The Bendis, supplied by AFL Trucks, in Poole, are also used for bulk and sequential picking, and for transporting pallets to the dispatch marshalling area.

UK sports brand Animal boasts it has gained up to 1,500 pallet positions in its global distribution warehouse by using three-wheel articulated forklifts from Translift Bendi.

James Runciman, operations manager at Animal's global distribution centre in Poole, says the manufacturer's growth created challenges for efficient storage and distribution of its goods.

Animal significantly expanded its operation three years ago by consolidating all stock from six locations into a 100,000sq ft (9,290sqm) building. However, the warehouse's roof supports meant the racking aisle widths had to be 1.8-metre (5.9-foot) wide, otherwise Animal would lose up to 1,500 pallet positions or 33% of its capacity.

"[The aisle width] is a problem for conventional forklifts and VNA doesn't offer the flexibility we needed," Runciman says. "However, the Bendis are able to operate in aisles of 1.6-metre (5.3-foot) wide."

Animal now operates with 4,636 total bulk pallet positions up to seven metres (23 feet) high with 12,755 pick faces and 1,203 full pallet pick faces. The operation usually runs in two shifts from 7:30am to midnight with most stock arriving every morning in containers from all over the world.

A fleet of Bendi B313 articulated trucks is used to remove pallets from goods-in marshalling areas and place stock in predetermined pallet positions. According to Runciman, the three-wheel forklifts maintain excellent stability in the narrow aisles with up to 1.35 tonne lift capacity at heights of 7.2 metres (23.6 feet) with no special floor requirements. The Bendis, supplied by AFL Trucks, in Poole, are also used for bulk and sequential picking, and for transporting pallets to the dispatch marshalling area.

Runciman says:"Even in widths of just 1.8 metres (5.9 feet), the Bendis help the drivers work faster, safer and more accurately. We have seen racking damage fall to a minimum compared to our old warehouses, where the aisles were much wider, with regular damage caused by reach trucks.

"We are now more efficient and picking an average of 249 pieces per person per hour. Five years ago we were lucky to achieve 69. This has had an impressive impact on cost reduction and overall company productivity."

Almost all Animal products are boxed and palletised for dispatch to Animal stores, export partners or wholesalers. The company designs and markets action sports products ranging from clothing and footwear to sunglasses, watches and luggage, and is strongly associated with windsurfing, kite-surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking.

Conceived by two surfers making watch straps in a bedroom in 1987, Animal is now a global sports brand, with a turnover of more than GBP50 million (USD75.7 million).

AFL Trucks supplied all the Bendi trucks at the site and provides service support. It also supplements the core fleet with Bendi equipment on short-term rental during peak periods in February and March.