Aluminium manufacturer solves heavy container challenge

However, the business quickly found that unloading heavier containers with conventional forklift trucks was damaging the floor, with truck wheels often becoming stuck and even breaking off.

Bridgnorth Aluminium contacted specialist distributor, Crown Lift Trucks, which provides end users with a range of materials handling solutions to improve productivity, efficiency and safety.

Crown Lift Trucks is a long-standing customer of Roburtrucks, a specialist producer of bespoke electric materials handling solutions, which is owned by Stanley Handling. The two businesses worked together to develop a unique machine for Bridgnorth Aluminium.

Bridgnorth Aluminium required a cost-effective yet robust materials handling solution that would deliver three major objectives:

• Eliminate floor and truck damage
• Accommodate the planned increase in productivity and weight capacity to 10,000kg over the coming year
• Help Bridgnorth Aluminium achieve a 24/7 operation

Having carried out a detailed client consultation and site survey, the engineering team at Roburtrucks designed an electric powered pallet machine to address the point loading issues, while crucially spreading the weight of the machine and its load over a wider floor area.

The new Roburtrucks unit featured wider and lower forks to manage the movement of particular pallets and in order to prevent damage to the floor area, the engineers designed and manufactured a unique ramp for the Roburtrucks machine to operate on.

A spare battery and change over trolley were provided to ensure continued uninterrupted use over 24 hours.

Thanks to its bespoke design, the Roburtrucks machine successfully accomplished the project’s principal aim of preventing damage to the floor.

The introduction of a ramp for the machine allowed the handling process to be relocated inside, for loading containers onto the trailers.

A new loading bay accommodates the bespoke ramp which to allows for a faster and safer material handling process.

As a result of the new Roburtrucks machine, the loading weight capacity for Bridgenorth Aluminium has doubled from 5,000kg to 10,000kg without the need to change its existing pallet design.

Bridgnorth Aluminium logistics manager Kevin Foster, says: “Following an expansion in our business, Roburtrucks was able to provide the solution to a new handling problem, which was to unload 10,000kg on an existing design of pallet. Of the suppliers who we approached, Roburtrucks was the one that was able to design a pallet truck with a profile that was compatible with our existing pallet stock. This truck along with the loading ramp has given us options to stuff and de-stuff containers that had not previously existed. 

“We are now building a bespoke containerisation area, ensuring we can meet new customer demands.  The unit was delivered on time and the level of service and communication we received from the Roburtrucks team was exemplary.”

To arrange a free initial consultation, email the Roburtrucks team at [email protected]

For more information, visit www.stanleyhandling.co.uk/roburtrucks