Rebuilt Flexis offered with new truck warranty

“Demand for used equipment is growing as more companies opt to supplement their materials handling fleets with refurbished kit,” says John Maguire, managing director of Narrow Aisle.

“Our Flexi ECO AC trucks come with an identical warranty to an equivalent all-new model but cost some 30 per cent less, which is clearly an appealing proposition and ‘second life’ Flexis are proving a particularly popular option for users who acquire materials handling equipment on contract hire packages.”

Flexi ECO AC trucks feature all new component parts – only the truck chassis, four counterweights and heavy fabrications are re-used – and these components are tested and repainted to the highest standards at Flexi’s UK manufacturing plant.

Used Flexi’s that are selected to undergo the ECO AC ‘makeover’ process are completely stripped down. All the original major direct components are graded and either disposed of or reworked for onward sale to the service exchange spare parts market.

All the cast-iron and steel components of the truck are assessed and tested to ensure that they are perfect for re-use. 

Once passed fit for re-use, the iron and steel body parts are cleaned and repainted before joining the Flexi ECO AC production line, where all-new componentry – including pumps, motors, all hydraulic parts and the latest Zapi AC motor technology – is introduced.

John Maguire, Flexi Narrow Aisle’s Managing Director, says: “Some 80 per cent of all materials handling equipment operating in the UK is contract hired for a fixed period. This means that there is a constant flow of used end-of-contract equipment returning to distributors and dealers. These products are then added to rental fleets or sold on as used trucks to a low utilisation end customer.  In due course these machines become un-economic to run and are scrapped.

“The Flexi product is very different. Our trucks are built with heavy gauge steel plate, ‘I-beams’ and four cast-iron counterweights. This means that even after 10 years of hard use the heavy chassis components are able to be reconditioned to the latest specification. This process saves a great deal of primary and secondary manufacturing costs, which, in turn, dramatically cuts the amount of CO² generated during the manufacturing process.

“Articulated truck users can take advantage of the large reduction in carbon that results from the Flexi ECO AC rebuild process, while, of course, the significant cost savings that used machines offer over new models is an added bonus.”

Flexi Narrow Aisle developed the Flexi articulated truck in 1990’s since which time many thousands of units have been sold throughout the world to customers operating in hugely diverse industries.

With their ability to operate in aisleways as narrow as 1.6 metres – articulated to 220 degrees - and lift pallet loads to heights of over 14 metres, Flexis can save warehouse operators at least 30 per cent of their storage costs. Furthermore, the ability to unload pallets from road vehicles or goods in marshaling areas and deliver loads directly to the storage racks can reduce existing handling costs by a further 50 per cent.