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Major growth prospects

24th May 1968, Page 64
24th May 1968
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 64, 24th May 1968 — Major growth prospects
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INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL HANDLING EXHIBITION REVIEWED

BY JOHN DARKER, ARABIM

THE SPEED of development of mechanical handling in recent years has been remarkable, yet what has been achieved so far is as nothing compared with what is possible— if sufficient money is pumped into the industry.

Some of the most exciting developments await firm production orders. To whet the appetites—and perhaps stimulate the imagination of visitors—some exhibitors at the International Mechanical Handling Exhibition which closed today (May 24) have built expensive models. I admired the working container port model on the Geo. King stand—complete with gantry crane, container ship, storage facilities and, of course, road and rail vehicles. Remote control of craneage—or other equipment, using radio is now possible, I noted on the King stand.

Another impressive model was that on the stand of Mercury Truck and Tractor Co. Ltd., showing the new Cargo King aircraft ground support equipment designed for passenger and freight handling when the jumbo-sized Boeing 747 comes into service. The specialist cargo handling aids developed in air transport—where money seems no object—seep through into road transport quite quickly. I have no doubt the process will be speeded up even more when intermodal containers up to 40ft-long compel the closest possible liaison between airlines and road hauliers.

The type of vehicle identification system employed by Mercury on some airfield vehicles could usefully be made a compulsory fitting on all lorries. Made by the Signal-Stat Corporation, of New York, it enables all four wing "flashers" to be operated simultaneously, without affecting the normal flasher operation on road work. Many distressing crashes due to collisions with immobilized vehicles would be avoided if corner flashers were general.

I liked the useful battery discharge alarm introduced by Spembly Electronics which is likely to interest operators of batterypowered fork-lift trucks or vehicle tail lifts. This matchbox-sized device provides an audible or visual signal to the driver if the battery level drops below a pre-determined figure. The few pounds it costs could well be recovered quickly for drivers on bonus can easily forget the state of their battery.

On the Electricity Council stand there was a fascinating I.C.T.1900 Interrogating Visual Display Unit used in conjunction with a simulated computer-controlled mechanized warehouse. Case histories of recent applications of computer-controlled warehouses—for example, the Electrolux Luton installations, Gallaher's North°lt branch and the new Boots Pure Drug Company Nottingham depot—prove that computer control of vast inventories is possible.

A number of new systems of powered mobile storage systems were on show and it is no longer possible to argue that this— initially expensive—system does not pay off in the fairly short run. With space at a premium in so many parts of the country mobile racking which closes together and saves aisle space is bound to grow fast. The new systems can carry great loads if floors are sufficiently strong. Simple trip mechanisms prevent George the storeman from being crushed accidentally.

As transport organizations get bigger, office mechanization systems become more attractive. Lamson, whose conveyor and air tube communications systems are well known, is introducing the Ralfs Selective Document Conveyor—most ingenious equipment which routes foolscap-sized files or envelopes between offices and depart ments, at different levels if necessary. Sliding metal tags on the outside of the plastics carrier wallets are set to correspond with a station code number. The system would interest the larger transport organization with a well organized system of paper work and, preferably, a central filing system.

Pakord Ltd., showed new applications of the Load-Lok cargo control system. The increasing use of second decking in box vehicles and containers which can effectively double the payload with suitable goods, enhances the value of cargo stowage equipment.

New designs for palletization appear so regularly that it is impossible to record all of them. The Uni-Cage, by Dextro Designs Ltd., has been developed for industries requiring a strong two-, threeand four-sided collapsible container. It is simply erected, is free of locks or clamps, and the sides fold down to make a compact stowage. The nesting corner posts allow two containers to be carried by a fork-lift truck.

A much larger cargo cage introduced experimentally from America is the model A170-1 I examined on the stand of Saltney Engineering Co. Ltd. This has a capacity of 135 Cu. ft., weighs 4701b and its 6in. x 6in. wire mesh walls provide a measure of protection for contents. Its dimensions-44in. wide x 78in. long x 78in. high—would allow economical stowage on some vehicle platforms and the simple system for retracting its wheels should ensure safe riding, while extending the increasingly popular "roll-off" system. Incidentally, the retractable undercarriage and the cage itself is a Lockheed Aircraft development—yet another illustration of the impact of aviation on surface transport. I gather that larger models are under development.

The Geest Container service from Ipswich to Maassluis, near Rotterdam, has been so successful that the company is having to build a lot more containers, I understand. Geest builds a wide range of mechanical handling devices, warehouse trucks, etc. and I was interested to learn that they also offer a "package" service involving a survey of premises and the installation of Geest or any other suitable equipment.

