Fixed contract
September 1st 2009 Independent tile importer, Cosmo
Ceramics, transports 100t of granite,
marble, porcelain and ceramic tiles
each week and relies on a fleet of
reach and counterbalance trucks to
keep operations running smoothly.
When the company's existing
trucks became too expensive to repair,
it turned to Glasgow-based
Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer
Douglas Gillespie Plant (DGP). To
control materials handling costs more
efficiently, Cosmo Ceramics opted for
a fixed term contract hire agreement.
To cope with the narrow aisles and
high racking in this application, the
trucks used must have high lift
capabilities and tight turning circles.
DGP recommended the Mitsubishi
2.5t reach truck (RB25NH) ? said to
be one of the strongest trucks of its
kind on the market, with lift heights
of up to 9.5m
Top marks for Aisle-Master
at Global Training
Global Training delivers a wide range
of forklift truck training programmes
and also runs a warehousing and
storage operation from its site at Gloucester
Business Park, and is benefiting from the
qualities of an Aisle-Master articulated truck
for both sides of its business.
As well as providing packages for all the
mainstream and specialist forklift types on
the market up to RTITB standards, the
company offers a range of health and safety
courses such as first aid, fire risk assessment
and crane handling.When it came to the
choice of truck for training operators in the
articulated sector, the Aisle-Master was a
clear winner according to company Director
Kay Herbert.
"The quality of the Aisle-Master stands
out," says Kay, "and absolute reliability is
crucial as we need to be able to offer
uninterrupted availability of equipment for
trainees. For both training purposes and for
work in our warehouse the Aisle-Master has
been 100% on all counts. The design and
engineering of the AC electric powered truck
also make for a much smoother drive than
with other brands. "
Global Training also runs a storage and
distribution service in a 9,000ft2 facility in its
industrial unit, and the Aisle-Master's ability
to work in very narrow aisles is very
beneficial compared to the old combination
of counterbalance forklifts (for outdoor
work) and reach trucks (in the aisles). The
Aisle-Master also picks to a height of 9.3m so
can service the very top bays of racking, and
the number of available pallet spaces has
now been increased by around 400, to a total
of 1,200.
As the truck copes easily with outdoor
work, gradients and unpaved yards it is also
advantageous for one of Global Training's
main customers on the Business Park which
manufactures herbal teas: the Aisle-Master
offloads the incoming palletised raw
ingredients, transports them to the
manufacturing site, then collects the finished
product to be stored until final dispatch.
"This versatility means that we no longer
need to use any other types of trucks, so it
has eliminated double handling and
streamlined operations," says Kay. "Our client
is also very impressed with this door to door
service!"
All electric powered Aisle-Masters now
feature AC technology as standard, and the
benefits of this are appreciated by trainees
and management alike: Drivers enjoy
improved acceleration and gradability and
immediate response to controls make for
very comfortable operation. From a financial
point of view, sealed units mean fewer
wearable parts for low maintenance and
reduced downtime, energy consumption is
reduced, and one battery charge provides
longer operation.
Kay believes that Global Training is the
only company of its kind to have an Aisle-
Master on its premises and therefore
permanently on hand for operators to
acquire their skills. "We have the best of both
worlds really: an excellent piece of equipment
for training purposes, and space saving and
versatile operations in the warehouse."
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, and
LPG models are also available. The trucks are
all designed and built at the company's
dedicated production
facility in Monaghan,
Ireland, ensuring a top
quality 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
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