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Tag: forklifts

Yale Reveals New Lift Truck Identity

Posted on by David Priestman

Yale Materials Handling has changed its brand name to Yale Lift Truck Technologies. The rebranding reflects the company’s emphasis on technology-enabled lift trucks for warehouse and intralogistics operations, delivered through a strong network of independent dealers.

Yale says the rebrand highlights how it is responding to ever-changing market conditions and demands, whilst emphasising its strengths in providing solutions for customers’ needs.

“The intralogistics landscape is in a state of growth and innovation, particularly across Europe, Middle East and Africa,” explains Stewart Murdoch (pictured), Senior Vice President, Managing Director – EMEA, Hyster-Yale Group. “As supply-chains evolve ever faster, Yale is also evolving to support customers and provide bespoke solutions to meet their challenges.”

Yale specialises in developing lift-trucks and the integration of technology. This combined with its heritage, knowledge, and working with its dealer partners, enables it to deliver the perfect fit for customers. “The brand name Yale Lift Truck Technologies reflects the way we are evolving with our customers to deliver the right solutions for their application-specific needs,” said Murdoch.

The new brand name is founded on a smart design philosophy and technology integration. This builds on Yale’s 100-year-long heritage of designing and manufacturing reliable lift truck technologies which keep evolving to meet the challenges facing today’s industries.

As part of the rebrand, there is a new logo and visual identity for Yale Lift Truck Technologies. The new logo is representative of the Yale ’Y’, the ‘boxes’ it moves for customers, and ‘arrows’ to indicate its desire to help customers with upward growth and increased productivity while pushing down costs.

Yale and its network of dealer partners are focused on customer success and supporting productivity, efficiency, and sustainability in the fast-changing intralogistics market. “Flexible, high-quality service and fast adoption of innovations will be key for meeting the perpetually increasing need for faster delivery times in our customers’ warehouses,” said Murdoch.

Yale has an established record of technology-driven lift truck solutions. This includes a full line of lift trucks and warehouse trucks, robotic lift trucks, various power options for electrification, next-generation operator assist technology and customer-specific solutions. All delivered to customers through its dealer partners.

Yale’s dealer partners create long-lasting, successful relationships with customers. This ensures that the right advice and flexible solutions can be delivered to warehouse and intralogistics operations, every time they are needed. Through them, Yale also delivers top-class maintenance and service support. “Our independent dealer partners allow Yale to focus on what we do best – the design and manufacture of innovative, reliable, and efficient lift truck technologies that last. While our dealer partners bring an in-depth understanding of what it takes to make our customers successful,” concluded Murdoch.

 

Grammer’s Broad Seat Range at ProMat

Posted on by David Priestman

After a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic, new products will be the focus in Chicago at ProMat 2023, the leading trade show for manufacturing and supply chain industry in Northern America. As one of the market leaders in the forklift seat segment, Grammer will be showcasing its significantly expanded range of seats for forklifts from March 20 to 23, 2023. New highlights at booth S5137 include a haptic warning system, water-resistant seat covers that heighten ease of use, ergonomics, and safety in this demanding workplace.

“Material handling is one of the strongest and fastest growing US market segments for Grammer. Accordingly, it is important for us to present Grammer at this year’s ProMat as an innovation driver and leading supplier of ergonomic seat systems,” says Dr. Andreas Diehl, President Division Commercial Vehicles, Grammer AG. “At the interface between people and vehicles, our seats offer very attractive added value with their top durability, sustainable materials and new smart HMI solutions such as multi-function armrests. In the booming global logistics world, everything is designed for maximum efficiency and speed: We are creating the basis for top performance and productivity with products that help people work safely, comfortably and with maximum concentration over many hours.”

Haptic warning vibration alarm

In the environment in which forklifts are used, acoustic signals or flashing lights indicate obstacles or hazards to the driver. With the frequently high noise levels in production halls, high-shelf warehouses or exterior yards, there is a risk of acoustic warning signals being overheard – unlike a haptic signal that is always reliably felt in the seat. To additionally improve safety in this work environment, Grammer offers a haptic warning system, an ideal addition to audiovisual warning systems: Two vibration motors integrated on the left and right of the seat mean that users no longer miss any important warnings.

This new product can be experienced in the MSG75 seat on display at ProMat. The motors can be activated individually or together and – depending on the OEM’s wishes – controlled by different vehicle sensors.

Water-resistant seat covers

Forklift trucks are often in 24/7 use and operated by several people – indoors in the hall as well as outdoors at the loading ramp or on the service yard.  This reveals two major advantages of the new, water-resistant seat covers from Grammer: they support cleanliness, hygiene and durability because they are particularly easy to clean. And they prevent moisture from penetrating the cover and the upholstery, making hours-long use uncomfortable.

In addition to offering top comfort, they are also temperature-regulating, thus providing warmth in cold conditions, while keeping the seat surface cool in high temperatures. The “hydrophobic” covers are available in several versions, which are fitted to the MSG65 and MSG75 on display at ProMat 2023.

Dualmotion offers better overview

Another innovative highlight in Grammer’s product range increases both safety and ergonomic comfort in forklifts: The Dualmotion adaptive back support rotates backwards with the upper body when the operator looks over his or her shoulder, increasing the support provided by the seat, reducing muscle fatigue when working backwards and improving the visibility of possible obstacles in the vicinity of the forklift.

Complete range at ProMat

The best possible seating in a forklift truck, regardless of its size, combines top safety, ergonomics and operating comfort. Grammer creates the conditions for this with the right seat solutions and individually selectable options such as seat heating, ventilation or different suspension systems: At its booth at ProMat, the company will be showcasing seats from the MSG45, MSG65, MSG75 and MSG95 series – covering the complete range of applications from very compact and lightweight basic seats to fully equipped high-end models.

 

TRANSFER.FESTIVAL and IFOY AWARD announce cooperation

Posted on by Keith McKinley

IFOY AWARD, the world’s largest intralogistics award, is cooperating with the TRANSFER.FESTIVAL of the Digital.Hub Logistics and the Fraunhofer Institute for Logistics and Material Flow IML. The partners recently agreed to work together. Before the IFOY AWARD Night 2023 begins at 18.00 on 22nd June at Dortmunder U, IFOY AWARD finalists and festival participants will actively shape two sessions on the topics of automation and sustainability on the premises of Fraunhofer IML – following the festival motto of “make, transfer, network”.

Festival participants can choose from a total of 14 sessions – including trend topics such as blockchain or open source in logistics. A special feature will be that instead of PowerPoint slides and endless lectures, innovative, interactive formats such as debates or fish bowls await guests.

“We want to inspire knowledge transfer from science to business and vice versa,” says Anita Würmser, executive chairwoman of the IFOY AWARD jury. “That doesn’t work with a marathon lecture, but only interactively in discussion. Knowledge is required here, but also the courage to express an opinion.”

“The IFOY AWARD finalists and their customers enrich our festival programme with their deep knowledge of solutions and trends in intralogistics,” emphasises Maria Beck, Managing Director of Digital Hub Management GmbH. “At the same time, they benefit from the knowledge of our long-standing programme partners.”

The third edition of the TRANSFER.FESTIVAL will be enriched by lab tours that offer exclusive insights behind the scenes at Fraunhofer IML. Developments such as drones, exoskeletons and autonomous mobile robots (AMR) will be demonstrated. During the lunch break with live music, there will be the opportunity for intensive networking.

At 18.00, the festive IFOY AWARD Night with the 2023 finalists and invited guests from business, science, politics, and the media will start at the Dortmunder U. More than 250 invited guests from seven countries are expected to attend the celebration in the historic former brewing tower of the Dortmunder Union Brewery and on the roof terrace. During the awards ceremony, the secret will be revealed as to which of the 25 nominated devices and solutions in a total of seven categories will be awarded the “Oscar of Intralogistics”. All finalists will undergo the three-stage IFOY audit at the IFOY TEST DAYS as part of the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS on March 29 and 30 at Messe Dortmund. Afterwards, the international jury will make its decision.

