With a range of forklift add-ons available offering a variety of solutions, it is important for managers to determine which accessories are useful and which are an operational necessity, as Paul Sercombe explains.

"Materials handling requirements and priorities differ depending on the business, operation and the equipment used" says Paul Sercombe of Transmon Engineering. "In order to determine whether a forklift add-on is necessary as opposed to useful, companies should first identify the operational needs and what benefits the add-on equipment will bring".

Transmon Engineering supplies electronic devices and systems to improve forklift truck fleets by reducing cost, improving safety and increasing energy performance.

"Safety should be a priority in any operation utilising materials handling equipment so add-ons that enhance levels of safety are often more of a necessity" says Paul. "For operations where forklifts and pedestrians are required to operate in the same areas, for example, Transmon's Active Zone Reversing System can be added to any vehicle".

The Active Zone Reversing System provides a visual and audible alarm as it gets closer to a person, object or structure such as racking. The distance limits are adjustable with warnings that can start at up to 7 metres, which get increasingly louder and change from green to amber to red.

"No add-on devices are intended to replace the requirement for proper training" adds Paul. "They are designed as an addition, to support the training and further enhance safety levels".

On sites where a speed limit applies, speed limiting devices, such as Transmon's Speed Savure, assist managers in enforcing the limit, to reduce the risk of speed related accidents.

Where there may be variable speed limits, on larger sites for example, Transmon's Zone Speed Savure uses RFID Active tags, which signal a speed limiter only when required. On entering a restricted zone the speed limiter is activated and the truck speed is controlled. As the truck leaves the area, the driver has the option of selecting high speed mode, which means the operator is always in control and makes a conscious choice to select an appropriate speed. The Zone Speed Savure can help site to adhere to safety regulations, without compromising productivity levels where a speed limit is not required.

Specialist operations such as cold store or storage at height operations, often present the obstacle of poor visibility, which is primarily a safety hazard, but also presents the risk of damage to stock or equipment. Transmon's Vision Savure with an in-cab CCTV screen gives operators clear visibility, and Trans Cam Savure records accidents for analysis before and after impact vibration.

While it may seem that safety is the only instance that add-ons might be 'necessary', operations can benefit hugely by becoming more efficient. Heavy duty 24 hour materials handling operations may need to place a focus on reducing wear to forklift components such as tyres, brakes and gears. Transmon Engineering has developed its Savure Range of products including Tyre Savure, Gear Savure, Engine Savure and Overload Savure, which help to reduce wear and lower cost of replacement components. This reduces the overall cost of a materials handling fleet, a necessity in today's business environment.

For operations using rented forklift trucks, Transmon's Power Savure can also help to reduce the number of contracted hours a truck accumulates in a day, automatically shutting down the engine if the truck has been idle for a programmed length of time. By reducing unnecessary emissions, the Power Savure can also help reduce the operational carbon footprint.

To find out more about the benefits of forklift add-ons and see a full range of solutions for all materials handling operations, please visit www.transmon.co.uk.














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