TPT January 2011

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January 2011 83 ›
Handling, Packing & Transportation
Forklifts are an Asset for pipes
Safe material handling in a confined area
TWO Combilift 4-way forklifts are making
light work of Asset International’s long loads
at its plant in Newport, South Wales. The
company is a manufacturer of high density
polyethylene WEHOLITE pipes, which are
used across wide ranging applications such
as storm water storage, sewage treatment,
landfill and highway drainage.
Asset International supplies stock sizes
of 6, 12 and 14m as well as customised
products, and as it also manufactures plastic
pipe with an internal diameter of 3.5m, it was
facing a number of challenges when it came to
manoeuvring finished product around its site.
In a bid to make handling procedures safer
and more streamlined, production manager
Graham Bennett called in experts from South
Wales Industrial Equipment (SWIE).
“We were using a counterbalance forklift
to move pipes from the production facility
to outside storage in the yard,” said Mr
Bennett. “As space is tight in this area the
limited manoeuvrability of this truck made it
complicated and time consuming for drivers
to get loads out of the building. We also
realised that we needed a pretty special
machine to cope with our largest loads,
which weigh around 9 tonnes and can be
up to 25m long. SWIE did a thorough site
survey and their recommendation of the
4-way Combilift trucks has turned out to be
the ideal solution.”
The differing requirements of taking
bundles of standard sized pipes from the
extrusion lines and loading the largest
products onto HGVs for customer delivery
have been addressed by two diesel
powered Combilift models, both of which
were specified by SWIE after analysis of
Asset International’s individual needs.
The dimensions of the C5,000XL
TODAY’S market requires every company
to ensure that the in-plant material flow,
storekeeping and movement of goods
are organised economically. As many
companies continue to experience
considerable pressure on prices and lead
times, the ergonomic planning of in-plant
material flow can lead to an immediate
reduction in costs.
Stierli Bieger AG has developed a new
and unique roll-out material storage system
based on intensive onsite research with a
number of existing customers. The main
advantages of the Stierli Bieger system
model allow it to move easily around the
manufacturing area, and according to
production supervisor Ben Hillman this has
considerably improved operations: “The
beauty of this truck is its ability to work as
a front loader as well as to travel sideways.
The drivers are also very impressed with its
carousel facility and they make good use of
this for optimum manoeuvrability.”
The second truck, one of Combilift’s
largest products, is a C14,000 14-tonne
capacity model that is capable of lifting
loads of 9,000kg at 1,900mm load centres.
With 2,440mm-long forks, wedges fitted
at the end of the decks and a hydraulic
fork spreader, this is a suitable solution
for the stable and safe handling of Asset
International’s extreme loads.
The high ground clearance of both
Combilifts make them suited for the uneven
surfaces around the premises, and the
are the improvement in utilisation of floor
space, tidy and compact storage within
the factory, and fast and safe material
handling.
In addition, downtimes of production
machinery can be minimised, and safe
working practice within the customer’s
company can be considerably improved.
By using this system, the company claims
to avoid the usual risks associated with the
stacking and storage of stock materials.
The number of arms, width clearance,
single or double construction can be
individually selected. The arms can be
robust build copes easily with 24/7 operation
in a tough environment.
“Since we took delivery of the Combilifts
earlier this year, we have seen benefits all
round,” said Graham Bennett. “The 4-way
capability, excellent driver visibility from the
cab and fewer truck movements than before
have improved safety. With a capacity of
1,000 tonnes of product to be shifted every
month, the increased speed at which we
can now operate is a boost not only for us
but also for our customers.”
Combilift 4-way forklifts are designed
and built in Monaghan, Ireland, where the
company also has its HQ and R&D facility.
The current Combilift range encompasses
at least fifteen base models, with capacities
ranging from 2.5 to 25 tonnes, and with a
choice of LPG, diesel or AC electric power.
Combilift Ltd – Ireland
Fax: +353 47 80501
Email:
Website:
removed easily and safely by hand. The
synchronised system developed by Stierli
Bieger AG guarantees parallel running of
the arms with a loading capacity of up to
1,500kg/arm. The arms are equipped with
maintenance-free grooved ball bearings.
Additional sheet metal channels or wood
supports can prevent damage.
Stierli Bieger is a manufacturer of roll-out
racks, devices for welding and dressing,
and horizontal bending machines.
Stierli Bieger AG – Switzerland
Website:
Asset stocks pipes up to 14m long