Forklifts ensure business continuity

POLI-TAPE HAS its headquarters in Remagen, and in addition to the normal Euro pallet, the company moves oversized loading equipment, for double transports or two-metre rolls of film weighing several tonnes. For this variety of tasks, Poli-Tape was looking for a partner who could cover all transport tasks along the entire supply chain from a single source.

From film to glue to paper, a wide variety of materials arrive in Remagen. Finished products leave the company every day. A shift operation supplies and removes production over 16 hours via seven ramps. 40 forklift trucks maintain the flow of goods. One of the most critical breaking points in this process is the twelve-metre-high warehouse. If a high-bay or reach truck fails in the narrow aisles, in the worst case one of the lines comes to a standstill. The precisely coordinated orders for films in all possible shapes and colours have to be rescheduled.

Another challenge is the lack of space. 27,000 sq m for storage and production are used up to the last corner. There is no room for space-consuming turning manoeuvres and the number of internal movements is constantly increasing. At peak times, the vehicle fleet moves up to 1,000 fully packed loading units on a single day. Indoors, it is particularly important to drive quickly, yet carefully. Outdoors, forklifts have to negotiate uneven floors to prevent the goods from sliding. Hyster uses its broad portfolio to ensure little transport damage and maximum efficiency.

Equipment

The electrified fleet includes high rack and reach trucks, high speed trucks, pallet trucks and front stackers of the following product ranges:

• S-series pallet trucks with payloads of 1.4 to 2.0 tonnes 
• P-series pallet trucks with and without platform for payloads from 1.6 to 3.0 tonnes 
• Stand-on/cross-seat pallet trucks up to two tonnes capacity of the RP series
• Customised high rack and reach trucks model R2.5 and C1.5
• Counterbalance trucks with 3 and 4 wheels from the J series
• K Series medium and high lift order pickers 

Manoeuvrable pallet trucks supply the lines with basic components such as film, glue and paper in the area-efficiently designed production. At the end of the line, suitable forklifts take over the sensitive goods, cut and wrapped, for internal transport to the warehouse. Industrial trucks maintain the steady flow until everything is packed and ready for dispatch. 

The process is labour-intensive. Only a few things can be automated. The variety of load carriers need people. Well-trained warehouse workers are hard to find in empty labour markets. Equipment that makes work easier is an important criteria in the job for many. Hyster meets these demands with manoeuvrable vehicles that are easy to control. 

Compared to the past, the Hyster fleet has significantly reduced unplanned downtime. Wear and tear on the vehicles and time-consuming transport damage have also decreased. Efficiency has increased. The warehouse staff are more satisfied. The ergonomically designed vehicles not only help protect operators’ comfort and wellbeing, but also relieve the time pressure caused by unnecessary damage. 

For more information, visit hyster.com