A force to be
September 1st 2008 The new AC powered Aisle-Master takes articulated
truck performance to a new level
Irish specialist manufacturer Aisle-Master
Ltd has long been acknowledged as
the pioneer of LPG technology in
articulated forklifts, and is once more
leading the way with the introduction of AC
power into its range of electric models.
"This technology has been thoroughly
tried and tested at customers' premises
over the last couple of years, with
extremely positive feedback," says
company MD Gerry McHugh. "We are
way past the prototype stage and are
now fitting AC as standard on all our
electric models."
The AC truck naturally shares all the
space-saving and versatile qualities of its
predecessor and the company's LPG
model range, with some of the main
benefits of AC summed up as follows:
Enhanced performance levels
Increased pallet movements for greater
productivity
Improved acceleration and gradability
Fewer wearable parts resulting in low
maintenance and reduced downtime
Reduced energy consumption.
For Aisle-Master customers preferring
gas powered trucks, the performance of
the LPG Aisle-Masters is equally
impressive. Magners Cider opted for LPG
trucks, and a fleet of eight Aisle-Masters
keep the supplies flowing at its site in Co.
Tipperary. Counterbalance forklifts and
drive-in racking were previously used, but
an increase in production prompted the
need for a much more space saving and
efficient method. Aisle widths with the
counterbalance forklifts were 4m, and by
introducing a combination of a new
warehouse management system, the
Aisle-Masters, racking, and much narrower
narrow aisles, a 50% increase in storage
capacity has been achieved.
The Aisle-Masters' versatility enables
them to be used throughout the complete
handling process, from unloading pallets
of empty bottles through to reloading 80 to
100 lorry loads a day with pallets of filled
bottles for distribution to markets around
the world. The three bottling plants can
each fill 55,000 bottles an hour, and the
three warehouses have a total of 28,000
pallet spaces. LPG power means that
trucks can be filled up quickly with no time
needed for battery charging, which is of
major benefit at times of peak activity in
the summer months when the trucks work
round the clock.
Aisle-Masters can work in aisles of just
1.75m, with capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes
and lift heights of up to 12.5 metres. The
3rd party logistics, DIY, manufacturing,
pharmaceutical and food and beverage
industries are just some of the sectors
enjoying the benefits of the Aisle-Master
range. All Aisle-Masters are designed and
built at the company's dedicated
production facility in Monaghan, Ireland,
ensuring a top quality and extremely
reliable product. Aisle-Master design
engineers also offer a site visit and
warehouse layout service and supply free
layout proposals illustrating how to
maximise the use of available storage
space.
Aisle-Master Ltd., Clontibret,
Co. Monaghan, Ireland
UK Tel: 07725 642 472
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