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 |  |  | | |  Welcome to issue #204 of Forkliftaction.com’s weekly newsletter for the global materials handling industry. If you have been wondering about the relevance of radio frequency identification (RFID) for our industry, read our feature story this month. We are still pursuing story ideas for the second part of our feature. If you would like to contribute editorial to our feature stories, please contact us at news@forkliftaction.com to request our editorial calendar.
Don't forget that our Discussion Forums are open if you would like to discuss any of the news stories we have for you this week. |
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RFID and forklifts 
Forklifts will play a key role in the development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Raymond Corporation and Crown Equipment Corporation are among the forklift manufacturers with high interest in RFID. Other companies like International Paper Smart Packaging and LXE Inc are developing forklift-based RFID readers. Roger Renstrom and Christine Liew report.
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Toyota US is number one again
IRVINE, CA, United States
Toyota Material Handling USA Inc (TMHU) has announced that, for the third consecutive year, it has been ranked the largest forklift supplier in the US by an independent researcher.
Crist Information & Research named Toyota the country’s number one selling full-line forklift supplier in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
TMHU president and CEO Dr Shankar Basu said 2004 was a strong year for the company.
“We attribute our ongoing success to Toyota’s overall value, leadership in technology and, mostly, our strong dealer support,” Basu said.
“We are entering our 38th year in the US and are ready to further expand our leadership position in servicing customers,” he said.
There are currently 70 authorised Toyota Industrial Equipment dealers with a total of 186 dealership locations throughout the US. TMHU is headquartered in Irvine, California, and most of its forklifts sold in the US are manufactured in Columbus, Indiana.
Crist Information & Research is an information and research service provider for the forklift industry, based in California. | |
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Five more Kalmars for paper producer
STOCKHOLM, Sweden
Stora Enso is ordering five more Kalmar DCE 80-9 HE forklifts with hydrostatic operations for its Hylte newsprint paper mill, bringing the total machines to six.
After six months of testing a Kalmar 8-tonne truck, which has an attached paper clamp, the paper producer decided the machine satisfied its paper handling requirements.
A Kalmar spokesman said Stora Enso was replacing its old Linde trucks with new Kalmar trucks.
“Linde is our biggest competitor and, in this case, we managed to convince the customer to use our machine, which, together with the attachment, has a load capacity of 6.5 tonnes,” he said. He would not disclose the value of the order.
At the Hylte mill, the new forklifts will collect paper rolls that have travelled on conveyor belts from paper machines and take them for storage in paper warehouses.
The trucks are equipped with integrated functions. Clamp pressure is precision-adjusted so the paper roll cannot slide or get damaged. The rolls are deposited at exactly the right angle and the lowering speed is automatically controlled to gently set the rolls down, Kalmar said in a statement.
The trucks have newly developed twin pedals, which are an ergonomic improvement as they act as a foot support in a resting position.
The driving compartment can be rotated 180 degrees and provides optimum vision and comfort for the driver, Kalmar said.
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Forklift operators at Rolls Royce choose Daewoo
BERGEN, Norway
Daewoo forklifts are proving their mettle among the giant furnaces, grinding bays, sandblasting units and spray booths of Rolls-Royce’s Bergen engine foundry in Norway.
Diesel forklifts from 3.0 to 10 tonnes and electric 2.0 and 3.0 tonne forklifts are used indoors and outdoors, in a 24-hour, three-shift system that runs five days a week.
Daewoo Truck Norway spokesman Tore Bjǿlverud said the environment at the foundry was very demanding.
“Dust and debris from the castings are inevitably going to impact on truck performance yet the Daewoo trucks have survived where a raft of competitor trucks have failed.”
Rolls-Royce marine maintenance supervisor Lars Jǿrgen Sandal believed the “simplicity of the Daewoo truck is the key to the tough capabilities”.
“We asked operators in various sections what they wanted. Did they want a change, what were their requirements? Some wanted battery trucks, some diesel, some with compact bodies. When diesel was chosen to work inside, we fitted catalytic converters and special guards to protect the filters,” Sandal said.
“A lot of them wanted Daewoo,” Sandal said. “We’ve tried a lot of trucks and had a lot of troubles … One of the oldest trucks we have is a Daewoo from 1995 - that’s old for a foundry!”
Rolls Royce Plc is a global manufacturer for the civil aerospace, defence, marine and energy markets. It has annual sales totalling around GBP6 billon (USD11.4billion).
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**ANNOUNCEMENT** MARKETPLACE UPDATE: LAUNCH PLANNED FOR 27 APRIL!
Today we have 8601 units for sale in the Marketplace. And ... we have set a launch date: Wednesday 27 April.
So NOW is the time to add your used forklifts, stock selectors, telehandlers, rough-terrains, container handlers, reach stackers, port cranes, or attachments. Email your stock list to marketplace@forkliftaction.com.
We import your stock list into the Marketplace. We then send you a link where you can view your imported stock. In a simple secured page you can add up to four photos with your listings, change the price of your offers, stop listings of sold units, add new stock, etc.
You can also view and search all Marketplace listings and start contacting other participating dealers.
So why not try this free offer?
