The Aisle-Master

Leading UK car care products supplier Tetrosyl has chosen a fleet of Aisle-Master articulated forklifts for its new warehouse near Manchester.

Barry Rennie, the site's manager, says the company required a system that would provide good storage density for 18,000 pallets and versatile indoor and outdoor operation.

"After a demo of the Aisle-Master, we visited the manufacturing facility in Ireland and were impressed with the standards we saw.

"The engineers and management have pulled out all stops to meet our very demanding delivery schedule and I am happy to report the trucks do exactly what we were promised," he says.

Tetrosyl had a mixed fleet of counterbalanced forklifts and reach trucks before switching to the articulated forklifts. Since using the Aisle-Master forklifts, which can work in aisles 1.75 metres (5.74 feet) wide, the 156,000 sq ft (14,493m²) warehouse has increased storage space by 30%.

Paul Connor, managing director of Premier Lift Trucks, an Aisle-Master dealer, says the operators are happy.

Feedback received includes that "familiarisation training with the articulated Aisle-Master concept was straightforward and they are easy to drive".

The Aisle-Masters are fitted with 930amp batteries enabling them to handle the 24/7 operation, handling more than 7,000 pallets a week to process more than 1,700 deliveries. They can lift up to 2.5 tonnes and up to 12.5 metres (41 feet). Racking in the warehouse has been configured around the manoeuvrable capabilities of the forklifts and goes up to 7.6 metres (24.9 feet), allowing good pallet density, Rennie says.