FORKLIFTS: LATEST PRODUCT ROUND-UP MARCH 2019
Peace of mind
EnerSys has introduced the new Truck
iQ smart battery dashboard to give
materials handling vehicle drivers
real-time visibility of their truck’s
battery status, enabling drivers to optimise
their battery’s utilisation and power management,
while avoiding the risk of damage or productivity loss
due to incorrect usage.
The Truck iQ smart battery dashboard enhances management
of motive power battery fl eets, as each truck driver can easily see
and understand their battery’s condition and associated parameters
from their seat, in real time. They can therefore react immediately to
optimise performance and prevent damage, if required.
Battery data is measured by wireless sensors located on the truck
battery, and collected by a compact, harness-mounted Wi-iQ3 battery
monitoring device. The Wi-iQ battery monitoring device relays this
information to the Truck iQTM smart battery dashboard via Bluetooth.
This communication channel is established quickly and automatically
on power-up, without need for driver intervention. This is especially
important during battery changes, which can be performed without
any additional setup. As the module starts up, the Truck iQTM smart
battery dashboard automatically recognises the battery’s ID.
Information delivered to the Truck iQTM smart battery dashboard
includes real time State of Charge (SoC), and alarms and alerts for a
range of battery parameters.
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
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Mills CNC is a business quite
literally at the cutting-edge of
engineering technology. As the
exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the
UK and Ireland, the company supplies over 450 new machines a year
to the market from an extensive range of hi-tech cutting equipment.
Although the heaviest of these, which can weigh up to 55 tonnes,
can only be moved by crane, most units are within the carrying
capacity of a heavyweight forklift truck; but only the biggest and
best of counterbalance trucks could do the job.
Until recently the business used an old 16-tonne counterbalance
truck for manoeuvring smaller lathes and machine tools at its
Leamington Spa showroom and workshop. However, after 20 years’
service, it was time for a change.
Mills CNC turned to the forklift truck division of its close business
associates, Doosan Industrial Vehicles, for a solution. It entered into
a ten-year lease and full maintenance arrangement on a Doosan
DV250S-7 25-tonne counterbalance forklift truck – the giant of
Doosan’s comprehensive truck range.
“Having reliability, coupled with the availability to lift and
manoeuvre our machines whenever we need to, is a real benefi t
to our business,” says Andy Knight, fi nance director at Mills CNC.
“We now have the ability to lift and move 95% of our products. We
are now self-reliant, without having the inconvenience, delay and
added cost of routinely hiring specialist lifting equipment.”
Established in 1958, Glendinning serves markets including
construction, agriculture, home and local authorities and is the
largest independent supplier of quarry and concrete products both
to the trade and direct to the end user in Devon and Cornwall.
The company recently purchased a new Hyster H8XM6, specially
equipped with a double block clamp to remove blocks from the
production line, transport them to the yard and stack them up to
fi ve high. The site in Ashburton, Devon, is Glendinning’s main hub
“We have a semi-automated
We distribute more than 100,000 concrete blocks a week from our
site in Ashburton. Every single block is handled by just two principal
lift trucks, so reliability is critical.”
Glendinning can fully load lorries using the lift truck with
double block handler attachment in fewer than fi ve minutes, giving
exceptional transport turnaround times.
aimed at improving health and safety
within the waste and recycling sectors.
In partnership with a number of
fi lms that promote the safe and effi cient operation of handling
machinery at waste sites. The 10-minute videos are available to
watch, free of charge, via YouTube and other social media platforms.
They focus on the simple steps that machine operators should take
to optimise on-site safety and productivity every day.
The fi lms are dedicated to specifi c machines in the JCB
WasteMaster range and cover essential pre-shift checks, basic
maintenance routines and guidance on visibility and ongoing
machine management.
David Banks, JCB’s sales manager for the waste and recycling
sector, said: “JCB is the single biggest provider of handling
equipment to the UK waste and recycling market and the new
‘WasteWise’ videos are part of JCB’s commitment to improving
health and safety across the nation’s waste and recycling plants.
The videos are designed to help develop a heightened sense of
responsibility among machinery operators working in the waste
and recycling sectors. We hope to create an understanding of the
fact that, by taking a few simple steps, operators can greatly reduce
the likelihood of being involved in an accident.”
A gentle giant
Building block manufacturer
powers ahead with Hyster
Putting health &
safety in focus
and the primary quarry operation.
production facility with packs of mostly
100mm concrete blocks leaving the
building on a conveyor,” says Richard
Webb, operations manager, who is
responsible for four sites across the
South-West. “We have two lift trucks
that must always be available to keep
up with production and also load 20-25 vehicles daily.
JCB is heading an industry-wide initiative
industry bodies, JCB has produced a series of fi ve ‘WasteWise’
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk