Product category:
Standard fork lift trucks and attachments
News Release from: Combilift | Subject: Forklift
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 April 2007
Multi-directional forklift improves
handling
A multi-directional forklift truck from Combilift has improved materials handling at the Category 5 Hurricane Shutters Company, providing double-stacking and a long reach.
Located in South Florida, Category 5 Hurricane Shutters Company manufacturers and installs hurricane shutters to category five standards The company is co-owned by Larry Flaster and Michael Chicelli, Jr., and in its fourth year of business has 70 employees
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 27 Apr 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Category 5 prides itself on not only installing the highest standard of aluminum hurricane shutters from accordions, panels and bahamas to colonials and roll-ups but also on bringing peace of mind to every customer it works with.
The majority of Category 5's business is manufacturing accordion shutters.
Bulk extruded aluminum arrives to the company and needs to be stored.
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"When we are ready to make the shutters, the aluminum is taken from storage to our manufacturing area and the shutters are made" says Larry Flaster, co-owner of Category 5.
"The finished product is moved again to our staging area and taken by our staff to different job sites.
We handled $4 million worth of material in 2006 so, there's a lot of material handling involved." The challenge for Category 5 was that the raw material arrived on trucks in an alley way and had to be unloaded and transported to the warehouse a block away.
When it arrived at the warehouse it had to be offloaded manually and placed in storage rafters by hand with employees climbing up ladders to stack and double stack material.
The company has two bays where product was moved around but the area was limited.
Added to this, Flaster needed more space and was considering moving premises to get a bigger working area and more storage space.
Flaster knew that workflow could be improved with the right material handling solution and spoke to Dominic DeSantis from RingPower Lift Trucks.
DeSantis suggested a multi-directional forklift truck from Combilift because he knew that this truck would bring benefits not only in material handling but also in operations for Category 5's business.
Combilift is a manufacturer of customised material handling solutions and develops fork lift trucks tailored to the aluminum market.
Combilift assessed Category 5's needs and developed a solution that improved workflow, gave the company more space, and improved productivity and safety.
Although Category 5 had a conventional forklift truck, DeSantis felt that its smaller more versatile C5000 Compact truck would better suit their needs.
Because the Combilift truck could move in every direction and operate in smaller spaces, extruded aluminum could be offloaded from the trucks and driven in a sideways direction through the doors of the warehouse to the storage area.
"The maneuverability is a big plus," says Randy Granholm from Category 5 who drives the trucks on a daily basis.
"We can now take the product from the truck directly to the storage rack in one easy step.
The Combilift truck is versatile as it can drive up a grade of 7 percent to our warehouse door." Combilift's truck is also equipped with extensions on the forks which gives us a lot longer reach.
We can now double stack using the truck - it's quicker, easier and a lot safer." The ability to maneuver and lift the product at the right angle in Category 5's loading bays improved the company's ability to stack more products in the same space.
It saved the company space and helped them become productive.
"Combilift's truck saved us money," says Flaster.
"With the added storage ability, we kept the same space and now pay less rent.
The Combilift truck is a fantastic piece of equipment because of its versatility and its ability to go in all directions and conserve space, energy and time.
Standard forklifts don't have the same range of abilities." Category 5 found that because the Combilift had the ability to maneuver in spaces where a normal forklift couldn't they were more productive.
"With Combilift's truck, we get more done in a day," says Granholm.
"The Combilift is ergonomically, very versatile and user friendly.
All the controls are spaced out at the proper distance for hand controls," says Granholm.
"It is safer because it has an automatic braking system and because there's an enclosed compartment for the driver." Because the Combilift truck can move in any direction, Category 5 does not have to carry product at a height, it can carry product close to the ground and still maneuver in the areas it needs to go.
This means drivers can move more safely and more efficiently.
With the improved workflow, Category 5 can now concentrate on serving their customer while Combilift's forklift truck means that operations run efficiently, productively and safely back at the warehouse.
Category 5's business continues to grow and the company just opened a new premises in Pensacola on the Gulf Coast.
Will Category 5 use Combilift's machines in their new facility? Flaster says "Yes" "As our business expands, we definitely plan on buying more.".
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