Young greens and fresh stock
October 1st 2007 A-Plant has just taken delivery of over 250 new powered access machines worth more
than £5 million. Powered Access field sales manager, Steve King, says the range makes
life easier for stock checking and maintenance in the handling and storage sector
A-Plant Powered Access, part of APlant
Specialist Products, provides
warehouse operators with a onestop
service encompassing every aspect of
work at height – from the state-of-the-art
equipment to professionally recognised
operator training. The firm has an extensive
hire fleet comprising almost 2,000 items of
equipment for access requirements,
including scissor lifts, telescopic booms,
articulating booms, trailer mounted
machines and specialist equipment such as
lightweight aluminium personnel lifts and
track-mounted booms.
The company has just
taken delivery of over 250
new powered access
machines worth more
than £5 million. As a
result, it claims to offer
the youngest, most
advanced fleet for hire in
the industry.
The powered access
investment has also been
accompanied by the
purchase of specialised
delivery vehicles, enabling
A-Plant to deliver
machines faster and take
on more work from
customers requiring early
deliveries. The firm has also increased the
safety of the company's drivers as the
running height and loading angles on the
new delivery vehicles has been reduced.
Stock checking in situ
One of the most important applications in
the handling and storage market is stock
checking in warehouses, which is generally
carried out on an annual or quarterly basis.
A-Plant supplies electric narrow aisle scissor
lifts with a width of just 1.2m for this work,
designed for use on racking systems up to
12m in height. The electric units have deep
cycle traction batteries, which can be
recharged overnight and give a full day's
work on just the one charge. By employing
this equipment, warehouse companies
negate the need to lift pallets down to floor
level, allowing stock checking to take place
in-situ.
A-Plant's newly increased fleet benefits
this type of work as companies generally
hire 10-15 machines at a time when stock
checking is taking place. A-Plant has
between 500 and 600 powered access
machines with a wide range of working
heights for this application and recently
bought Liftlux 153-12 electric scissor lifts –
facilitating working height up to 17 via a
width of only 1.2m.
Narrow aisle powered access equipment
from A-Plant is also a solution for
companies looking to make changes to
racking or for wholesale refurbishment of
stores or warehouses. Where space is at a
premium (and where isn't it?), many
warehouse operators install mezzanine
floors. Here, powered access equipment
provides a safer installation method.
Virtually all warehouse companies use
electric or bi-fuel booms for high level
internal maintenance of ceiling suspended
systems such as lighting and heating and
ventilation equipment. Most HVAC systems
are covered by planned maintenance
agreements, with contractors needing to
provide a fast response. A-Plant can provide
the required powered access equipment
such as narrow access, self-propelled
booms for these contracts at very short
notice, anywhere in the country. It also has
high reach diesel and bi-fuel powered
access systems for external maintenance
work.
For peace of mind, the firm provides a
'Damage Waiver Scheme' for a minimal
surcharge to the weekly hire rate, covering
customers against any accidental damage,
such as puncture repairs, that occurs to the
access platform during the hire period.
With another 100 units (worth £3
million) scheduled for delivery before the
end of 2007, A-Plant's investment this year
will total £8m, part of a three year
programme valued at more than £30
million. More articles from A-Plant: | 
