Day: 4 September 2020

Storage and packaging expert Exporta has expanded its range offering on Eurocrates with three new sizes. As well as the addition of a new range of five Eurocrates made entirely from recycled material, making them the most eco-friendly euro crates available in the UK.

Exporta says it identified a gap in the market and worked with their suppliers to create a range that ticks every box. Recycled material is significantly cheaper than virgin plastic, it adds, making this range more affordable than standard Eurocrates made from virgin material. They are also available in black, making them easily recognisable in different situations and when in transition within the supply chain.

The three new sizes in the virgin range present a greater choice for Exporta’s customers. Virgin plastic has the advantage of being food safe; food can be placed directly onto the crate surface without issues of plastic contamination.

Whereas, the recycled crates are ideal for non-food usage – or when food comes already stored in its retail packaging. Another feature of the recycled crates is that they come with open handles, making them easier to lift and carry.

All crates, plastic pallets, boxes and containers supplied by Exporta are 100% recyclable, ensuring that Exporta lives up to its ISO14001 Environmental accreditation.

Don Marshall, Head of Marketing & eCommerce said: “We like to listen to our customers and support their needs and also look for innovative products to fill in any gaps in the market and fix our clients issues and pain points. Expanding the sizes in our Eurocrate range, as well as adding in a range of recycled crates achieves both these goals. It affirms our place as the No1 supplier in the UK if you need to Move It, Store It or Secure It.”

Power Electronics, which specialises in the development of equipment based on advanced power electronics, is a leader in the manufacture and installation of solar inverters for photovoltaic plants and converters for energy storage systems worldwide. It has trusted AR Racking, a reference company in the European market for storage systems, to equip the new warehouse at its facilities in Llíria (Valencia, Spain).

AR Racking -a company specialised in designing, manufacturing, and installing industrial storage systems for all types of loads- has installed an adjustable pallet racking system (AR PAL), a system that allows each pallet to be located quickly and provides direct and immediate access to the load. The system is designed to store pallets mechanically using forklifts. The surface area of the installation carried out by AR Racking in the warehouse exceeds 1,300 m2 and reaches a height of 10 metres. The AR PAL system installed can store a total of 2,625 pallets.

In addition, a Carton flow rack for manual picking has been installed, a system that allows high-density storage of boxes and light products, saving space and providing a better control of stock rotation. Three levels of wheel carrier tracks have been included in the lower part of the system to facilitate order preparation. The zone reaches 1,100 linear meters of volume storage for picking and has a capacity for 8,200 Euroboxes.

“One of the main advantages of AR Racking’s systems is that they can be combined to achieve a solution that is perfectly suited to the customer’s requirements. At the Power Electronics warehouse we have provided a system that fits the need for both pallet storage and the storage of smaller boxes thanks to the Carton flow rack, perfectly adapted for order preparation”. In addition, “the order preparation aisles are duly protected with approved electro-welded mesh, to contain possible falling loads”, explain Vicente Marín and Javier Miquel, project managers at AR Racking.

“With 28 branches and points of sales in almost 40 countries, Power Electronics’ service is based on immediacy, guaranteeing maximum efficiency and operability. We also find these features in the new warehouse: the systems installed enable us to control stock and locate products quickly and efficiently”, says Enrique García (Director of the Industrial Efficiency Department), and Salvador Climent (Head of Supply Chain Efficiency) at Power Electronics.

25 years of success in the Australian market with the highest market share globally: These accolades, which help distinguish HUBTEX Australia, can now be joined by another. With effect from September, HUBTEX Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG from Fulda, Germany will acquire 100 percent of the shares held by the previous owner. Not only does this make it a subsidiary, but it will also be one of the largest branches outside of Germany. This acquisition is enabling the forklift trucks manufacturer to significantly expand its business dealings in Australia and pursue an international growth strategy, even in the current economic crisis.

 The HUBTEX brand does not just represent innovative, state of the art solutions for handling long and heavy loads in Germany, but also strong partners and branches all over the world. This includes the previous owner of HUBTEX Australia, Bill Parry, who founded “Parry Forklifts” in 1995. It has operated under the current name since 2000. The sale at the end of August will result in HUBTEX acquiring 100 percent of the shares held by Mr Parry, who will stay active in sales, marketing and business development. As of September, his long-term partner of 25 years, Bruce Peatman will take over the management of the company. As the previous General Manager, he has many years of experience in customer service and after sales, as well as in the sales of HUBTEX solutions. He is supported by Lars Beuel, who has a dual role as Sales Manager for Material Handling for HUBTEX head office while simultaneously managing HUBTEX Australia from the factory in Germany for the past 15 years.

