An Aisle-Master articulated forklift working at Alutrade Products has transformed handling and storage procedures at the company's headquarters near Droitwich in Worcestershire, and has enabled vast savings to be made on storage space in the 30,000 ft² warehouse.
Alutrade Products is the largest independent specialist supplier to the rapidly expanding UK window blind industry, and distributes one and a half thousand tonnes of aluminium head rail and roller tube per year. With a complementary range of components and fabrics also going out to customers, the volume of material handled on a daily basis is considerable, and straightforward and reliable handling is therefore a crucial element for fulfilling Alutrade's commitment to prompt customer delivery for just in time support.
Works Manager John Hipkiss had a feeling that there must be an improvement on the "counterbalance for offloading and reach truck inside" system, and after consulting Alutrade's local materials handling supplier Abex, he realised he had been correct all along. The solution came in the form of the articulated Aisle-Master forklift, which can replace both other types of forklifts and works inside and out for offloading and direct "truck to rack" movement of goods. Furthermore, its articulated design enables working aisle-widths to be much narrower than with conventional reach trucks, and "dead space" in the form of large turning circles at the end of aisles is a thing of the past.
An electric 2tonne capacity 20SE Aisle-Master was recommended, and since it has been in operation, Alutrade has been able to install racking in the storage area compared to the previous free stacking system, with a resulting increase in storage density in the palletised goods area of 20%. John comments: "It was very important for us to find a versatile forklift capable of keeping pace with the busy schedule and rapid stock rotation, which could also work both inside and out. The Aisle-Master's ability to do all of this has been very beneficial for our operation and in all it has been an extremely cost-effective solution.
Alutrade's latest addition to its fleet – the company also uses 4-way Combilift forklifts from affiliated Irish manufacturer Combilift Ltd for handling long lengths of aluminium section – has proved to be reliable and robust. Excellent visibility from the cab, high quality suspension seat, adjustable steering column and lack of rear end swing when manoeuvering all contribute to a comfortable and safe operating environment.
Aisle-Masters can work in aisles of just 1.75m, with capacities to 2 tonnes and lift heights of up to 11.5 metres. Electric and LPG power is available - all LPG models are fitted with 3-way catalytic converters as standard, with CNG power also an option. Build quality and a track record of superb reliability is a key feature of the Aisle-Master range. The company will happily arrange a site visit so that its dedicated warehouse planning team can come up with layout proposals on how to improve storage.