 

Low-lift Pallet Truck Helper

Posted on by David Priestman

Clark has launched a new low-lift pallet truck for light transport tasks. The vehicle with the model designation LWio15 has a load capacity of 1500 kg and is suitable for short distances in goods distribution, production or in the warehouse. The vehicle is equipped with a long-lasting and powerful Li-Ion battery, which makes the LWio15 a reliable helper in industry, trade and logistics. Especially when a low-lift truck is only needed occasionally, the LWio15 is extremely cost efficient.

Compact and safe pallet truck

The LWio15 drives and lifts purely electrically. The operator can therefore operate the truck safely and ergonomically without any effort. With a length to the front of the forks (L2 dimension) of only 400 mm and an aisle width of only 1810 mm, the low-lift truck is extremely compact and manoeuvrable. Via a switch integrated in the ergonomic tiller, the truck can also be moved with the tiller raised. This makes the low-lift truck ideal for use in space-critical work areas and narrow aisles. Optional side support rollers prevent the vehicle from tipping and ensure stable and safe handling even when cornering. The LWio15 has a lifting height of 105 mm and is available with a fork length of 900 mm or 1500 mm, depending on the application.

Li-Ion battery guarantees high availability

The LWio15 is equipped with a 24 V (20 Ah) Li-Ion battery as standard and a storage compartment in which a second battery, also with 24 V (20 Ah), can be accommodated as an option. Intermediate charging, for example during breaks, can extend the vehicle’s operating time and avoid downtimes without limiting its service life. To charge the battery, the external charger included in the scope of delivery is simply connected to a 230 V socket. The battery can be quickly and safely removed from the side when it needs to be changed.

The operator also benefits from numerous advantages that have a positive effect on operating costs: Compared to the monobloc battery, the Li-Ion battery has a longer service life. There is no additional expense for maintenance work around the battery acid, as the Li-Ion battery is maintenance-free. Intermediate charging can be carried out without a special charging room, as no gases are released during charging.

Since the forklift was invented by Eugene Clark in Buchanan, Michigan (USA) in 1917, CLARK has been one of the worldwide market leaders in the materials handling vehicles business. With more than 100 years of experience in the materials handling vehicles sector and over 1.4 million forklifts sold worldwide, the CLARK brand, which is proud of its roots in America, is associated with modern and robust product design, progressive, sophisticated technology and excellent customer service. Since 2003, CLARK has been part of the South Korean Young An Group based in Bucheon and offers a complete product portfolio consisting of forklifts with electric power or internal combustion engines and load capacities of 1.5 to 8 tons, narrow-aisle forklifts, warehouse equipment and an extensive range of services.

CLARK Material Handling International (CMHI) with its head office in Bucheon, South Korea, is currently represented worldwide at more than 480 locations in over 90 nations. The operations are managed at four headquarters around the world. Production is assembled according to European quality standards at plants in Korea, the United States, Vietnam and China. With 170 Clark dealers in 60 countries, CLARK Europe GmbH is one of four subsidiaries of CMHI and serves the regions of Europe, the Middle East and Africa from its headquarters in Duisburg, Germany.

Doosan Launches Heavy-lifting Electric Trucks

Posted on by David Priestman

Doosan, manufacturer of robust high-performance forklift trucks, has launched two new ranges of high capacity electric counterbalance forklift trucks within the NXE Series, providing industrial users with a wide choice of zero-emission, low-noise level, environmentally friendly trucks capable of tackling heavy duty tasks. Both ranges have a compact new design for greater manoeuvrability in tight spaces and are built to Doosan’s exacting standards on durability and robust, reliable performance.

The powerful B80NS
Available in capacities from 8.0 to 10.0 tons, businesses across a broad spectrum of industry – from manufacturing, engineering, and foundries, to building supplies, transport and warehousing – will benefit from the improved capability, power and performance of Doosan’s latest heavy-lifting B80NS electric trucks. The versatility of electric power is now available in a durable and reliable heavy-lifting vehicle, built for working long-shifts in arduous conditions, making it a viable alternative to increasingly regulated IC Engine equivalents – all of which helps to save time and costs.

For those businesses requiring a truck for light to medium duties, Doosan has introduced a low-cost electric truck specified for the task.

