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MATERIALS HANDLING ONLINE.
This is issue #151 - 01 April
2004 of the weekly newsletter for industry
professionals.
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1.
LINDE RESULTS BETTER THAN EXPECTED 
WIESBADEN, Germany
Linde AG has
reduced debt and increased sales in 2003.
"We
shall continue to systematically pursue our endeavours
to boost Linde's growth and earnings," said Dr Wolfgang
Reitzle, Linde president and chief
executive.
Linde reduced its financial
liabilities by EUR510 million (USD627 million) in 2003
after predicting a reduction of only EUR150 million
(USD184.4 million).
Linde CFO Hero Brahms said
sales and new orders were up at the start of 2004.
Domestic sales increased 5.3% to EUR296 million (USD364
million) from 2003's first quarter EUR281 million
(USD345.5 million), while foreign sales were almost
unchanged at EUR973 million (USD1.2 billion), compared
to EUR980 million (USD1.2 billion). This put the group's
total sales for the first two months of the year up
slightly at EUR1.269 billion (USD1.56 billion), compared
to EUR1.261 billion (USD1.55 billion).
Linde
expected to record increased sales and results this year
but, due to economic uncertainty, would not put a figure
on its targets.
"We have set ambitious targets
for 2004, but we believe we have good opportunities for
growth in Eastern Europe, as well as in Asia and the
USA," Dr Reitzle said.
- Linde website -
2.
SOLIDEAL WINS NISSAN SUPPLIER AWARD -
AGAIN
MARENGO, IL, United States
Nissan
Forklift Corp North America (NFCNA) has awarded Solideal
Tire its supplier of the year award for the third
consecutive year.
NFCNA president Mark Akabori
presented the award at a ceremony on March 9. Accepting
on Solideal's behalf were sales & marketing
vice-president Thom Hronis, OEM sales manager Ted Vanke
and Machesney Park, Illinois, branch manager Tony
Paiva.
"The criteria for receiving such an award
from Nissan is nothing short of extremely difficult,"
Solideal said in a statement. "Needless to say, Solideal
is extremely proud of such an honour and proud of every
individual on the team."
- Solideal website -
3.
CAT ADDS REACH TRUCK SERIES
HOUSTON, TX, United States
Cat Lift
Trucks has launched the NR3000 Series of reach trucks,
with all-AC-powered traction, lift and power steering
motors.
The series features the first truly
brushless stand-up reach truck in the US market, Cat
says. Cat's broad use of brushless AC power in the
NR3000 Series is a contrast to other brands, which make
less use of such elements in reach trucks. Service
intervals can be extended by eliminating hydraulic and
traction system contactors.
"Customers expect
quality, demand productivity and insist on a lower cost
of ownership," said Chris Kuny, sales manager for
warehouse products.
The new line-up includes 11
models and/or options, and the variations open
additional application opportunities for Cat Lift
Trucks.
Single reach, deep reach and straddle
configurations are included. The NR3000 Series makes
extensive use of leading-edge technology and features
display-based diagnostics for quick troubleshooting by
service technicians, Mr Kuny said.
Capacities
range from 2500 pounds to 4500 pounds (1200 to 2000
kilograms), and lift heights extend to 425 inches
(10,750 millimetres).
Customers can customise
drive and hydraulic settings based on applications and
operator experience levels. Settings control travel
speed, acceleration rate, regenerative braking response
and steering sensitivity.
The series targets the
western hemisphere reach truck market, which primarily
uses a standing operator compartment and a fork carriage
mounted on an extending, or reaching, pantograph. This
format, widely accepted in the Americas, supports
established practices for storage racking.
By
comparison, European customers more typically favour a
truck with a seated operator and moving mast.
- Caterpillar website -
4.
NEW ARTICULATED BENDI AIMED AT GENERAL
MARKET
REDDITCH, United Kingdom
Rotating
mast trucks are expensive - usually about a third more
than the list price of a reach truck.
But at
IMHX, Translift Engineering Ltd showed off its new
Bendi, which costs the same as a reach truck.
The
B3 is a lighter electric three-wheeler with front wheel
drive. It has a single steering wheel in the front,
right behind the mast. The machine takes on aisles only
1.6 metres wide and its two stage mast can lift one ton
(US) to 7.7 metres. Regenerative braking and steering on
demand will be standard. Freddy Brown, chairman of
Translift and designer of the new Bendi, is targeting
the mass market with the new truck.
Last year
Translift received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in
the innovation category for its narrow aisle Bendi. The
first Bendi with a rotating mast was built in 1988. More
than 4,500 Bendi trucks have been sold since.
Articulated trucks the Bendi and Narrow Aisle's Flexi
- now account for 2.6% of the total UK forklift
market.
Translift produces 400 units a year in
the UK, and 80% are electric machines. Employing 90
people, Translift's turnover was GBP16 million (USD29.5
million) in 2002 and GBP18 million (USD33.2 million) in
2003.
The UK operation builds machines for the
UK, Australian and New Zealand markets. In Europe, sales
of the Bendi are handled by Manitou, and Landoll
Corporation manufactures and markets the trucks in the
USA. A gas-powered Bendi is built in Ireland by
Aisle-Master, which is owned by Combilift, under an
agreement with Translift.
Translift says it has
several new products for narrow-aisle applications in
the pipeline. In the meantime, the importance of leasing
and short and long-term hire increases. About half the
Bendis sold enter the market in some form of rental.
