities. So if any hirer has a materials handling requirement that needs a solution, we will be delighted to talk to them about it at the Show.”
• 01536 206600
www.maceindustries.co.uk
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