The cost-efficient B60NX
The B60NX ‘value’ range, with three models covering a capacity range from 6.0 – 8.0 ton, offers the simple clean performance of electric power in a series of competitively priced high-capacity models – giving occasional users a reliable ‘buy new’ alternative to purchasing a second-hand or reconditioned forklift truck. Designed for light to medium duties, the B60NX range offers all that’s needed to get the job done – without needing to spend large. These compact zero-emission trucks are clean and quiet in operation, delivering safe, reliable performance exactly when it’s needed.

Extra Durable
Durability for outside duty is catered for in both ranges with IP65 rated controllers and motors, offering maximum resilience to water and dust. Also included as standard is an industry leading sealed, oil-cooled disc brake system, which is virtually maintenance free and lasts up to five times longer when compared to conventional shoe brakes. The sealed units protect against outside elements such as dirt, water and grit, ensuring top-rate braking performance for enhanced safety and increased productivity. With zero emissions, low noise levels and a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO), the new models across both ranges will appeal to businesses looking to boost environmental performance, while reducing costs.

Enhanced Productivity
A major productivity-boosting feature across the range is a compact design and tighter turning radius, giving a strong competitive edge over the average diesel truck of the same capacity. Smooth and responsive acceleration are assured with the 96V or 80V AC drive system, where a single or dual, powerful motor gives the unbeatable combination of power, performance and functionality. The all-round efficiency provided promises to boost productivity inside and outside the factory or warehouse.

Safety first
Doosan places a strong emphasis on safety in the design of their trucks, prioritising all-around visibility. The clear-view overhead guard and lower seat position provides 360 degrees of visibility. A prominent safety feature included as standard is the Automatic Speed Control function which adjusts the travel speed for safer cornering.

Stronger Ergonomics
The compact new design is combined with good ergonomics – taking safety, driver comfort, ease of maintenance and productivity fully into account. The spacious cab is designed for operator comfort and to reduce fatigue, with a fully adjustable premium Grammer seat as standard and excellent all-round visibility for safer manoeuvring with greater awareness. Other features included are an adjustable steering column, a low seat position for easy access and plenty of legroom. Everything a driver needs for maximum comfort during long shifts. Further, optional features within the cab include: MP3 radio player, HVAC integrated heating/cooling/ventilation system and a fingertip console with two-axis cross levers or ergonomic fingertip control.

Easy Maintenance
The new design takes ease of maintenance into account too. A tiltable cab (optional) on the B80NS provides simple, clear access to core components, along with improved accessibility to the controller and electric components, and a fast detachable backplate facilitates a swift battery change for multi-shift operations. The B60NX series comes with a full-opening side door, which makes battery replacement simple and straightforward using a pallet truck.

The new Doosan B60NX and B80NS ranges offer everything a business needs to feel confident in making the transition to using electric powered trucks for the heaviest of lifting duties.
Jan Droogendijk, Marketing Supervisor, Doosan Industrial Vehicles, says: “Companies that are currently considering contracts on high capacity IC Engine trucks should at least be looking at the possibility of switching to electric powered forklifts as a way of reducing their long term costs, improving safety and cutting their carbon footprint. Electric trucks have come a really long way in the past few years and are now, with these new additions, a highly viable alternative to IC Engine trucks for most applications.”

New Linde Solutions for Growing Challenges

Posted on by David Priestman

Recommendations, advice and solutions with regard to upcoming investments – this is what visitors to the LogiMAT trade show can expect to find at a total of three exhibition areas of Linde Material Handling (MH). In keeping with the motto ‘Green Performance’, the focus this year will be on the topics of energy and sustainability. Further key issues will include automation, the well-being of drivers and numerous vehicle innovations.

From April 25 to 27th, solution provider Linde MH will be presenting its extensive range of industrial trucks and software as well as consulting and other services on a total of 552 square meters throughout various areas in Hall 10 (Booths B21 and B17) of the Stuttgart trade fair grounds. In addition, a spacious outdoor area between Halls 8 and 10 will be used for vehicle demonstrations and to offer visitors the opportunity to test selected forklift trucks and warehouse technology equipment for themselves. Furthermore, the goods handling specialist will be showcasing its wide range of available energy and drive types in a third area in the Rothauspark, which connects the two wings of the exhibition centre’s halls. Under the slogan ‘Right Energy’, Linde MH subsumes the claim of being able to offer the most suitable type of drive or battery for all individual operating conditions. Corresponding software solutions help of the process of selecting the right system.

