Delivering the reel deal
October 1st 2008 Doosan forklifts modified for safer reel handling are ticking all the right boxes with
packaging giant SCA
At its basic level the design of the
cardboard box has not changed
since the mid-nineteenth century.
This ingenious concept enabled flimsy
sheets of paper to be transformed into a
rigid, stackable and cushioning form of
packaging for delicate goods in transit. The
products may have changed, men's tall hats
were initially lined with the cardboard, but
when Will Keith Kellogg first used
paperboard cartons to hold flaked corn
cereal, a new storage concept was born.
Fast forward to the present day, and both
the cardboard box and cereal industries
have evolved. Corrugated cardboard now
provides even greater protection and
strength and yet the cereal industry is still
one of cardboards biggest customers. In
fact, both are as popular as ever, and if
proof were needed, just look to one of the
largest and oldest sites of its type in the
country, SCA Packaging in Wigan. The 25
acre site is home to 168 employees and
produces up to 110 million square metres
of cardboard boxes every year.
With a product portfolio that includes
transport, consumer, display and industrial
packaging, SCA prides itself on providing
answers to each market requirement. Such
an approach has led to SCA becoming a
major supplier to household brand names
such as KP, Nestle, Heinz and the original
cardboard packaging innovator, Kellogg's.
Europe's second largest producers of
containerboard paper used for the
manufacturing of corrugated board, SCA is
a consumer goods and paper company that
develops, produces and markets its
products independently, operating
throughout the entire packaging chain
including design, manufacture and
uniquely grow and use their own forests as
part of the production process.
As far as the production process goes,
raw material in the form of newly recycled
or 'home grown' paper is brought into the
site on 4 tonne reels which are then put
onto a production line and turned into
corrugated cardboard. Both the raw
materials and the production process varies
upon the customers requirements, but in
either case the reels are lowered from a
forklift to a skid, which feeds the reels into
one of eight converting machines.
It's a relatively simple process, but the
company places an emphasis on state of
the art design and local service close to
customer facilities, developing products,
processes and finishes that keep the
humble box on factory, office and
supermarket shelves across the globe. Little
surprise then, that simplicity and reliability
were high on SCA's own agenda when
looking to replace its forklift fleet.
Having run a variety of other
manufacturers equipment SCA's operations
manager Eric Jones was still on the look out
for a reliable, efficient truck, capable of
coping with the demands of the large site,
placing an emphasis on safety as a top
priority. Having researched the market, Eric
and his team made their decision to go
with Doosan, and now eight new trucks,
including two D90 nine tonne capacity
machines with paper clamps, are helping
SCA meet consumer demands.
Doosan's UK general sales manager, Paul
Watson, believes good mast visibility, high
travel speeds and operator comfort played
key roles in securing the deal. "We were
delighted with the feedback we received
from SCA's team, particularly regarding
them getting the job done quicker with our
machines," says Watson. "Not only did we
improve on their ability to travel from A to
B, but also in terms of lifting and lowering."
Doosan's reputation for reliability was a
major factor in SCA choosing Doosan
forklifts, teamed with proven build quality
and durability, the Korean company was
the obvious choice. As Eric Jones explains,
"In terms of break downs, parts availability
and engineer response times, we have in
some cases been waiting three days for an
engineer with previous manufacturers.
With Doosan, we know that equipment
issues are rare, but in the instances where
we do need assistance, after sales service is
a priority for Doosan."
Additional clamp switches and auto-tilt
levelling also added further levels of safety.
"When handling heavy goods, such as 4
tonne paper reels, maximum safety is vital.
We want to minimise the chance of an
accidental release of the clamps."
A safety release switch was fitted to the
clamp lever in order to prevent the release
button being hit accidentally. This way two
sequential movements are needed to
release the clamp, meaning a definite and
intentional action must be carried out by
the driver.
"Doosan's ability to adapt our designs is
one of our greatest strengths and has
meant that like SCA, we can tailor to our
customer's needs and specialist
requirements," says Watson. "Just like them
our aim is to produce the perfect package." More articles from Doosan Infracore Co. Ltd: | 
