Robust performance from A-M
June 1st 2011 Blue Print provides replacement
parts for cars and light commercial
vehicles, and its range of aftermarket
automotive components consists of
24,000 part numbers, covering over
160 different product groups.
Impressive year on year growth has
recently made the best possible use
of warehouse space a priority. This
has been addressed by bringing in
four Aisle-Master articulated
forklifts for narrow aisle operation
at the company's UK distribution
centre based near Maidstone in
Kent.
The first two trucks were assigned
for a warehouse dedicated to the
storage of brake discs, radiators and
coil springs - 17,500 pieces in all
when at full capacity - and they
stack the varying sized pallets to a
height of 7.5m. Blue Print inherited
the narrow aisle system in this
section from the former owners but
chose Aisle-Masters over the
previous articulated trucks, as group
distribution and logistics director
Derek Edwards explains: "The
overall build of the Aisle-Masters,
particularly the double bearing at
the point of articulation, is much
tougher than other brands, making
them robust enough to withstand
the continuous lifting of heavy loads
into the racking."
Part of an additional warehouse
for storing filters was racked out for
two further Aisle-Masters which
were ordered in the winter of 2010,
and the resulting increase in pallet
density got rid of the need for
outside storage and saved the
considerable costs of acquiring
further warehousing facilities. The
Aisle-Master fleet is AC electric
powered, and mast mounted
cameras have been fitted to the
trucks working on the high lifts. More articles from Aisle-Master Ltd: | 
