Welcome to HFT

Case Study 1 - M&M Timber

Ever increasing production volumes for a leading UK manufacturer & distributor of timber products required a creative solution to increase storage space and allow for easier, quicker access to products.

Objective

Create a storage system that accommodates multiple, diverse pack sizes & lengths and enables streamlined picking. Increase efficiency and maximise storage space within the existing structure, ensuring capacity of foundations.

Challenge

Timber packs were stored on the ground which meant that product had to be moved around every time stock needed to be accessed. Not only an ineffective use of the space but a lot of wasted time and difficulty stock taking.

Considerations

Although there was a concrete foundation in place, what was below was unknown and could have had a significant impact on weight restrictions.

The building was an open steel frame which presented height and width restrictions.
The racking system needed to work with the existing Combilift sideloader to avoid more expense on new equipment.

Solution

With initial ground core samples showing that the depth of the concrete floor was sufficient to hold the load, Mark quickly identified that Cantilever racking was the best product for the task. Specifically designed to optimise storage of long, bulky loads, Cantilever racking enables seamless product retrieval. Four runs of 20m racking made best use of the space, freed up a lot of previously encumbered floor area and overcame the height and width restrictions of the building. The Combilift is the perfect partner for this type of racking; tracking easily down the aisles for access to the front of the rack, making awkward loads look elegant. Mark's knowledge of the site, racking products and his ability to sculpt individually tailored systems made for a very effective solution that has brought significant benefits to M&M Timber.

The Customer's Verdict

'Mark worked very closely with our team to overcome many complications to maximise our storage requirement in our timber stock sheds. He made several site visits to ensure every aspect was covered - his attention to detail and ability to focus on all areas of the project was impressive. The system was completed on time and in a very professional manner, I would highly recommend using Mark Benbow and HFT for any racking project.'

Case Study 2 - County Building Supplies

Ever increasing production volumes for a leading UK manufacturer & distributor of timber products required a creative solution to increase storage space and allow for easier, quicker access to products.

Objectives

• Create a mix of racking that would accommodate a wide range of building products ensuring all available space was put to effective storage use.
• Design, deliver and install a week before the scheduled grand opening!
   

Solutions

Mark's design carefully balanced a mix of adjustable pallet & cantilever racking which maximised the height of the storage systems to give extra pallet locations. The narrow aisles further increased storage space, complemented by the Aislemaster supplied by HFT's Sales Manager Rob Perry for easy and efficient picking.

Mark says "Having worked with CBS on a lot of their sites, I know the way they work and what they need from their storage systems. Our suppliers are first class so I know I can rely on them for quality products and to deliver on time with precise installation. It's such a pleasure to have been part of another branch opening."

From the customer

"I approached Mark again as he has completed many racking & storage projects at lots of our sites over the years and has never lets us down.

We wanted to store a mix of products so I sought guidance from Mark for the most effective solution. The process was quick & easy with Mark visiting site plenty of times & creating CAD designs so we could easily visualise the project. The job was completed a week before the branch opened which gave us plenty of time to stock our products.

I highly recommend using Mark and HFT for any racking, storage and material handling projects."

Ian Stacey-Barlow

Director, County Building Supplies Ltd

Case Study 3 - Meeting Green Targets with EDiA

Leading manufacurer BituChem has taken a big step towards a lower carbon footprint with a new fleet of electric EDiA EX Forklifts. The Mitsubishi EDiA electric forklift has once again proven its unrivalled capabilities having been selected to replace diesel at a busy bitumen manufacturing site in Gloucestershire.

Moving with the times

BituChem was looking to reduce its emissions and improve sustainability, and turned to local Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks dealer HFT for support with future-proofing its MHE fleet.

Paul Paschali, Director at BituChem said: “We wanted to reduce our carbon footprint and swapping to electric trucks was an easy and effective way to do our bit. HFT knows our business and provided trucks that work well with the challenges on our site. We needed forklifts that could work indoors and outdoors, carrying bulky loads, while coping well on uneven ground.”

What we deliver

HFT delivered three 2.5-tonne EDiA EX electric forklifts. The trucks are used for loading/unloading, carrying pallets, barrels and drums of chemicals around a busy site 6 days a week.

“EDiA is a nimble truck but powerful with it,” says Rob Perry, Sales Manager at HFT. “It has great ingress protection against water and dust, with fewer moving parts, so these trucks excel at working in all weathers as the risk of damage is much lower.”

The trucks included several additional features to suit BituChem’s site and requirements, including glass-fronted cabins for year-round operator comfort.

“We added a hydraulic accumulator to the EDiA EX trucks to increase suspension and reduce bounce to ensure there are no broken pallets,” says Rob Perry. “It also makes it more comfortable for the operators.”

The trucks were fitted with blue safety spotlights to alert pedestrians of a truck’s presence, which is essential when working indoors near busy intersections like the ends of aisles.

“The electric trucks are really quiet so the blue spotlights help any pedestrians working nearby to be aware of approaching vehicles,” said John Shirley, Site Manager at BituChem. “We have some other great features that we didn’t have with diesel, like the automatic fork adjustment. This allows the operators to pick up different sized pallets without having to get off the truck and manually adjust the forks, which saves them a huge amount of time.”

For enhanced operator safety, the EDiA EX trucks feature an immobiliser where the forklift will not start if the operator has not engaged the seatbelt.

Outcome

BituChem’s new forklifts use lead acid batteries which can be charged after shifts to ensure high operational availability. “The batteries easily last three days from charging, which is great as we can maintain our productivity levels with the added benefit of no emissions and quieter machines,” says John Shirley.

The EDiA EX trucks are part of a number of initiatives BituChem has implemented in recent months. A new energy-efficient generator has been installed to power the asphalt plant, and by upgrading the power supply BituChem can use less fuel and reduce its energy consumption.

“As well as the new generator and the EDiA EX trucks we also use an electric JCB excavator,” added Paul Paschali. “We will be reviewing multiple areas of the site to see where more efficiencies can be made.

“Importantly, the EDiA forklifts really stood up against their diesel counterparts. It gives you peace of mind that you don’t always need diesel equipment on site. The operators are really happy with the trucks. The HFT sales team has been great with making suggestions and helping us find the best solution for our applications and business.”