“Solutions in the form of industrial trucks from Linde MH stand for maximum performance in goods handling,” emphasizes Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Brand Management at Linde Material Handling. “By offering innovative technologies and measurable improvements, we ensure even greater productivity for our customers.” One example in case is the wide range of solutions designed to optimize energy consumption, with which operators of industrial trucks are able to not only improve their carbon footprint but also keep energy costs under control. “In this way, we combine performance, sustainability and energy cost efficiency, thus ensuring our customers’ competitiveness,” Prokosch emphasizes. The Linde connect:charger, an intelligent software application that makes transparent the power consumption of chargers and controls said consumption to avoid expensive power peaks, will be presented for the first time. Another application, the Linde Energy Manager, allows this principle to be extended and enables the power requirements for the entire company to be actively planned. “This is particularly advantageous if the company produces its own energy (e.g. by means of a photovoltaic system) and there is a willingness to become an active player on the energy market,” explains the chief brand manager.

The new Linde X35 to X50 series of electric counterbalanced trucks is another prime example of green performance that will be launched at LogiMAT. Powerful, just as suitable for outdoor use as their combustion counterparts, and on a par with these in terms of robustness and ergonomics, the new trucks additionally offer the environmental benefits of featuring electric drives and potentially CO2-neutral operation. “Thus, Linde MH is currently the market’s leading manufacturer when it comes to having equally effective, networked and economical counterbalanced trucks with both electric motors and combustion engines in its portfolio,” Prokosch emphasizes.

Various themed areas on the main exhibition stand in Hall 10 will provide the setting for presenting numerous other innovations that will make their debut at the trade show. The highlight for storage and retrieval applications is the new Linde V modular vertical order picker with a liftable platform, travel speeds of up to 13 km/h and gripping heights of up to 14.5 meters. Designed for maximum picking performance, there is a choice of various payload versions, cab designs, assistance systems, mast variants and battery sizes. Most notably, safety and ergonomics are given top priority in the new vertical order picker for guided and un-guided applications. For example, the control panel of the V modular can be mounted on the mast side, load side or on both sides as required. Furthermore, its redesigned chassis and improved load arms ensure greater stability and the greatest possible manoeuvrability.

For loading and unloading applications, the new Linde T20 SP pallet trucks are waiting in the wings. Unique in the industry, these models allow the operator to stand at a 45° angle in the truck for a better view in both directions. The new series increases travel speed to up to 14 km/h. The D12 HP SP double-stackers impress with improved lifting and lowering speeds.

The Transport sector is responding to the increasing demand for automation solutions – triggered by a shortage of skilled workers and the search for further possibilities to optimize processes, greater flexibility in the flow of goods and greater operational safety. Demonstrating a dynamic application, Linde MH will show trade visitors how individual intralogistics challenges can be solved. Linde Material Handling’s range of products and services extends from autonomous, mobile transport robots to standard applications using automated industrial trucks to complex solutions implemented hand in hand with sister company and automation specialist Dematic.

When it comes to manually operated industrial trucks, the operators themselves are the measure of all things. The better they are supported and protected on the job, the faster, safer and healthier they can work. That’s why Linde MH will dedicate a separate outdoor area exclusively to drivers. Solutions on display will include innovative alternatives to the steering wheel in the form of a mini-wheel or joystick, the decoupling of the driver’s workplace on forklifts and warehouse trucks to provide protection against human vibrations, and various safety and assistance systems.

“As a holistic provider of material flow solutions, we are determined to fulfil any customer wish. That’s why our network partners’ sales consultants and the product experts from Linde Material Handling at LogiMAT will do everything in their power to help visitors find customized, future-proof solutions,” says Prokosch.

UniCarriers Rebrands to Mitsubishi Forklifts

Posted on by David Priestman

Logisnext UK Ltd is delighted to announce that the brand UniCarriers is now replaced in the UK by Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks. This change is part of the European strategy of the company’s owner, Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe (MLE).

