The side effect
October 1st 2003

Celebrating 40 years of manufacture, Sidetracker is still at the forefront of innovation and reliability when it comes to moving long loads Takeovers, mergers and closures have been rampant within the UK forklift industry over the last decade or so. So much so that very few British-owned manufacturers remain. The oldest survivor, Sidetracker, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and even more unusually it is still in the same family ownership. Working for the Production Engineering Research Association in the 1950s on projects to improve productivity, Peter Dobson saw a need for efficient materials handling equipment in factories, particularly where long loads were involved. Eventually, he patented designs for a multi-directional transport system and then in 1963 formed the company. The first trucks, built part-time in an old stable, were un-powered models which had to be pushed, but they did incorporate a multi-wheel design which allowed them to move sideways as well as forwards and backwards. The first years turnover was 700. Lack of space and headroom in the stable prevented development of a full powered truck with a proper mast, so in 1969 he rented an old chapel in North Derbyshire, that met his needs better. The first fully powered production model was completed the same year and sold to Chesterfield Transport Department for use in the bus maintenance workshop. It was a four-way model and had a 1.5t capacity. This was followed by models with greater load capacities and higher lift heights, and a guided narrow-aisle system was also developed. Reliability In 1976 the company, now in a purpose-built factory unit, produced its first fully multi-directional model which incorporated many of the design principles that are still applied today. Since the earliest days reliability has been one of the most important considerations, because it was recognised that unlike general-purpose pallet trucks a high proportion of customers would only operate a single Sidetracker and they would usually not be able to hire a short-term replacement quickly if anything serious went wrong. It is this design principle that led to the inclusion of dual power systems on every model, which enables them to operate without loss of load capacity or lift height, even if one power unit is removed for repair. For the same reason, the trucks continue to use electro-hydraulic control systems rather than electronics, which can still be adversely affected by rough surfaces and the treatment trucks typically receive. While the company has avoided innovation for its own sake, many technical advances have been developed and incorporated over the years. The rail guidance system designed 35 years ago was probably the first in the UK, and two years ago the company developed a multi-direction counterbalance truck with joystick controlled all-wheel steering. Although primarily conceived for indoor operation, the rugged simplicity of the battery-powered Sidetrackers also means they are able to operate outdoors, and many customers use them as multi-purpose load-handlers rather than solely for narrow-aisle warehouse duties. The specification of the latest models makes them ever more versatile: load capacities now reach 15,000kg and lift heights can be over 10m. The advantages of the multi-directional Sidetrackers are well understood in sectors where handling long loads is a standard rather than an unusual procedure -- such as window profile manufacturers. For example, seven Sidetrackers are being built this autumn for lifting six-metre extrusions at Rehaus national distribution centre to 11.6m and operate in aisles just 2100mm wide. Earlier this year the company built six trucks for WHS Halo, another major manufacturer of PVC-U window profiles, to perform similar duties. Space saving Over the last few years the manoeuvrability and space-saving capabilities of the multi-direction Sidetrackers have caught the eye of less typical customers. Polestar Varnicoat, one of the UKs leading gravure printers, uses two trucks to carry printing cylinders and stillages up to 4.5m long around the works, passing along corridors and through openings that could not be negotiated by conventional lift trucks. Overall width of the Sidetrackers is 1760mm, and the mast closed height is only 2.2m. They also have special pivoting forks to enable them to carry stillages or individual cylinders of various lengths. For household removals and storage specialists, Michael Gerson, the arrival of a Sidetracker has allowed an extra 108 storage containers, each 370ft3 capacity, to be stored on its restricted site in North London. The truck is designed to lift the cases, which weigh up to three tonnes, to 8.1m.

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