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Feature Articles

Forkliftaction News takes an in-depth look at current trends, challenges and opportunities impacting the materials handling market. Packed with insights from industry experts, you'll learn about the latest emerging technologies and new solutions on the market.

7 minute read

The Paper Industry: Forklift attachments do the job

Feature Article - 18 Aug 2005 (#222) Pulp & Paper International magazine's latest statistics posted on the Finnish Forest Industries Federation website puts the global paper and paperboard production in 2003, at 339 million tons. Forkliftaction.com News reporter Christine Liew looks at the equipment used to handle logs, wood chips, pulp bales, sheeted paper and paper rolls, which are the raw materials and finished products, in this multi-billion dollar industry.

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7 minute read

Cabin Comforts

Feature Article - 21 Jul 2005 (#218) A Hyster brochure on its "superior ergonomics" cites research that says the average annual cost of operator fatigue in the US is USD6,862 per operator. There are many features in forklifts that can add comfort and ease for operators and subsequently increase operator productivity. Forkliftaction.com News reporter Christine Liew reports.

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4 minute read

Forkliftaction.com's caption competition: vote for your winner

Feature Article - 14 Jul 2005 (#217) The caption competition has now entered its judging phase. We need you, Forkliftaction.com members, to help us crown the winner of the caption competition. Take a few minutes to read the short list and submit your vote(s).

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9 minute read

Heavy Metal: Big Lifts - current trends

Feature Article - 26 May 2005 (#210) In Part 1, we saw how a big lift operates in a different environment to a small lift. Big lifts not only have larger load capacities but are heavier machines with bigger components and engines. In this feature, we explore three current trends in the design and engineering of these machines: the use of electronic technology, the simultaneous increase in load capacity and decrease in machine size, and operator comfort.

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9 minute read

Heavy Metal: Big Lifts – what’s the difference?

Feature Article - 19 May 2005 (#209) by Christine Liew In 1948, a sawmill in the small Swedish village of Lidhult needed a machine to move timber. The sawmill owners bought an old truck, turned the chassis backwards and built a forklift. The machine became the envy of other sawmill owners and a demand was created. A few years later, a forklift production plant replaced the sawmill. That is the story of the humble beginnings of Kalmar, a forklift manufacturer that built the world's biggest forklifts (90-tonne capacity) in the early 1990s and earned itself a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

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4 minute read

Retailers explore RFID, recognise forklifts’ role

Feature Article - 28 Apr 2005 (#206) Trend-setting retailers Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Tesco PLC and Metro AG are evaluating the open-loop potential of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Roger Renstrom and Christine Liew report.

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7 minute read

RFID and forklifts

Feature Article - 14 Apr 2005 (#204) Forklifts will play a key role in the development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Raymond Corporation and Crown Equipment Corporation are among the forklift manufacturers with high interest in RFID. Other companies like International Paper Smart Packaging and LXE Inc are developing forklift-based RFID readers. Roger Renstrom and Christine Liew report.

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9 minute read

UK and Europe: Rent or Own?

Feature Article - 31 Mar 2005 (#202) It's the use of equipment in a business that produces benefits, not ownership. In Part 2 of our financing your forklift feature, we look at the UK and Europe. What financing options are there? Forkliftaction.com News reporter Christine Liew spoke to financial experts from two competing companies for insight into the two different markets.

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3 minute read

Car buyers start on Internet - will forklift buyers follow the trend?

Feature Article - 23 Mar 2005 (#201) A recent study shows more car buyers are starting their enquiry on the Internet. Forkliftaction.com sent a summary of the study to the directors of MHEDA and asked if they thought there would be a similar trend for forklifts in the coming years.

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8 minute read

Focus: Financing your forklift

Feature Article - 17 Mar 2005 (#200) Research shows 80 per cent of US companies choose to lease some or all of their equipment. This year alone, more than USD208 billion in equipment will be leased in the US. (source: Aspen Corporate Funding) Forkliftaction.com News' reporter Christine Liew spoke to De Lage Landen's David Knight, who has 31 years' experience in the leasing and finance business, about leasing equipment in the US.

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