UN1F1ED2 ensure storage density with Combilift

In today’s fast-paced environment, where space and time are valuable resources, maximising your storage facilities and speeding up material handling procedures can significantly improve efficiency.

Manufactured by the Irish specialist Combilift, the Aisle Master VNA range was designed to replace a combination of other forklifts, such as counterbalance and reach trucks, that have traditionally been found in many warehousing operations. Some drawbacks of this traditional system include the limited indoor operation of reach trucks and the amount of space they need to work within aisles of racking. As counterbalance trucks are best for outside operations such as offloading, switching from one type of truck to another results in double handling, which is time-consuming, not overly efficient and also carries the risk of product damage.

With the universal one-truck solution that is the Aisle Master, loads can be taken directly from the yard to indoor storage facilities, and this “truck to rack” capability vastly increases productivity. Unlike other classic VNA trucks, Aisle Masters do not need super flat floors to work on, and thanks to large rubber tyres, they are at home on semi-rough or less-than-perfect terrain.

With the ability to operate in working aisle widths of just 1.6m, Aisle Masters can increase storage capacity in the existing warehouse by 50% compared with counterbalance or reach truck operation. In times of growth or expansion, for example, optimising racking layouts according to the trucks’ abilities can avoid the need to extend current premises or relocate – both of which are costly, disruptive and involve a great deal of bureaucracy. “Improving and not moving” is also a much more sustainable course of action and accords with many companies’ wish to reduce their carbon footprint.

Combilift’s CEO and Co-Founder Martin McVicar explains: “Sustainability is at our core – we’re highly focused on making our vehicles more environmentally friendly and helping our customers maximise their warehouse efficiency.”

Aisle Masters are available with various power options and with lift capacities of up to 3t. The impressive lift height of up to 15m also enables every centimetre of vertical space to be used for optimum pallet density in the warehouse.

Customer application

UN1F1ED2 Global Packaging Group, with headquarters in Massachusetts, has a number of subsidiaries in Europe including a site in Ireland. Its four Aisle Masters have ensured maximum storage density, with 3,000 pallet spaces now accommodated in a relatively small warehousing area in its premises. The trucks move easily within the 1900mm aisle widths and the very limited turning space at the end of the aisles. A further by-product is improved productivity and faster operations. Warehouse and Logistics Manager, Tomas Bernotas: “We have been able to reduce the number of forklifts thanks to the trucks’ ability to pick from racking and load directly to HGVs in the yard, speeding operations across the twelve-hour shifts that the trucks put in. Inside, their manoeuvrability enables them to move easily around the machinery in the production areas to take semi-finished or finished products to and from the storage bays.”

Visit Combilift.com to learn how to make the most of your current space and create more sustainable and safer material handling operations.The post UN1F1ED2 ensure storage density with Combilift first appeared on Warehouse & Logistics News.