From the Mini to the MaxX – Translift wage war on wasted space

Companies such as DCS, the UK's largest distributor of health, beauty and household brands who first turned to the Bendi in 1998 in order to increase warehouse capacity compared to reach trucks. Now nearly thirty years later, there are over twenty Bendis in use throughout the DCS operation.

But it is not just fleet users who have won with Translift. The introduction of a single Bendi is sometimes all it takes to help companies overcome space and productivity issues, one such company being Rochford Garden Machinery, who by introducing a Bendi B318 gained 30% more pallet positions and significant improvements in operating efficiencies by unloading the products outside, bringing them into the warehouse and placing them directly in the racking in one operation.

There are all kinds of reasons why a company may need the extra space or increased storage capacity that a Translift product can offer them:

•    They are struggling for space due to business growth and increased sales but don't want the additional costs of moving or extending the warehouse.

•    They want to reduce the number of trucks in their fleet - a Bendi works great both inside and outdoors unloading.

•    They are a manufacturing company who needs to increase the floor space available in order to introduce new machinery.

•    New product ranges mean they have insufficient pallet racking or shelving space.

•    They are a Third Party Logistics (3PL) company and require to accommodate additional contracts.

Whatever the reason, you can be sure that after listening to the needs of our customers and trade partners over the past fifty years, there is now a Translift product to suit most applications and budgets.

Mini marvel for Asda

Asda is yet another perfect example of a company who has benefited greatly from the Bendi products, and in particular, the Mini Bendi.

Through engineering innovation and design, supermarket chain Asda has been able to save, on average 40% space in its ‘back of house’ high bay racking areas per store thanks to reducing aisle widths to less than 2m and operating VNA Bendi trucks. 

By replacing reach and counterbalance trucks and opting for a fully remanufactured rear wheel drive Bendi model; a design which was patented by Translift Bendi in the 1980s, Asda now has the specification for indoor and outdoor use. 

With the first Bendi machines delivered to Frome followed by Capehill, Motherwell and Glasgow some ten years ago, it is remarkable that today many of Asda’s 365 stores, nationwide, use Bendi. 

According to Simon Grass of Asda, it was a natural progression: “We had been working with Bendi for many years and their team continually looks to support our operations through cost effective, space saving solutions. They truly understand what we needed to achieve and worked with us to meet those requirements.” 

With the first introduction to store of the new Mini Bendi six years ago, Asda looked to make even greater storage space savings. 

Launched in 2011, the Mini Bendi was developed in answer to the call from the industry for a smaller, lighter, pedestrian controlled machine that didn’t necessarily have the speed or reach of a conventional Bendi but could accommodate the UK style perimeter based pallets. Working closely with Asda, it was a natural step for Bendi to develop a pedestrian truck that provided the versatility and safety required regardless of industry sector.

Bendi has recently added two more customer driven variants to the mini range. The first is a ride-on platform for customers who wish to use the Mini Bendi but also need then to transport pallets over longer distances. The simple drop down platform controls the speed variance for both rider and pedestrian operated modes.

The Mini Bendi is also now available with a self-raising control arm that fits the operational and ergonomic needs while the truck is in use and then raises vertically when the truck is not in use, thus saving, even more, space when parked.

“The Mini Bendi pedestrian articulated forklift truck is an impressive feat of design ingenuity,” continues Grass. “It is a much smaller, lighter machine than the other trucks in the Bendi range yet it offers superior levels of safety and functionality previously considered unattainable in our back of house warehousing environment.”

Introducing FluX and MaxX from Translift Hubtex

With the company celebrating its 35-year anniversary, Hubtex has launched two new game-changing products  – MaxX and FluX – to mark the opening of its new production facility in Fulda, Germany. The introduction of the new machines will bolster its already impressive product portfolio by adding modular multidirectional sideloaders into the growing entry-level pricing bracket. Boasting a spacious operators cab, a multifunction joystick, a new-generation info display and easy battery change, MaxX and FluX are ergonomically designed for both indoor and outdoor use.

FluX – the new multidirectional counterbalance forklift

Hubtex has launched an industry first with its multidirectional counterbalance forklift featuring patented steering technology that goes by the name of FluX. The truck is available in two load-capacity classes – 3,000 kg and 4,000 kg – with a 48-volt power system and four-wheel chassis. 

It is designed to be used as both a conventional front loading counterbalance forklift as well as a sideloader, and especially suited to transporting standard type pallets and long loads. In addition to its fast operating speed of up to 12 km/h, Hubtex’s patented HX steering system means that the FluX doesn’t have to stop to switch from travelling forwards to sideways like existing trucks. The FluX can change direction with all wheels steering together in a way that causes minimum wear and tear to the vehicle and can save a substantial amount of time, especially when the truck is used for handling both long loads and pallets. 

Flexible handling of long loads with MaxX

MaxX, the new electric multidirectional sideloader from Hubtex is available in three variants: with a load capacity of 3,000 kg and a powerful 48-volt power unit, or with a load capacity of 4,500 kg and a 48 or 80-volt power unit. 

The four-wheel chassis allows the vehicle to achieve tighter turns while also offering higher residual load capacities.  Able to operate for five to eight hours at a max speed of up to 11 km/h, the truck can be used for multiple shifts thanks to its quick and easy battery change method.