Newsletter #411 (View other news stories)
Yale forklifts handle mature whiskies
Fleet, United Kingdom
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
 Operators appreciate the improved operator access, space and comfort levels on the Yale Veracitor VX forklifts.
|
|
William Grant & Sons Distillers’ fleet of Yale forklifts handles over 150,000 pallets at its Bellshill site each month, ensuring that over 11 million cases of whiskey are delivered to over 180 countries.
Gerry McEntee, who oversees wet goods warehouse operations, says William Grant has used Yale forklifts for 12 years.
"Yale forklifts have proven to be very reliable and the latest Veracitor VX models are very productive, which is important as we have no room for error when uploading high-value pallet loads from the production lines at a rate of more than one pallet every minute," he says.
It takes about 12 years to mature the company’s bestselling Glenfiddich single malt whiskey before it is ready to be bottled and shipped. William Grant has entrusted the handling of its matured whiskies and other premium spirits to a 30-strong fleet of Yale Veracitor VX internal combustion engine forklifts.
The whiskies and spirits are delivered to the Bellshill bottling plant and stored in the Vat Hall, where they are bottled at a rate of 500 bottles a minute.
The bottles are rinsed, filled, capped and labeled in the Vat Hall before they are sent to the warehouse to be packed in cases and the cases palletised, stretch-wrapped and prepared for dispatch.
The intensive loading applications in the wet goods warehouse are demanding on the Yale GLP20VX forklifts’ transmissions, McEntee says. However, the auto deceleration system (ADS) braking available with the forklift’s transmission automatically slows the forklift when the driver releases the throttle. Combined with the "auto speed hydraulics, automatic inching control and throttle response management" features, the forklifts’ operating efficiency is maximised.
Operator ergonomics are evident in the forklifts’ driving compartment. The steering column is adjustable to suit each driver and hydrostatic power steering is fitted as standard.
Bill Harper, a warehouse supervisor, says the operators appreciate the improved operator access, space and comfort levels on the new Yale forklifts: "The overall view (is) that the Yale Veracitor VX is very good."
The step height on the forklift is 35cm (13.8 inches) and there is 20% more floor space and increased shoulder clearance for the operator. Also, the three-point isolated drive train is designed to reduce noise and rolling vibration associated with forklift operations.
Yale UK’s George McKay is responsible for maintaining the forklift fleet, which includes 22 GLP20VX and four GLP30VX forklifts, and four MP18 powered pallet trucks, from an onsite workshop. Yale has introduced the EZ-Tank Drop-Down Bracket on the Yale GLP20-30VX series to simplify the changing of gas cylinders. The operator simply rotates the gas cylinder into a lower vertical position to remove the cylinder without causing back strain.
Yale UK’s regional manager for Scotland, Dave Reaney, says William Grant’s operation at Bellshill "is an excellent example of efficiency, where we have a thorough understanding of their materials handling requirements and are able to maintain a high level of productivity using the latest Yale Veracitor VX Series forklift trucks at the lowest overall cost of operation".
|
CURRENT NEWS
|
