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Irish specialist fork truck manufacturer Combilift revolutionised handling and storage procedures for long and bulky loads when it launched its initial C Series of 4-way forklifts onto the international market in 1998. The differing demands of industry sectors have kept Combilift design engineers busy supplying a variety of solutions ever since, with customer feedback playing a substantial role in the development of new models.

When Combilift began getting requests to make a leaner, stand-up version of its machines to accommodate existing aisle widths in service centers this led to the introduction of the Combilift ST stand on range. A long term satisfied user of the electric powered C6,000EST is Admiral Metals, the leading distributor of metal products such as aluminum, brass, bronze, copper and stainless in the northeast of the USA.

The Combilift C6,000EST is an indoor/ outdoor stand-up multidirectional forklift which will work in aisles as small as 6 feet wide, saving as much as 50 percent of space in facilities, thereby reducing storage costs on-site. It has the ability to hold up to 6,000 pounds of material in any length and lift material to any height to deliver products to indoor and outdoor racks. "Because of the way the economy is, people have really needed to start taking advantage of their facilities," says Don Bishop, cooperate operations manager at Admiral Metals, Woburn, Massachusetts. "In order to get more material into our main shipping station, we've gone with the narrow-aisle system, and Combilift was the best choice," he says.

Narrow aisles also allow for further opportunities such as renting the extra space to different companies or using it for more productive purposes, allowing for more options when downsizing or expanding. For Bishop, converting his space into a narrow-aisle facility was not a choice made because of downsizing. On the contrary, his business was growing and he needed more room for material when he purchased the first C6,000EST in 2007. A recent order for two more machines brings the total current fleet number to six and the trucks have reduced down time, increased productivity, and helped decrease costs and boost revenue.

The Combilift's ability to travel forwards, backwards, side to side and make curved turns has been of great benefit, offering greatly superior manoeuvrability compared to standard forklifts and enabling long loads to be carried in much tighter confines. "The stand-up design is also very convenient for operators as they do a lot of picking and are in and out of the truck a lot," says Bishop. "With our old machines they had to undo the belt, open the door, get out of the truck, get back in the truck, close the door, put the belt back on, etc. With this machine, they just step on and off."

Features such as a raised mast, improved wheels and increased visibility contribute to safety when working with the C6,000EST. The retractable mast enables sideways travel with loads resting on the platform, lowering the overall centre of gravity. This is much safer than moving with loads raised above eye level and enables the load to be in the operator's sight line at all times.

Operator safety is further increased due to the reduced manual labour required. "Our guys say it's just so easy to use," says Bishop. "It runs smoothly, it has a lot of speed, which we regulate to fit our needs, but the best thing for them is that there isn't a lot of manual labor involved. This means less risk of injury and when you combine enhanced safety for your workers with higher efficiency and productivity with a quality machine and a quality company, you know you made the right choice," he adds.

Combilift manufactures a wide range of customised 4-way forklifts, narrow aisle trucks and other units designed for the safe and space saving handling of long and bulky loads in confined spaces with lift capacities from 2.5 to over 25 tonnes. More than 16,000 Combilift products have now been sold in over 60 countries and the company has won numerous industry awards for its products.

Combilift Ltd., Co. Monaghan, Ireland

HQ Tel: 00353 47 80500

North America: 1877 266 2456

Germany: 0800 000 5764

Australia: 1300 552 422

UK: 07870 976 758

www.combilift.com info@combilift.com