Second 4-way forklift for steel supplier

Established in 1987, Bird Stainless is a privately owned independent company specialising in the supply of precision ground bar stainless steel that it supplies to the home, European and Middle Eastern markets.

The company replaced its old counterbalance forklifts and sideloader with a C8000 8t Combilift four years ago, which considerably improved handling procedures as MD, Nigel Bird, explains: "This gave us enhanced flexibility and using a racking system enabled us to locate and retrieve bars in a matter of minutes rather than up to an hour. The multidirectional ability of the truck also enables us to handle longer lengths and we can now confidently negotiate all areas of the site with bars as long as 10m.”  

Due to the increased volume of stock now carried, Bird Stainless has doubled its storage area by building a structure which will accommodate up to a further 1500t, hence the reason for the second Combilift. The new facility was designed around the truck’s capabilities, with 5.5m high racking and guided aisle operation, which allows aisle widths to be set at a minimum for optimum space use and productivity.

The diesel powered C8000 has slightly shorter forks than standard – 750mm – which accord to the depth of the new racking to avoid forks going through to the next bay, eliminating  the risk of damage to racking and stock. Drivers also appreciate the in-cab camera when placing or picking bars to the top beam. Automatic fork positioners avoid the need for them to get in and out of the cab for manual adjustment.