International ways of handling Freight
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)y CM reporter VHETH ER considering using lechanical handling equipment for the irst time or looking for replacement !nits, operators have till next Friday to ee what is available all together at the nternational Mechanical Handling F..xhibition at Earls Court, London.
Though there are certainly new nodels to see as well as the well tried and rusted types which have been sold for a lumber of years, none of them has any .tart ling innovation. In fact, most of the lew types on display bear a marked .esemblance to models of former'years.
However, the exhibition certainly )rovides an opportunity to view a range )f international fork-lift trucks; indeed, :ork-lifts dominate the show. There are :node's from Italy, Sweden, Japan, America, Belgium, Germany and France as well as from the well-known and not so well-known British manufacturers.
Depending on whether you want a truck for loading vehicles or whether your priority is for warehousing, perhaps the most impressive new truck at the show is the Hi-Racker on the stand of Barlow Myers Ltd, Maidenhead. This is a Belgian-designed machine for storage and retrieval in narrow aisles between high shelving. The cab moves vertically to aid the operator to place or remove material in the storage racks.
With a capacity of 1,360 kg (3,5001b) at 600mm (24 in) centres the machine will stack to 10.22 m (33 ft 6 i/2 in) in aisles ranging to 1,400mm (56in).
The Italian company, Antonia Valla e Ce of Piancenzia, is showing an unusual range of mobile cranes which, with attachments can be used for a variety of freight handling.
The model illustrated has a capacity of 1.8 tons and is electric powered. Diesel and petrol-engined versions are available if required. It could double for engine removal.
Springfield Mechanical Handling Ltd has on its stand a range of Fiat fork-lifts and the Pimespo electric pallet trucks. Fiat has four new models on display here but the newest of these is a 1,200 kg (about 1-ton) capacity fork-lift with 24in centre. This has a two-speed high and low ratio electric motor.
If its an electric truck with a large lifting capacity that you require you might be interested in the range on the Yale stand. Here you will find what the company claims to be the largest electric fork-lift manufactured. It has a capacity of about 110,000 kg (50,0001b).
An interesting new machine is the Shawloader F80 which has a capacity of 17,600 kg (8,000 lb) and incorporates the hydrostatic transmission unit with which its existing models are fitted.
With this transmission, the driver has only a single pedal for forward, stop and reverse functions. This leaves his hands free for steering, lifting and tilting and so on.
Somewhat overshadowed by the fork-lifts which abound are works trucks, trollies, conveyancer systems pallets and other equipment associated with what the mechanical handling pundits call "mechanical muscle".
On the surface it looks very much like "the mixture as before" but, bearing in mind that many companies are now hiring out such equipment in contrast to outright sales, it is an obvious advantage to compare different makes of equipment with possible short-term hire in mind.