Since the acquisition of UniCarriers Corporation Ltd. back in 2017, Mitsubishi Logisnext Group has applied the strategy of ensuring that all wholly owned subsidiaries are taking Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks branded products to market in Europe. This project started in April 2021 and has reached completion with the UK subsidiary (Logisnext UK Ltd) rebranding on the 1st of January 2023.

Rebrand announced following business merger

The Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks brand has been available in the UK since the 1970s, supplied by an established dealer network. In January 2023 this supply chain is now enhanced by the introduction of the direct to customer organisation with the re-branding of the UniCarriers business. Since the independent dealer network and the direct sales operation have been serving complementary customer segments, we emphasise that customer communication will largely remain unchanged other than a change in brand. Together, these two routes to market aim to increase the Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks market share by providing tailored customer handling and service solutions.

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks supply materials handling products for logistics and warehousing, designed and manufactured at the group’s production facilities in Sweden, Spain, Finland, PRC and Japan. Consequently, our spread of customers is involved in storage and distribution warehousing as well as manufacturing with interests that include the production of food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, metal & automotive and the building industry.

Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks is a brand of Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe (MLE). MLE is an international, multi-brand material handling solution provider operating through an extensive network of owned and independent sales network. MLE is part of the global Mitsubishi Logisnext Co. Ltd (ML), based in Kyoto, Japan.

ML is the world’s fourth-largest industrial truck manufacturer, present in over 100 countries, with 11,000 employees and total sales of around £2,777 million GBP (As of March 2022). It is a component of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries group — a world leader in manufacturing dedicated to continuing progress through technological advancement. Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks is synonymous with quality, reliability, and value for money. Through innovative design and state-of-the-art materials handling technology, we set a standard that defines everything we do.

New Jungheinrich MD Eyes Opportunities

Posted on by David Priestman

Paul Lynam has been named the new Managing Director of Jungheinrich UK, an industry-leading intralogistics supplier. It is a role he will combine with his current position as MD of Jungheinrich Ireland, a position he has held for the last two years. Lynam is on a mission to help businesses dependent on material handling/intralogistics respond to a fast-changing world. The appointment occurs at a critical moment within the intralogistics industry, and he is excited to have the reins of both companies at such a pivotal time.

“The sector is on the cusp of major change,” he explained. “We are at the start of a period where the impact of global megatrends such as electrification, digitisation, sustainability and globalisation will mean a lot of change and opportunity for our customers, and we will have to adapt to meet that demand.”

Driving and responding to change

“We’re seeing more automation coming into play,” said Paul, examining the real-world impact of change. “The technology is advancing and the effect of that is that you are creating choices for the consumer and the supply chain. The supply chain can do it the way they’ve always done it, or they can do it in a way that harnesses new technology and futureproofs their business.

“Our customers are changing, but they are changing at different paces and in different ways. We must change our approach to deal with that. That starts with the products that we’re providing (for example, if you create an autonomous truck, you don’t need to design a comfortable seat for an eight-hour shift because there’s no driver) but it effects every element of our operation, from the people we recruit to how we sell to how we develop the brand.”

Championing Environmentality

Jungheinrich is no newcomer to sustainability—it is an organisation with 70 years of expertise in electromobility. Yet the company’s EcoVadis platinum certification combined with the launch of Environmentality, Jungheinrich’s approach to tackling climate change head on, was a step change in the company’s approach to carbon neutrality. It struck a chord with Paul, who will be leading Jungheinrich UK’s journey towards net zero.

“Jungheinrich is taking the issue of sustainability very seriously and we are seeing this not just in new legislation but in the demands of the customer base.”

Those shifting demands are impacting every element of the Jungheinrich UK operation.

“We are developing our proposition with respect to the environmental footprint of our trucks both during the manufacturing and in the longer-term operational lifecycle. Not only are we leading the way in the lithium ion segment but we also have the Powerline range of trucks with a smaller physical footprint and zero carbon footprint to the point of delivery across the range.”

Journey of change

Central to Jungheinrich’s continued success are its people, and there’s one facet of Jungheinrich that struck Paul from his first day with the company.

“This is a business with a lot of long-serving and passionate employees who know everything about forklifts,” he said. “It seems to run throughout the organisation. Everywhere you go there are lots of people with 20+ years’ service and some have close to double that. I believe this is a sign that the company has been doing things very well, but it is equally a company that sees the world is changing and is inviting and enabling customers to go on this journey of change with us.

