Bright ideas to save space
May 1st 2009 Dublin based Plant and Electrical has achieved a 50% increase in storage space by taking
advantage of the space saving and versatile attributes of an Aisle-Master articulated forklift
The company previously used a
combination of reach and
counterbalance forklifts to handle its
range of electrical supplies, cabling, and PPE
equipment, which it imports and distributes
to the construction industry.When growth
of the business triggered a move to new
premises, the Directors were keen to find a
more versatile handling system, preferably
using just one forklift for all offloading,
storing and picking procedures. Research led
them to Aisle-Master's website which they
found to be "a mine of information, with a
particularly informative video". A live demo
proved that an Aisle-Master would fulfill all
requirements, and an electric powered model
was delivered as the move to the new
warehouse was completed.
"We have been able to fit 1900 pallet
spaces in the new storage area", says Director
Eric Davies, "and there is no way we could
have achieved this total with the
reach/counterbalance combination - the
Aisle-Master's articulated design and
manoeuvrability has enabled us to double
the amount we can store, making a huge
difference to operations."
The Aisle-Master works both inside and
out and is fitted with super elastic tyres, so
copes easily with any uneven surfaces around
the premises. It is also a much speedier
alternative to the old system where each
truck was confined to one particular area;
the electric reach truck was limited to indoor
use, whereas the diesel counterbalance was
only really suitable for offloading in the yard.
The Aisle-Master now allows direct truck to
rack transportation, with no timeconsuming
double handling of
pallets involved.
A variety of options were
incorporated into Plant and
Electrical's Aisle-Master to
suit operational
requirements, all of which
have contributed to ease of
operation and comfort for
the drivers. As a wide
variety of pallet sizes are
used, the truck features an
integrated sideshifting fork
positioner. This enables
quick and convenient
adjustment of the fork width
from within the cab to accord
with the dimensions of the pallet being
handled. A half enclosed cab helps to protect
against inclement weather conditions when
working outside, and the in-cab camera eases
precise positioning and picking of pallets
from the top racking height of 9.4m.
The new system has been beneficial all
round according to Eric Davies: "The drivers
are very happy with the Aisle-Master, which
has proved to be more stable to operate than
the reach truck. Reliability has been
excellent, and we enjoy very good local
service and support. The articulated route
was definitely the one to choose."
The Aisle-Master range is designed and
built at the company's dedicated
manufacturing facility in Co.Monaghan,
Ireland, and exported around the world.
LPG powered Aisle-Masters are also
available, and electric models now all
incorporate AC technology as standard.
Capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes and lift
heights of up to 12.5 metres are available.
Aisle-Master design engineers offer a site
visit and warehouse layout service and
supply free layout proposals illustrating how
to maximise the use of available storage
space. More articles from Aisle-Master Ltd: | 
