For all the popularity of reachstackers in today’s ports, there continues to be a market for heavy duty forklift trucks (FLTs), although the choice of which to employ can only be decided on a port-by-port basis.<\/p>\n
As Dan Pettersen, Kalmar’s product line manager heavy lift trucks & empty container handlers explains, the total market for heavy lift trucks is difficult to estimate as heavy duty FLTs are a global product and it is rare, in his view, that a customer finds it difficult to decide between the relative merits of a heavy duty FLT and a reachstacker.<\/p>\n
“It is our experience that very few customers are actually in a position where they are unsure of what they want. If their terminal layout is adapted for FLT use, that is, if they do not stack containers more than two rows deep, they will continue buying FLTs, and if the terminal is adapted for reachstackers they will continue with them, but most new terminals are going for the reachstacker concept.<\/p>\n
“Where the layout of the terminal suggests reachstackers are an appropriate solution, we are convinced that for the majority of customers the reachstacker really is a more efficient and flexible solution. But a number of our customers have a long tradition of using FLTs, and have developed a great knowledge of planning and operating terminals using FLTs, so there will continue to be a market.”<\/p>\n
Alex Beddow, who oversees container handling FLT business at Fantuzzi in the UK, agrees that the choice between a reachstacker and a heavy duty FLT is very much an operational one determined by the kind of terminal operation.<\/p>\n
“If you are only ever going three-high, then you are unlikely to need a reachstacker. Sometimes it’s simply down to operator preference, and sometimes it is said that a reachstacker is more aggressive and will cause more wear and tear on the ground, but if you are only ever going to be digging into a low stack, you are unlikely to need a reachstacker, ” he tells Port Strategy.<\/p>\n
“The market for loaded container handlers is more or less focused on North America, Australia and New Zealand, ” Mr Pettersen explains, noting that, in addition, there are also a few customers here and there, mainly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, that are buying heavy duty FLTs rather than reachstackers for loaded container handling. “I don’t agree that heavy duty FLTs are better suited to so-called Third World applications, ” he tells Port Strategy. “Nowadays, the operators of a new terminal in, say, Africa, will look at what is being used elsewhere, at the major terminals around the world, and that will inform their choice.”<\/p>\n
Asked whether demand for heavy duty FLTs for this particular application was growing or declining, Mr Pettersen says that, in his view, it is stable in the three main countries mentioned above.<\/p>\n
Questioned on what customers look for in a heavy duty FLT for container handling, Mr Pettersen explains that the key issues are size, capacity, ease of maintenance, robustness, and, of course, lifting capacity. “They are looking for productivity, high uptime, low running costs and strong support from the equipment supplier, ” he notes.<\/p>\n
Mr Pettersen adds that Kalmar’s DCF series of top-lift handlers were developed exclusively for ports and terminals, focusing on user requirements for productivity and high quality operation.<\/p>\n
Three models cover container handling of 36-45 tonnes capacity, 20ft-40ft containers and up to five high stacking at full capacity.<\/p>\n
As manufacturers point out, to ‘leverage’ operational productivity it is essential that the driver has full control over every moment of the handling sequence. This starts with full 360infinity visibility from the cabin, through open design of the mast and gantry that helps maximise visual contact with the stack, container corners, twist-locks and spreader. On many models nowadays, fine-tuning of the spreader to handle uneven levels or loads, mast tilt, extension, and twistlock landing are accomplished utilising electronic support feedback in a computerised control system.<\/p>\n
Manufacturers also offer a wide range of other ‘intelligent’ features, such as hydraulic ‘load-sensing’ with variable piston pumps supplying hydraulic power on demand, thus providing several benefits that can positively affect operators’ ‘bottom line’. Value added features often available as options include air conditioning, alternative engines and joystick-type steering, automatic gear shifting, a single, central lubrication system, and additional ‘green’ features such as exhaust cleaning systems.<\/p>\n
If you are sure that a heavy duty container handling FLT is the right choice for your particular operation, it pays to spend a little while researching whether you want a dedicated container-handling machine, or a dual- or multi-purpose machine that can handle other types of cargo – perhaps one with forks as well as a spreader.<\/p>\n
SMV Lifttrucks spokesperson Patrick Landbeck agrees that the market for container handling FLTs is not a huge one, but notes that the company is “doing well” in North America currently, particularly with its SL45 1200 G5, a 45 tonnes capacity container handling FLT with a duplex type mast designed for maximum visibility, the mast structure being welded in high quality steel for optimal strength and fitted with full width load rollers and side thrust rollers between inner and outer sections to ensure complete alignment.<\/p>\n
“Heavy duty FLTs aren’t developing by leaps and bounds, ” Alex Beddow at Fantuzzi UK concludes. “It tends to be more evolutionary, with better electrics or better hydraulics, features that increase operator speed and enhance productivity.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reachstackers may well be the preferred choice for container handling in the European ports market, but heavy duty container handling FLTs continue to be in demand, where the situation suits their use, as David Foxwell explains<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"sponsor":[],"class_list":["post-6700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-container-cargo-handling"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6700"},{"taxonomy":"sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sponsor?post=6700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}