DC Velocity - October 2012

Options for Crown 6000 lift trucks: Crown Equipment Corp. has added two optional truck features to its Crown RM 6000 Series of narrow-aisle reach trucks: Xpress Lower technology and Quick Change Load Wheels.

Xpress Lower reduces cycle times by shortening the time spent waiting for the Crown RM 6000 to lower its load. Technology inside the truck increases lowering speeds to an industry-leading pace of up to 240 fpm (feet per minute), without using any additional energy, says Crown.

Depending on the height of the truck and application, this can translate into a substantial increase in cycles completed. At customer sites where the lift truck has been installed, a Crown RM 6000 that can reach 505 inches has shown a 13-percent improvement in productivity, which can equate to saving an estimated 35 minutes per operator per shift or more than $5,500 annually.

Quick Change Load Wheels is a load-wheel changing system that reduces the time it takes to replace load wheels and return the truck to operational status. The Quick Change cartridge fits in specially designed bolt-on outrigger tips. A tool is used to simply insert and remove the load-wheel cartridge from the outrigger tip. The design allows the load-wheel assembly to be swapped out in the aisle, avoiding the need to move the truck to a maintenance area and wait for an available technician to jack up the truck, replace the load wheels, and then bring the lift truck back into service. The result is a load-wheel change that occurs in only two and a half minutes, which can equate to a savings of more than 25 minutes compared with a standard load-wheel replacement. (Crown Equipment Corp., www.crown.com/usa)

Louvered panel: Akro-Mils, a supplier of storage, organization, and transport products, says its new Lean Panel is the only angled louvered panel in the industry. Lean Panels combine the convenience and strength of a louvered panel with the utility of an inclined pick rack, the company says.

The Lean Panel’s 15-degree angle improves visibility and access to parts and supplies being stored in Akro-Mils’s bins and hanger products. The panels are wall mountable or can be used with single- and double-sided floor racks. Each panel has a 90-pound weight capacity.

The panels keep older product toward the front of bins (FIFO), making them suitable for productivity initiatives such as 5S, Lean, and Kanban, says Akro-Mils. (Akro-Mils, www.akro-mils.com)

U-shaped floor scale: Mettler Toledo has introduced a new U-shaped low-profile pallet scale, the PTA464.

The PTA464’s U-shaped platform simplifies the job of loading pallets and containers onto the scale, according to Mettler Toledo. There are no ramps or pits, so the scale costs less to install, saves space, and speeds up loading and weighing.

By eliminating ramps, the scale also cuts down on the opportunity for injuries and accidents as workers using a forklift, pallet jack, or powered walkie to load the scale are no longer required to drive up a ramp or across the scale platform. (Mettler Toledo, www.mt.com/PTAx6x) ;

Like to minimize the cost of ownership? Ryson can help. Our Spiral Conveyors need less floor space than conventional conveyors and are faster and more reliable than any elevator or lift. All our products are designed for low maintenance and long life and our proprietary modular construction makes future reconfiguring cost effective.

Quality and service come first at Ryson. We are the number one spiral manufacturer in the USA. For application assistance or more information, give us a call or visit www.ryson.com.