Reach New Heights in Your Material Handling Procedures
The ability to handle raw and fabricated materials, both inside and outside of the shop, has never been more efficient.
Posted: February 22, 2022
Today’s forklifts, cranes and hoists play an important role in creating efficiencies in your material handling processes, saving you time and money, as well as cutting back on your energy consumption levels. These advances also keep your teams and facilities safe.
Hoist Rings Come in Variety of Thread Sizes and Corrosion Resistance
Actek Manufacturing & Engineering (City of Industry, CA) is your source for safe and easy lifting solutions, including hoists. The company maintains the largest inventory of hoist rings anywhere and offers same-day shipments. Actek offers a variety of hoist rings, including: deep-forged hoist rings; forged-steel plate swivel hoist rings; side-load hoist rings; hoist ring kits; and round-based swivel and pivot hoist rings.
The hoist rings can be supplied with either a shorter or longer bolt length. They come in a variety of thread sizes, as well as corrosion resistance such as stainless steel, and alloy rings that can be electroless nickel plated, cadmium plated and zinc plated. The company’s hoist rings can also be custom designed to meet specific needs.
Actek manufactures top-quality products and is ISO 9001:2015 registered. The hoist rings are 200% proof-load tested and come with a certificate. The hoist rings also feature individual serial numbers for better traceability.
Massive Productivity Boost for a Fabricator with the Combi-SC
Since taking delivery of the Combilift (Monaghan, Ireland) Straddle Carrier (Combi-SC), a structural steel company has sped up loading and unloading procedures and has significantly reduced the number of potential forklift movements by thousands a year, resulting in safer working practices. This family-owned company manufactures structures for its clients in the industrial, commercial, retail and leisure sectors and offers a complete steel design, detailing, fabrication and erection service.
The company was keen to find a more efficient and safer alternative for handling both raw and fabricated materials outside of the factory environment and, wherever possible, to fabricate and load on a “just-in-time” basis allowing steelwork to be safely loaded directly on to trailers in the loading bays. The side loaders previously used for this were uneconomical, untidy and involved many forklift movements around the yard to lay out the steelwork.
Company CEO: “We first saw the Combi-SC in operation in the United States and thought it could be the answer for us and we were right. If customers put back a project, we no longer have the headache of where to accommodate the material or of tying up lots of trailers and having to hire additional ones at extra cost. We just lift loads off the trailers, store them in the yard and re-load when required. It could take two operators a whole shift to re-build a load but with the Combi-SC one lift puts a ready assembled load onto a trailer in less than an hour.”
Due to irregular lengths and the make-up of loads varying, the 77,000-pound capacity Combi-SC incorporates a patented load stabilizing feature allowing full loads of non-uniform lengths to be lifted with no risk of swing during transit, even when unevenly distributed.
The 17 multiple lift points on each side of the beam allow operators to fix the drop chains in the most suitable position according to each load. Two lateral bars which serve as supports below the load can then be pivoted into place to provide a secure base, enabling the Combi-SC to travel over relatively rough ground with a very stable load.
The machine’s ability to lift from ground level has also resulted in more compact storage in the yard, potentially doubling the storage space compared with the side loader system — a major advantage as the site is pretty much full to capacity. Loads can be stacked closely side by side thanks to the SC’s ability to traverse aisles of just over five feet. The number of trailers needed has been reduced from 29 down to 16 which is beneficial from a space point of view and has resulted in financial savings on trailer maintenance and upkeep.
Heavy-Duty Forklift Series Allows for Performance at the Highest Levels
Faced with tough environments and challenges retaining labor, metals businesses need lift truck operators to perform at the highest level in order to meet productivity goals and protect margins. The Hyster® (Cleveland, OH) H190-360XD series heavy duty forklift has been developed and extensively tested to perform in intense industries like steel and other metal applications, with the ergonomics, durability and load capacity these operations require.
The H190-360XD prioritizes operator comfort and performance with an advanced cabin and control system packed with ergonomic, productivity-enhancing features. The XD cab prioritizes visibility with features including exclusive one-piece, scratch-resistant curved glass to boost front and rear visibility. Rear and forward-facing cameras can also be installed on the truck. The redesigned mast and carriage boosts visibility of fork tips at ground level, with modified lift chains, inner channel and carriages to provide a wider window of view.
With 19,000-to-36,000-pound load capacities and lift, lower and travel speeds to help move more loads per hour, this series is a flexible solution for high-capacity operations that handle raw materials, finished or semi-finished goods. The series is also a fit for operations looking to lower energy and operating costs, consuming up to 20% less fuel than older models.
NOBLELIFT® Announces New 10 Year/20,000-Hour Lithium Battery Warranty
(Des Plaines, IL), a global leader in material handling equipment, has launched its new advanced battery warranty program for its Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) forklifts. The updated battery warranty covers 10 years/20,000 hours and provides an extended three-year wet cell lead acid guarantee. The LFP/LiFePO4 batteries have a considerably greater energy density, making them an ideal choice for material handling equipment. Noblelift has been a pioneer and leader in introducing this technology from its inception to the material handling industry — today offering a full line of lithium-powered forklifts, stackers and pallet trucks. With Noblelift lithium-powered equipment, businesses can enjoy overall cost savings of at least $50,000 compared to IC (internal combustion) forklifts across a five-year span.
New Electric Pneumatic Forklift Models
Toyota Material Handling (Columbus, IN) offers two new versatile solutions designed to handle any indoor or outdoor applications. The Toyota 48V and 80V Electric Pneumatic Forklifts are powered by Toyota-designed AC motors and built with operators in mind to elevate operational efficiency and productivity. These forklifts offer maintenance-free operation, programmable performance, and a power-select function for customization based on application and driver preference. With a maximum capacity range from 3,000-to-4,000 pounds (48V) and 4,000-to-17,500 pounds (80V), they are designed to handle a wide range of tasks.
The forklifts feature several productivity-enhancing innovations including electric power steering, regenerative braking and standard speed control, which extend battery life and reduce the frequency of battery changes. Also included are Toyota-designed wet disc brakes that deliver smooth, quiet, and efficient performance and require little to no maintenance or replacement during the life of the forklift.
A simple driver interface and exceptional visibility are combined with Toyota’s proprietary System of Active Stability technology, as well as advanced ergonomic features that offer superior handling capabilities and industry-leading operational safeguards. Both models are backed by the Toyota 360 Support and service guarantee.
