Easier battery changing
September 1st 2008 Atlet has helped Waitrose boost
productivity and eliminate manual
battery handling at its Aylesford
distribution centre. Atlet undertook
the design and oversaw the
materials handling equipment and
battery change project as well as
supplying a new fleet of reach
trucks, order pickers, pallet
transporters, counterbalance and
hand pallet trucks.
Atlet installed a semi-automatic
Fast Track Powerplus 'powerbed'
system for changing reach trucks
batteries and a Transfer Track
system for order pickers and pallet
transporters, as well as a battery
management system that works
with the 'intelligent' diagnostic
capabilities of the batteries.
Batteries are allocated in strict
rotation so that the best available
unit, with the most charge, is
always used. Order picker and
powered pallet transporter batteries
are changed using Atlet's Transfer
Track system. The depleted battery
is rolled off the truck onto a trolley
that incorporates a roller platform.
The fresh battery is rolled from the
same trolley onto the truck. The
platform can be adjusted to the
correct height for the specific truck.
Reach truck battery changing
with the Fast Track Powerplus
'powerbed' system means that
batteries are arranged either side
of an aisle mounted on adjustable
roller platforms. More articles from Atlet Limited: | 