The ingenuity of conveyor manufacturers always pleases me. I suspect that they will hold their own when containing stuffing becomes big business. Flexiveyor Products Ltd. has developed two forms of conveyor with transport applications. The Foldaway can be used on rough or uneven surfaces, is self-supporting over short distances and is easily stowed by rolling a length into quite a small compass. Their Rollaway utilizing loose rollers sliding along rubber hose will bend in any desired direction, can be supplied with rollers or wheels, and its adjust

able pitch enables almost any sized carton or package to be carried. I have doubts as to the durability of the "hose" in regular operation but the idea is simple and in the right application would save much time.

A number of firms demonstrated the increasingly popular load cell weighing devices, amongst them Davy-United, whose equipment is used by the Cement Marketing Co. to weigh cement-carrying bulk tanker vehicles. The Davy equipment has a normal accuracy of 0.3 per cent of bridge capacity though special techniques can increase this to accuracies of the order of + 0.02 per cent.

I doubt if Mr. Marsh will require road hauliers to be so precise.

The development of Joloda equipment to meet variable transport demands is continuous and praiseworthy. The company has disposed of one recent development— a roller jack device for the shipboard movement of containers—to the Vickers Shipbuilding group. But Joloda is very conscious of the problems of container loading and unloading, not least on the skeletal trailers where 20ft containers will often be carried on 30ft or longer platforms. Special extendible bridge channels allow loads of 2 tons or more to be pushed by one man for any reasonable distance from within the container to a loading dock or special staging for disposal by crane or fork-lift truck.

Rollalong Ltd., whose inexpensive gantry system for container handling was introduced last year has developed a new hydraulic system for use with Rollalong swop bodies. It is designed for use with medium-weight Bedford, Ford and BMC chassis and if certain measurements are laid down initially bodies of different types, including Lancashire flats, will be interchangable between varying makes within a fleet.

The variety of equipment now available for container handling at ports and inland terminals must be embarrassing to port organizations and container ship operators —they must, in honesty, evaluate what is on the market and then make up their minds as to the best buy. The latest contender, the Owen Karricon 304 straddle carrier designed to handle and stack 20ft and 30ft ISO containers has been developed in little more than six months by a very experienced engineering team. The 408 model, for 4011 containers, is also expected shortly. I understand both machines will be thoroughly tested in the next few months and it will be most interesting to hear some reactions of operators.

Lancer Boss, whose giant sideloader for 4011 container movement dominates the Brompton Road forecourt at Earls Court in terms of mass, though not of height—there are some spectacular vehicle cranes on show—proves that the advocates of straddle carriers will not have it all their own way. With so much equipment available any port or terminal with a variety of equipment would need to employ some highly versatile drivers to make the most efficient use of the equipment!

Expendable pallet

An ingenious expendable pallet named The Camel introduced by Bampal and designed for the loading, storage and stack ing of sacks utilizes nothing more elaborate than two hardboard sheets secured by bi furcated rivets. Strength is obtained by the corrugated inner sheet allowing access for fork-lift forks. The pallets, costing Us s to 12s are 44in. square—an appropriate size for container work. They carry one ton, and if a number of movements are obtainable they should prove popular.

New aluminium dock boards from Alusuisse handled by Star Aluminium Co.

Ltd., slide along an extrusion fixed to the front edge of the platform—a useful timesaving idea.

F. G. Wilson's side fork-lift attachment shown mounted on a Ford D.800 chassis is a most praiseworthy effort. It can be fitted to fifth-wheel or automatic coupling prime movers, has a lifting capacity of 30 cwt and a lift height of 9ft. A gangway 16ft wide is sufficient for loading or offloading, with all operations visible from the driver's cab. If the company can market this for about £1,000, as it hopes, this will provide a fitting companion to its standard rear-mounted fork-lift device which is growing in popularity.

The Flotaload hoverpallets made by BHC in 1-ton and 5-ton versions can, if desired, be coupled up in series to carry heavier loads. Present costs (174 for the 1ton and £500 for the 5-ton) are on the high side but a practical demonstration of faith by a few large warehousing concerns would soon lower costs and establish the principle.

The following officers were elected by the NCTMA last weekend: chirman, S. W. Shaw; vice-chairman, S. Chamberlain. Executives: J. W. Binnie, T. G. Whitworth, J. E. Gill, E. Winpenny, A. B. S. Payne, E. Eastwood, W. A. Lax, J. Hallows, S. Chamberlain, H. H. Francis, J. R. Monk, J. H. McGregor, D. Fortune, and J. West; secretary: A. Walch.


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