JCC lighting has installed an Aisle Master fleet in its new 60,000 sq.ft. (5,574 sqm) distribution centre in the United Kingdom.

The company, which makes LED technology, now has three ride-on Aisle Master narrow aisle articulated forklifts and one stand-on Aisle Master order picker.

JCC Lighting's new premises, which it moved into at the end of 2022, has 7,250 pallet spaces.

“We have a heavy workload here,” says Steve Chapman, the warehouse manager. 

“We de-van two containers a day, on average, which equates to around 120 pallets or 500 to 1,000 cartons, which are brought to the goods-in area before being taken to racking with the ride-on trucks.” 

With 2,000 ground floor pick locations and around 100 replenishments required daily, the order picker model has been particularly beneficial, according to Chapman. 

“The low floor height and single step access to this order picker avoids the need for the operator to have to continually climb in and out of the cab, so from an ergonomic and health and safety point of view it is superb and reduces the risk of trips, strain and fatigue. 

“What’s more, compared to a seated truck, it’s half a minute faster per pick or replenishment task – so on a daily basis that’s around 1.5 hours of extra productivity.”  

In keeping with a company that has recently achieved carbon neutrality, JCC’s forklifts are all electric powered. 

With lift capacities of 2 T, they work in aisle widths which vary from 2,200 mm to 3,300 mm, to accord with the 4 in (10 cm)., 5 in. (12.7 cm) or 6 in. (15.2 cm) pallets, which weigh from around 300 kg to 1 T. 

Non-marking tyres and red halo safety lighting were fitted at Chapman’s request. 

“We get a lot of customers visiting and these keep the warehouse looking smart and ensure the safety of pedestrians,” he says. 

Mast-mounted cameras and fork level indicators were also added to make it easier for operators to pick accurately at height.