B&B Archives

New Distributor for Vacuum Lifters

Posted on 3 August, 202325 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

B&B Attachments, leading manufacturer and supplier of forklift truck attachments and material handling solutions, has announced its official role as authorised UK distributors for Autem Vacuum Lifters Ltd.

Autem Vacuum Lifters Ltd are manufacturers of lifting and handling equipment. The company has over 20 years’ experience in designing and manufacturing vacuum lifters. Its registered office is in Kilmarnock, Scotland.

The company manufactures high-quality vacuum lifting systems for a variety of industries worldwide. Vacuum lifting machines are a great way to transport heavy items. They are designed for material handling in the construction, manufacturing, and logistics industries.

This easy-to-use system improves the handling and movement of difficult-to-manoeuvre objects, such as concrete blocks, steel, cladding, pipes, paving slabs and more. The lifters work by using suction which is achieved via a vacuum pump connected to a suction pad. Vacuum suction and release can be achieved in seconds.

“We are excited to add Autem Vacuum Lifters as a new lifting option to the UK, Ireland, and export markets. Our partnership with Autem allows us to offer an even wider range of material handling solutions to our customers. These innovative lifters are battery powered and require no installation, making them extremely user friendly, flexible, and cost effective.” Comments Mike Barton, Managing Director at B&B Attachments.

B&B Attachments is the UK’s sole distributor for three of Europe’s leading manufacturers of material handling equipment. The company also supplies specialist forklift truck attachments, designed and developed to order, and offers one of the most comprehensive after-care services available in the forklift truck attachments industry.

Kaup Expands its e-op Range

Posted on 16 May, 202329 July, 2025 by David Priestman

The leading independent manufacturer of forklift truck attachments, KAUP GmbH & Co adds to its electrically operated material handling solutions, as part of its e-op (Electrically Operated) line.

Following the launch of the world’s first electric fork positioner, in Stuttgart, over half a decade ago, KAUP has continued to develop and expand its electric range. The latest editions to enter its range of forklift truck attachments is the all-electric double pallet handler, rotator, and side-shift.

With an industry focus on electric forklift trucks, providing not only environmental benefits, but also lower total cost of ownership and extended truck life, the next logical step is to add an electric attachment. Not only will an electric attachment prolong your electric trucks battery life, but the most obvious benefit lies in the fact that the e-op series does not require any hydraulics, or oil, eliminating the risk of hydraulic leaks.

Another benefit of the electric range is the ‘drive systems’ energy efficiency. All KAUP electric attachments require only a fraction of the energy needed compared to its hydraulic counterparts, even though they are manufactured from the same basic components from the modular system.

The precise positioning of the e-op attachments allows for accuracy when positioning loads, whether this be via the autonomous control of the attachment, or the control of the industrial truck. The attachments also incorporate numerous safety features, such as ‘redundant function monitoring’ and ‘emergency stop switch’, ensuring safe operation at all times.

Mike Barton, Managing Director of B&B Attachments; the official UK and Ireland distributor for KAUP products comments, “Electric attachments together with electric forklifts are becoming the preferred choice at many job sites. The cutting-edge technology of the KAUP e-op range offers businesses tremendous cost savings, efficiency, safety, reliability, and sustainability.” The KAUP e-op range is available through-out the UK and Ireland via B&B Attachments.

Consolidated Fork Truck Services Examination

Posted on 23 January, 202325 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Leading specialists in material handling solutions, B&B Attachments provides CFTS (Consolidated Fork Truck Services) accredited ‘Thorough Examination’ inspections as part of its service offering. Its team of fully qualified service technicians, located throughout the country, are trained to perform Thorough Examination, and provide UK companies with legislation compliance.

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) were introduced to place duties and responsibilities on people and companies who own, operate, or have control over lifting equipment.

The LOLER Regulations require that all lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person and carried out in a safe manner. It also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, and suitably marked, with its maintenance recorded and defects reported. LOLER also states the requirement for Thorough Examination and Inspection, which are key requirements of the regulations.

A Thorough Examination is a detailed examination of the lifting equipment by a competent person to detect any defects that are, or might become, dangerous. Methods of the examination includes visual examination, functional checks, and measurements of wear. Equipment owners must ensure lifting equipment (including lifting accessories) undergoes a regular Thorough Examination by a competent person within the specified timescale.

Fork Truck Services

B&B’s attachment specialists have been fully trained and certified by CFTS to provide Thorough Examinations for forklift attachments. They have practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of lifting equipment, enabling them to detect defects or weaknesses and assess how critical they are in relation to the safety and the continued use of the attachment.

B&B’s trained specialists will attend your site and carry out a full inspection of your attachment(s) and leave you with a detailed report of the Thorough Examination. If repairs or maintenance are identified, B&B offers a competitive maintenance service, backed up by its dedicated parts division, to ensure repairs are completed quickly and to the highest standards. B&B also carry out inspections on all its rental attachments, so you can rest assured that your attachment(s) are safe and compliant.

Forklift attachments must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every 12 months, and often more frequently (every 6 months) depending on conditions of use. Or in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.

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