Here's to extending forks
June 1st 2009 Enotria Winecellars has been helped by Atlet to increase the storage capacity at its Park
Royal distribution centre
Enotria Winecellars has been helped
by Atlet to increase the storage
capacity at its Park Royal distribution
centre. The wine trade supplier has partially
converted one of its bonded warehouses
for double-deep racking served by two Atlet
Forte UHST extending fork reach trucks.
The new trucks augment the overall
operation and work alongside Atlet Presto
PLP powered pallet transporters previously
for load assembly and pallet handling tasks.
"Atlet is not the cheapest in the market
but their trucks are probably the most
reliable," says Peter Devlin, Warehouse and
Distribution Manager at Enotria. "Basically
they would come first on the list whenever
we want something."
Previously configured for block stacking,
Enotria recognised that the only way to
increase capacity and throughput in one of
its bonded warehouses was to install
racking. It initially considered a
combination of narrow and very narrow
aisle racking with specialist lift trucks but
the floor was not level enough and the
work required to make it suitable was
considered uneconomical. Atlet suggested
a combination of single and double deep
racking to achieve the required storage
with a degree of flexibility.
The Atlet Forte UHST reach truck is
designed specifically for double deep
operations and the forks extend into the
rear row of racking to place and retrieve
pallets. The specification at Enotria called
for trucks which could handle a full pallet
weighing up to 1135kg to front and rear
positions all the way up to the 6.3 metre
top beam. This was well within the
capabilities of the Forte UHST which
incorporates all the familiar ergonomic and
safety features found across the Atlet range
including mini-steer wheel, push button
control, tilting seat and the unique S3
Stability Support System that automatically
reduces the speed of truck functions in
proportion to the height lifted.
"The drivers were a bit wary before we
moved to double deep but now they think
it's fantastic," says Devlin. "The trucks are
great to use and easy to manoeuvre. It all
works like clockwork."
Incoming deliveries are transferred to the
new racked warehouse once customs
documentation has been checked and
completed. The use of double-deep enables
Enotria to store the complete contents of a
single container together in two or three
adjacent bays. This promotes simplicity and
efficiency in the bonded operation where
every item must be accounted for at all
times. Warehouse staff can always see
what to pick and from where. More articles from Atlet Limited: | 
