H5.5FT forklift in action at EWM

Ironworks Eisenwerk Martinlamitz (EWM) is using specially equipped Hyster forklifts which withstand the heat of the furnace in the plant and can be used where space is limited.

Located outside Schwarzenbach, on the Saale River near the Czech border, EWM sells more than 50,000 T of cast metal annually. This metal is used for axles on agricultural, industrial and construction equipment.

The production site is steeped in tradition and places special demands on logistics. In particular, the company requires powerful and manoeuvrable forklifts that are capable of transporting cargo containing hot molten mass, with temperatures of up to 1,400 degrees, in the 1.8 T ladles around its narrow factory halls.

EWM uses Hyster Fortens H4.0-5.5FT series forklifts with a 5.5 T lifting capacity and a 600 mm load centre of gravity.

"The Hyster forklift trucks are especially manoeuvrable and robust, so they can also withstand the tough operating conditions," says EWM managing director Barry Thomas Irvin.

The forklifts' DuraMatch transmission prevents sudden braking, for example, and controls the direction of travel to ease the load placed on the brakes and tyres.

The forklifts are fitted with super-elastic tyres, which are robust enough to compensate for uneven ground and floor surfaces where they are aided by the stability mechanism (HSM) for lateral stability.

In order to withstand the high temperatures of the melting furnace, the forklifts required to operate in that area are equipped with an additional oil cooler and temperature-resistant hydraulic hoses.

EWM has a fleet of 52 Hyster materials handling vehicles. The entire logistics chain - from the delivery of goods and materials, to the transport of the molten mass and castings within the plant, and to the loading of the finished parts - is handled by Hyster forklifts. The fleet includes high-lift trucks with and without a platform, Hyster J1.5 -2.0XNT energy-efficient three-wheel electric counterbalance trucks with 1.5 to 1.6 T of lifting capacity, Hyster J2.2 -3.5XN compact four-wheel counterbalance trucks with 3 to 3.5 T of lifting capacity, and Hyster ICE forklift trucks with 1.6 to 5.5 T of lifting capacity.