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New ideas for materials handling
Page 89
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By John Darker, AMBIM THE constant need of transport and warehouse managers for efficient, low-cost operations imposes the duty of keeping up to date with new developments in a most virile industry. In one sense the variety of new products available becomes an embarrassment, particularly to the transport manager who has just invested hard-won cash in some modern equipment. Yet any manager who aspires to be efficient must at some stage decide to purchase what is available. If a better product is marketed tomorrow, that must be accepted as a normal business risk.
There has for long been a demand for disposable pallets and the two illustrations of new products marketed by Agran Group companies should serve many needs. In small quantities both pallets would cost about 11 s. each but in larger numbers of 5,000 or more the price could be brought down to between 8s. and 9s. If, as the makers claim, the pallets are re-usable there would be operational advantage in their use in particular applications, and one would expect many exporters to be happy to include the full cost of the disposable pallet in their transport costs.
Developed and proved in Denmark and now manufactured under licence by Modern Industrial Appliances Ltd., of Loxley, Sheffield, the Palletite shrink film packaging system offers so many advantages to large users of standard pallets that the equipment costs—approaching £3,000—will not, I feel, discourage its widespread adoption.
The skin-tight Visqueen transparent contour packs produced by the Palletite system are bonded to standard pallets (up to 42 in. wide and high by 48 in. long) eliminating strapping and packing protection and providing protection—and easy identification— for road or sea transit. Some users, indeed, transport shrink-wrapped pallets on open lorries.
The standard equipment including tunnel, conveyor and heat-sealing device for making polythene bags, has a capacity of up to 30 pallets per hour, but tailor-made systems for larger size package modules can be produced with speeds up to 300 finished packages per hour.
Warm welcome
I have never understood why mobile loading ramps are so infrequently met with in transport depots in this country and the Express Rapid Loader introduced (from Germany) by L. Lipton Ltd., Pier Road, Central Way, Feltham, deserves a welcome. It is easily wheeled into position and loading from ground level is simple; the operator rides to platform level by actuating a foot switch. The larger models will lift fork-lift trucks.
I have obtained price details from Parker Mitchell Engineering Company Ltd., of Thornliebank Industrial Estate, Glasgow, whose barrel loading machine has applications in many industries (it was developed for whisky barrel handling). Capable of loading six barrels a minute, it is claimed to be more productive, in its specialized work, than four fork-lift trucks. Four versions of the machine are available, priced from £1,800 to £5,300. This may seem a lot of money but it could soon be saved in a large throughput barrelhandling works.
Among the makers of collapsible wheeled container pallets the new Claretainer, made by Clares of Wells, incorporates detailed improvements. Light and strong, the 5 ft.high collapsible units are made from galvanized metal with a birch ply platform. Claretainers collapse easily for storage or transport, two assembled pallets holding eight collapsed units.
Wide range
At the recent International Mechanical Handling exhibition in Paris I admired a number of the products handled by Strager and Cie, of 21-23 Avenue de la Division Leclerk, Trappes (Seine et Oise). A very wide range of mechanical handling devices for vehicle loading is marketed by this enterprising concern including scissor lifts, platform loaders and ramps—some large enough to tip whole vehicles. I now understand that Strager and Cie would be interested to make contact with a British organization to introduce this range of equipment here. Anyone interested should get in touch with M. Gerant, the director of the firm. The diversification of mechanical handling equipment now available in Britain is certainly evidence of a lively industry, but from the buyer's aspect some rationalization of this "jungle" of growth would be helpful. In the smaller equipment range there is a bewildering variety of products, all very similar in function. I'm told there are 39 makes of fork-lift truck under 3 tons carrying capacity now available in this country.
Perhaps rationalization on a European scale is called for so that five or six large consortia compete, with a full range of equipment proved and tested.