Largest branch worldwide

The Australian market is beside Europe and the United States one of the most important markets worldwide: With around 1400 machines, the forklift truck manufacturer currently has the highest vehicle density in comparison to the population – a figure which becomes even more impressive when Australia’s relatively low population and purchasing power are considered. With the large market share and generated sales of 15 million euros, Australia is the most important global export market for HUBTEX after continental Europe and the USA. The transition from a former distributor partner into a subsidiary, also means that HUBTEX is gaining the largest branch outside Germany with its Australian headquarters in Sydney. It will be able to accommodate Australian customers in terms of investment security and individual consultations.

High quality of service and short distances to the customer

In addition to its Sydney headquarters, HUBTEX Australia has modern, well equipped branches in the major metropolitan areas of Melbourne and Brisbane; other service branches are located in Adelaide and Perth. A total of 50 employees work at the sites. In addition to new Hubtex products, pre-owned and rental equipment are equally important areas of the business and have been successfully expanded over the years to create a market share of around 50%. Despite the vast size of the country, the strategic service branches in all of the major metropolitan areas ensures that HUBTEX Australia are able to offer fast service response times and short distances to the customer – something which is not typical for European manufacturers in Australia. The distribution network with a focus on timber, building materials and glass also benefits from its own spare parts warehouses in all branches. Regular training of Australian service engineers, which takes place annually at the HUBTEX headquarters in Fulda, guarantees Australian customers a quality of service at European level.

UK brewer Camerons has equipped its forklift fleet with specialist Keg Clamp attachments from B&B Attachments.

The ongoing growth of the brewery business together with the fast pace of the industry, demands a fast and efficient end of line logistics process. To ensure the supply operations are as safe and productive as possible, it requires a fleet of reliable forklift trucks equipped with specialist Keg Clamp attachments, each capable of handling up to 18 kegs at a time.

The Keg Clamp attachments provided by B&B Attachments were fitted to a fleet of four Jungheinrich trucks. This attachment provides secure clamping of kegs and casks and ensures ease of movement of both full and empty barrels around the yard and production facility. It provides the driver with excellent visibility when approaching the load, whilst also increasing driver confidence and ensuring safe and secure handling on site.

The kegs are securely clamped between the three tines of the attachment. The tines include a special rubber insert to prevent keg slippage, and to secure any slightly smaller rogue kegs which may be included in the overall stack. A vertically adjustable, articulating load stabilising frame, moves downwards and holds the keg stack securely in place. The Keg Clamp standard features include; low profile, fast moving keg pack stabilisers, with long lasting rubber pad, wear indicators on tines, and end of stroke cushioning on side shift movement.

Richard Forster, Logistics Manager at Camerons Brewery comments, “Camerons long standing relationship with B&B Attachments spans 11 years. They are a trusted supplier, and the keg clamps provided are the most effective solution for improving productivity when it comes to our product handling.”

This specialist keg handling attachment is available through B&B Attachments. B&B prides itself on providing efficient handling solutions for all industry sectors, including brewing, construction, paper handling and logistics. Contact B&B Attachments by e-mailing info@bandbattachments.com

With the new Pallet Truck Tag and Powered Pallet Truck Tag, Brady Corporation claims that companies can increase legal compliance, support better pallet truck checks and share inspection results on the equipment itself to improve pallet truck safety.

Increased legal compliance

Article 5 from EU Directive 2009/104 / EC states that equipment, which includes pallet trucks, should be reviewed regularly by an authorised person and that these reviews should be recorded in writing and archived. Brady’s Pallet Truck Tag and Powered Pallet Truck Tag make compliance with the directive a lot easier, claims the company, because they can be attached to pallet trucks for easy inspection and because they can store respectively up to 21 or 31 inspection results and inspector signatures on a removable insert.

Best practice equipment checks

On the reverse of each tag, an easy-to-follow operator checklist is included based on best practices to support quality equipment checks in order to achieve best-in-class equipment safety. Separate best practice checklists are available for pallet trucks and powered pallet trucks.

Visible on the equipment itself

Both the Pallet Truck Tag and Powered Pallet Truck Tag holders can easily be fixed to pallet trucks with a cable tie or adhesive. This enables all relevant workers to see the latest equipment inspection status on the equipment itself. A signature from an authorised inspector will confirm the equipment was deemed safe to use after inspection. If the pallet truck did not pass inspection, authorised inspectors can remove the insert, leaving a clear ‘do not use’ message on the holder, informing coworkers they should use one of the other pallet trucks deemed safe to use. Both the Pallet Truck Tag and Powered Pallet Truck Tag can be supplied in a variety of languages.