“The UK is in my opinion one of the flagship units within the global Jungheinrich organisation and the UK is a major economy. The opportunity to continue the development of the business here in the UK was one of those opportunities that don’t come around too often. Despite the current local and global economic challenges, it’s a good time to be in the industry.”

Jungheinrich UK Ltd is one of the top three leading intralogistics providers in the UK, generating a turnover of over £200 million annually. With a team of more than 800 dedicated and highly experienced employees operating from four locations across the UK, Jungheinrich offers the industry’s widest range of intralogistics solutions, including high energy efficiency pallet trucks, stackers, counterbalance trucks, order pickers and more in 600+ truck variants, new or fully refurbished.

A full intralogistics solutions provider, Jungheinrich excels in automation, racking systems, warehouse planning and financial services and operates one of the largest forklift rental fleets in the UK, all connected by a 500-employee strong customer service support network.

The company is a division of the Jungheinrich AG Group, which has direct sales companies in 40 countries and operates through a partner network in a further 80 countries. Jungheinrich employs 19,000 people worldwide and generated consolidated revenue of €4.2 billion in 2021.

Gripping Forks

Posted on by David Priestman

David Priestman met with an Australian manufacturer of forks and forklift safety products celebrating its 10th anniversary.

GenieGrips, based in Melbourne, launched a prototype product at a trade show a decade ago. “Fifty people said, ‘we need those’,” Director Louise Inglese tells me. So they set to work, initially with self-adhesive stick pads for forks, made from disposable rubber, that prevent scratching the stainless steel.

The company’s launch in the UK was in 2019. This was hampered by the pandemic causing the cessation of trade shows – which are key for new business generation for GenieGrips. IMHX Birmingham in September 2022 was therefore a relaunch and Inglese is delighted that exhibitions are back.

It is a family-owned firm, with Louise’s husband Michael providing the engineering expertise. Together they spun the company out of CRP Industries, with specialist capability in bonding rubber to metal. “We get customer feedback regarding pain points in managing their forklifts,” Louise Inglese explains, “which leads us to invent and make new products.” For example, the company now offers mats with adjustable hooks, rather than static.

GenieGrips offers 5 product ranges:

· Mats – the top seller, available in various lengths and widths
· Caps – for protecting the tips of forks
· Cushions – which are attached vertically to the uprights of the forks
· Sticker Pads – adhesive, 8 in a box
· Loading Mirrors – acrylic, reflective and adjustable to provide a wide or slim view so that the driver can see in front of the load when loading and unloading (bulky loads obscure the view)

There are about 20 distributors worldwide, including TVH (exclusively so in Mexico). GenieGrips also supplies products to OEMs, including fork attachment suppliers like B&B and forklift manufacturers like Crown and Hyster-Yale, for sale to the final customer, if requested. The products’ good reputation leads to high re-order rates. Keith Waterman runs the British subsidiary. He tells me: “Since having been given the opportunity to promote and distribute this great product customers are showing a lot of interest in GenieGrips, which helps and makes the job a lot easier. The feedback from customers is always positive, no matter what they are moving.

Fork coverings

“Our website is having a lot of interest with existing customers ordering more products to put on the rest of their fleet of FLT’s, which is always satisfying. My ambition is to see the bright yellow fork coverings and loading mirrors on all FLT’s across the country, knowing that the work place is a safer environment and that companies are also protecting their products and reaping the financial rewards too. And what’s better is representing and working for a wonderful team at GenieGrips.

The mission of Genie Grips is to improve safety in working environments throughout the world with their high-quality range. To achieve that goal in Europe, they decided to cooperate with C&H Maastricht, based in south-east Netherlands. The official European introduction happened during LogiMAT 2018 in Stuttgart. C&H Maastricht executed a pre-exhibition marketing strategy to inform the market of their presence at the show. This resulted in interest and orders from all over the world, giving GenieGrips a successful foothold on the European market. Now, C&H Maastricht operates as the European Sales Support Office and official agent for GenieGrips in Europe.

