Amazon chooses Flexi fleet for Dubai DC

Amazon has ordered a fleet of six Flexi Truck articulated forklift trucks for its DXB3 fulfilment centre in Dubai Logistics City, UAE.

The e-commerce site launched in the UAE in May 2019 and, spread over 32,700 sq m and stocked with more than four million products, the DXB3 site is Amazon’s largest fulfilment centre facility in the country with in excess of 650  staff employed there.

Amazon’s new Flexi Trucks feature digital electric motor technology that allows independent twin front-wheel drive, hydraulic functions and the truck’s unique power-steering motor to be controlled digitally – ensuring the most productive, energy-efficient and safe driving performance throughout the working day.

The control systems at the heart of the Flexis deliver higher productivity combined with significantly reduced operating and maintenance costs, while the trucks’ VNA functionality and ability to work both inside and outside the building, make it the ideal choice for Amazon’s UAE operation.

Operational efficiency at the Dubai facility is further enhanced thanks to an integrated lead-acid battery charging solution that dramatically reduces Amazon’s overall energy consumption.

Featuring ‘call-forward’ alert technology to identify the most appropriate fully charged battery when a change is due, the charge system allows Amazon to operate with only two batteries per truck on a three shift usage pattern to minimise materials handling fleet running costs.

Flexi Trucks are built at hubs in the UK and Taiwan by Narrow Aisle Ltd. International sales account for some 40% of Narrow Aisle’s business and a global network of partners provides a full range of after sales support services to Flexi Truck users in some 63 countries worldwide.

Narrow Aisle Ltd’s managing director, John Maguire, commented: “The Flexi Truck’s iconic articulated design is ideally suited to the modern fulfilment centre operation. Flexi Trucks save space, increase productivity and allow safe access to any stacking aisle at all times.

“The Flexi’s ability to work in very narrow aisles means 30% more pallet and shelving locations can be designed into storage systems compared with traditional wide aisle operations while comparison tests have highlighted that Flexis are 25% more productive during a typical shift.

“To achieve optimum online order fulfilment performance it is important to deploy the most suitable materials handling equipment and the Flexi Truck articulated forklift-based intralogistics solution delivers hugely improved productivity and increased safety for warehouse staff as they carry out a range of customer order picking duties at lower levels and at the same time Flexis can stack and replenish in complete safety at height within warehouse aisles.”