Translift has a rental fleet of 300 it hires short term
across the UK.
-
Translift website -
5.
**ADVERTISEMENT** LINDE TRUCKS MUST BE
SOLD
We have new six Linde A13 narrow aisle
electric turret trucks for urgent sale. These trucks are
brand new, and surplus to our materials handling
requirements. All offers will be considered, and a
discount is offered for a bulk buy.
Capacity:1350 Kg
Mast Height: 4960mm, 6210mm
extended
Turning radius: 2080mm
Polyurethane
tyres
Electric power steering
Centrally-controlled functions
Similar specs and
photo: see Spec-Checker.
For sales
enquiries:
Contact Ayman Ismail Ahmed
Tel:
+97142135223
Fax: +97142135523
Mobile:
+971506684302
Email: ayman.ahmed@alfuttaim.ae
6.
SAFETY FIRST: DAVID HOOVER
NEWARK, OH, United States
Let me
start by asking a question: how many of you would
always drive at the speed limit if enforcement
became half-hearted or was non-existent?
If an
officer stopped you for speeding and said "I would
really appreciate it if you would slow down" and you
knew there was no way they could give you a ticket,
would you take them seriously? How about if this
happened week in and week out? Wouldn't it become a
joke?
This is the state of the enforcement of
forklift safety rules and regulations in many, and I
will even say the majority, of workplaces. These
companies generally don't have many injuries or
accidents and you don't hear much about them in the
news. The majority, however, have some serious safety
issues, which include:
1) Many supervisors
responsible for enforcing forklift safety do not
actually know the rules of safe operation. It may have
been many years since they actually drove a forklift or
they may never have operated one at all. How can someone
properly manage operations they know little or nothing
about? They can't. Supervisors should at least go
through the theory portion of operator training with
their people so they know and can correctly apply the
rules.
2) Even when supervisors know the rules,
in many cases, they are hesitant to enforce them. How
many times have you seen a supervisor tell an operator
to fasten their seatbelt, sound their horn or put the
parking brake on? They may not like this job duty, but
it is part of the job they are paid to do. Police
officers may not enjoy writing tickets but it is their
job to do so, and in turn the roads are a safer place.
In the last few weeks we had a forklift fatality locally
that resulted from a forklift rolling against an
operator that got off to work with the load. I am sure
it was commonplace for operators not to set the parking
brake and I would bet supervisors probably had knowledge
of it, but it took the death of a man with a family to
finally get it noticed and fixed!
Here are some
suggestions for readers who supervise forklift
operators:
1) Learn about and periodically review
the rules of safe forklift operation.
2) Look for
things your people are doing wrong with your forklifts.
Tell them how to do them right and expect them to do it
right next time. If they continue doing it incorrectly,
you need to take appropriate action. I once saw a sign
that read, "Asking me to overlook a simple safety
violation would be asking me to compromise the value of
your life." How true it is!
3) Look for the things
your people are doing right with your forklifts, and
tell them you appreciate their skills and compliment
them on their operations.
4) Follow through with
proper discipline if people do things wrong, otherwise
you become a hypocrite and will not be taken
seriously.
David Hoover is president of Forklift
Training Systems Inc, a US safety company specialising
in site and forklift safety training, training trainers,
custom program development and cutting-edge forklift
safety products. Contact David Hoover.
7.
NARROW AISLE GAS TRUCK DEBUTS
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom
Narrow
Aisle Ltd has unveiled a LPG-powered version of its
Flexi articulated forklift. It also showed the new Flexi
AC drive model which is now in full
production.
Narrow Aisle debuted the new truck at
last month's IMHX 2004. The GM-engined three litre
machine is built on the same platform as Flexi's DC and
AC versions.
"We designed the original electric
truck keeping the potential for an engine in mind," said
Peter Woolridge, managing director and owner of Flexi.
"We won't probably launch the new machine outside the UK
before the end of the year," he said.
Narrow
Aisle has been building its niche electrical forklifts
for about two decades. With the LPG version it aims at
inside-outside operations. The Flexi's other appeal is
that it operates in aisles of just 1750 millimetres,
putting it squarely in the UK's 3,000 units a year
narrow aisle segment.
Flexi is on the move in
other areas as well. Last year about 50 machines found
homes in Europe, where France is Flexi's biggest
European customer. Ten trucks also went to Spain, and
about 150 were sold in the USA.
A dealer network
has been built in Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands,
and the company wants more dealers in Germany and
elsewhere.
- Narrow
Aisle website -
8.
SHELL PUSHES LPG IN CHINA
HONG KONG, China
Shell Hong Kong is
promoting LPG for forklifts, using a marketing slogan
"lifting around the clock".
Shell supplies Hong
Kong, Macau and South China with a wide range of oil,
gas and chemical products from its Tsing Yi
facility.
The company says LPG-powered forklifts
combine the advantages of diesel and electricity,
without the disadvantages.
Martin Chung, a Shell
Hong Kong representative, says LPG solves limited
battery life and operation time lost in recharges. LPG
was often the most economical fuel and led to longer
engine life.
9.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
SYDNEY, Australia
Crown
vice-president Asia-Pacific Bernard Whelan, 66, has
retired and been replaced by Brian Hoare. Mr Hoare, who
was appointed on March 1, has had a more than 30-year
association with Crown during his career.
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