What of the next steps for the company? Louise Inglese: “We strive for continual improvement. Over the next six months there will be a release of the GenieGrips® Mats and Cushions with new and improved features. We design our products with convenience in mind so that our customers can remain active and profitable. Even though, as an Australian business, we believe in producing our products with the highest standard possible, we endeavour to keep our products affordable and relevant.”

Toyota donates forklift to aid Ukraine

Posted on by David Priestman

Boxes of Hope, a humanitarian aid charity that was established to send food, clothing, medicine and other essential items to the people of Ukraine following the country’s invasion by Russia, has taken delivery of a vinyl-wrapped forklift truck donated free-of-charge by Toyota Material Handling (TMH) UK Ltd.

The forklift – a 2.5 tonne diesel-powered counterbalance model from the Toyota Approved Used fleet – has been vinyl-wrapped in the Boxes of Hope branding and will improve handling efficiency as well as the wellbeing of Boxes of Hope’s volunteer staff by reducing the charity’s reliance on manual handling at its national pick-up and distribution centre in Lincolnshire. The vinyl-wrapping for the truck was supplied by Bott Ltd.

Boxes of Hope’s founder and director, Mandy Baxter, said: “The truck has made a huge difference to the way that we work. It has allowed us to completely change the layout of our store thanks to the fact that we are now able to move items around the facility safely, quickly and easily. Of course, lorry loading has become a faster and simpler process too and, what’s more, we are now able to make full use of every vehicle’s load capacity – which means we can get more of the things that are so desperately needed to the people of Ukraine.

“It now takes about a third of the time to load a truck than it was taking to do the job manually, so the volunteers that were previously required to help with the loading process can focus on other tasks and, as a result, we are able to make optimum use of the time that they so kindly give us.”

Multiple lorry-loads

So far, Boxes of Hope has sent 16 lorries each containing some 18 tonnes of crucial supplies to Ukraine, and Mandy Baxter has made several trips to the war-torn country herself to personally oversee delivery of the aid.

“My visits to Ukraine have changed my life,” she says. “I will never forget the look on the faces of the soldiers that I met at Lviv military hospital. They had experienced things that nobody should go through, and you could see it in their eyes.”

The business community has been quick to get behind Boxes of Hope’s campaign.

“Companies big and small have been very supportive,” says Mandy Baxter. “For example, our warehouse is a former garden centre unit and the owner is not charging us to use it. He originally agreed that we could stay for three months but we’re still here nearly a year later! And we are working closely with a number of local and international logistics companies who not only transport aid from donation centres and individual donors throughout the region to our warehouse, but also provide the lorries and drivers needed to deliver the aid from England to Ukraine.”

Boxes of Hope liaises with other aid agencies based in Ukraine to ensure that the support it provides is targeted to the regions where it is needed most. The charity lists items – which can be anything from wheelchairs to 4×4 vehicle tyres – that it has in stock on a live online inventory system. The inventory data can be accessed by various Ukraine-based partner organisations that request the goods that are urgently required, such as medical or first-aid products, so they can be included on the next outgoing vehicle.

Toyota aims to make a difference

Toyota was initially approached about Boxes of Hope’s urgent need for a truck by a former TMH UK employee, as Amanda Rodgers, TMH UK’s Used & Trade Operations Manager, explains: “I received a call out of the blue from an ex-colleague who described what Boxes of Hope are doing and how having a forklift would help them to process even more vital supplies bound for Ukraine.”

Amanda contacted Mandy Baxter and, after visiting Boxes of Hopes’ site in Spalding, it was quickly agreed that Toyota would not only supply the truck at no cost but also provide complimentary ongoing service and maintenance support.

Supporting projects such as Boxes of Hope is a cornerstone of Toyota Material Handling’s corporate sustainability strategy. “A sustainable company engages in business practices that are good for people and Toyota’s approach to sustainability aims to make a difference to the wellbeing of those who are less fortunate than others,” says Amanda Rodgers.

Mandy Baxter concludes: “We are very grateful to Toyota for everything they are doing to support our work. Having a forklift allows us to operate far more efficiently and, ultimately, lets us send more aid to the people of Ukraine. We would also like to thank Bott Ltd for their contribution.”

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