Benefits attached for Latcham Direct with Aisle Master

Marketing specialist Latcham Direct helps its customers to make the most of their communication channels with their own clients thanks to a range of products which include regular traditional print and digital campaigns. The Bristol based company takes delivery of over 100t of reels of printing stock every few weeks – equivalent to over 5 million sheets of A4. A key piece of equipment for the efficient handling of the reels in the storage area is an Aisle Master with a demountable clamp.

Latcham acquired its first Aisle Master four years ago to handle pallets of stationery, envelopes,  printing materials and finished products. Having used other brands of articulated trucks in the past, the Aisle Master was a perfect choice for Latcham’s existing narrow aisles as Production Manager Gary Cross explains: “Since we changed over to Aisle Master, we have been very impressed on all levels and recently took delivery of a third truck.”

In a bid to save costs, Gary and the management team were keen to order paper in bulk with fewer deliveries across the year. But they then had to look at how to handle the 500kg reels once they had been offloaded two at a time by the Aisle Masters and “chimney stacked” up to four high in the interim storage area. Rather than having to have a fourth truck on standby which would have negated any cost savings, an attachment was provided by the manufacturers that could replace the forks on the Aisle Master when needed for this very specific application.   

The hydraulically powered clamp is fitted to the fork carriage and with quick release couplings, it only takes a few minutes to remove the forks, mount the clamp and connect the hydraulic hoses. The clamp is then ready to handle the reel by lifting it off the stack, rotating it and gently setting it down on to the floor, where it can then be easily and safely mounted on a print machine. Gary points out further benefits: “Without the clamp, our suppliers would have to put each reel on a pallet, and we’re not just talking a pound or two for each one. As we take deliveries of 150 + reels at a time, it will have quickly paid for itself.”