COVER STORY COMBILIFT
Combilift and timber – a perfect combination Some of the first customers to recognise the benefits of Combilift’s initial product – the C4000 multi-directional forklift – were from the timber industry, and since 1998 the relationship between the Irish manufacturer of handling solutions and this sector has continued to strengthen.
A
ccording to Combilift’s CEO and co-founder Martin
maximum safety for the operator and other people nearby. This can be
McVicar, over 40% of the company’s sales are to
turned to the left or right of the truck, allowing the operator to remain
timber importers, merchants, constructors and related
in the safest possible position when working in narrow aisles – at the side
businesses, making it one of the most important
rather than at the rear, reducing the risk of the operator being crushed or
industries that relies on Combilift products for safe, space saving and
trapped between the truck and racking.
productive materials handling.
The ethos behind all of these innovative products, designed and
Whatever size of operation – large national outlets or smaller
manufactured in Monaghan, Ireland and exported to over 85 countries, is
individual traders, Combilift’s engineering and technology can make a
the ability to “do more with less” as Martin McVicar puts it. The majority of
real difference. Improvements to handling and storage procedures lead
Combilifts can replace a combination of other types of machines, making
to further advantages such as cost savings, higher levels of productivity
them versatile, multi-tasking machines. This saves on capital expenditure,
and efficiency, and enhanced health and safety.
lowers fleet running costs and maintenance overheads as well as reducing
Having started with the original C4000 truck, more models of the
the carbon footprint. The ability to work in confined spaces and narrower
C-series followed and these are now available with lift capacities from
aisles than conventional trucks also enables best use of that very valuable
2.5t to 25t. Combilift became acknowledged as the leading global
commodity – space – and can avoid the need for hiring costly additional
supplier of long load handling solutions, but its current range goes far
storage or relocation if businesses grow.
beyond this. Its Aisle Master articulated forklifts are designed for narrow aisle operation and handle pallets as well as other loads, as do the CombiCB multidirectional counterbalance design forklifts. Straddle carriers and mobile gantries cope with extreme oversized loads or containers and last year Combilift introduced its Combi-CSS Container Slip-Sheet, which can complete a full container load cycle in under 6 minutes – a cost-effective solution that is faster and safer when handling rough sawn timber, flat-packed furniture or panel products for example. For the last few years Combilift has also extended its range of pedestrian operated trucks which are seen as a safer alternative to rideon forklifts when circumstances allow. These naturally operate at slower speeds than ride-on forklifts, and operators have a heightened awareness of their immediate environment as well as good all-round visibility of the load and the forks. Combilift’s pedestrian trucks all feature its unique, patented multi-position tiller arm, which was designed to ensure
Timber Trader UK Magazine
Autumn 2020
26
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