Simply attach your stock list to en email and send it to marketplace@forkliftaction.com and we’ll get it in there for you.
Participating dealers are offered a free trial period after launch. | |
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Airtrax investor first to buy Sidewinder
HAMMONTON, NJ, United States
A South Jersey company is the first customer for Airtrax’s Sidewinder ATX-3000, which the company says is the world’s first omnidirectional forklift.
The Courier-Post reported Bill Wahl, of Bill Wahl Supply Inc, became the first buyer of the Sidewinder, which was developed in South Jersey.
Airtrax is proud of its forklift with unique-shaped patented wheels that permit the forklift to turn 360 degrees in its own footprint.
The company boasts: “If lift trucks were automobiles, this would be like the first Ford motor vehicle put on the road.”
Airtrax CEO Peter Amico and Bill Wahl demonstrated the Sidewinder’s capabilities at Wahl’s warehouse on Sicklerville Road, Blackwood, New Jersey. Amico was present to answer questions about the technology and its implications for manufacturing and industry.
Amico said Airtrax was shipping four more Sidewinders – one each to Philadelphia and California and two to Canadian customers.
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Forklift sales predicted to grow in Thailand
BANGKOK, Thailand
The Thai forklift market is expected to grow 21 per cent to 2,800 units this year, the Bangkok Post reported.
Phornthep Phornprapha, president of Bangkok Motor Works Co, Komatsu’s authorised distributor in Thailand, said sales of Komatsu forklifts were targeted at 550 units this year.
Last year, Komatsu sold 453 units in Thailand, 19 per cent of the total 2,318 units sold. Targeted sales will raise its market share to 20 per cent.
Phornprapha said direct sales would be applied to reach more customers. The service team would also go on-site as an after-sales service for customers.
Bangkok Motor Works, part of Siam Motors Group, offers 13 models of Komatsu forklifts, ranging from one tonne to 43 tonnes, with logistics and factory operators being key customers.
Komatsu forklifts are the second best-sellers in Thailand after Toyotas.
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In Brief …
Toyota cares about traffic safety
TOKYO, Japan
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will conduct a spring Toyota traffic safety campaign in Japan from April 1 to April 30, along with 432 other companies, including forklift dealers, parts distributors and rental/lease dealers.
The campaign, which coincides with Japan’s spring nationwide traffic safety campaign, will see TMC donate 2.67 million traffic safety picture books and 44,000 traffic safety picture-story shows to children in Japan’s kindergartens and nursery schools.
Specially designed leaflets to raise traffic safety awareness will be distributed via vehicle dealers, parts distributors and rental/lease dealers nationwide.
Emissions grants for forklift companies
HOUSTON, TX, United States
Several Houston forklift distributors received grants from the Texas Railroad Commission as part of a USD1 million statewide air emissions reduction program.
The Houston Business Journal reported Action Handling, Briggs Equipment, Southline Equipment, Sunbelt and ToyotaLift accepted the “first of its kind” grant, which provides incentives to replace older forklifts with new, low-emission propane forklifts.
A forklift with typical operating hours could be eligible for an incentive of around USD7500.
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Rubbish-emptying forklift kills child
MANITOBA, Canada
A toddler was killed after being struck by a forklift on the Green Acres Hutterite colony near Wawanesa, in south-western Manitoba.
The Winnipeg Sun reported the 16-month-old boy was wandering outside the colony’s community kitchen when he was hit by a forklift around 7pm.
Rachel Waldner, the boy’s grandmother, said a forklift had been emptying large garbage bins outside the kitchen when it appeared to hit the child while turning to leave the area.
Waldner said the child’s father was headed for the kitchen and thought the boy was following after him, but he must have turned in another direction.
The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have ruled the incident an accident but are continuing to investigate.
According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, the Hutterites are a religious sect originating from radical reformation in the 16th century. The Hutterites live in rural communities and depend on farming for their income.
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WAYNE CHORNOHUS: A FINGER IN THE DIKE?
VANCOUVER, Canada
The ‘finger in the dike’ is a metaphor for many elements of modern life and, perhaps appropriately so, the Dutch may have that proverbial finger in a new strategy of graduated operator certification.
I am told there is a new system in Holland where a less intensive system of certification is available for people who only occasionally use a forklift and are not engaged in more stability sensitive operations.
My first altruistic thought was no, a full course of instruction of eight to 40 hours should be a minimum for even the most casual operation. After all, the forklift still has dangerous capabilities at any time, right?
Click here for the full text of this Safety First feature.
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2. Made to last a lifetime
BT Lifters have a reputation for durability and reliability. This is no accident, as they are designed—quite literally—to last a lifetime. Properly serviced and maintained, a BT Lifter will perform for decades.
Many businesses seem to think of a hand pallet truck as a disposable item—something that will quickly be worn out, and then replaced. BT has a different view. A new BT Lifter may come at a slightly greater initial cost than its competitors, but such an investment will repay itself many times over in the years to come.
Click here for the full text of this release, including pictures. | |
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| Tenders | 1. Wooden pallets
Philadelphia, PA, United States
Closing: 06 May 2005
Contract: SP053005Q1729
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