Materials handling equipment that is robust, and at the same time allows for a sensitive operation, is required where one million pallets of fragile glass are handled per year. Easy and efficient handling, with excellent visibility for safe transportation, coupled with a highly synchronized fork travel, allows for damage-free load handling. These are the parameters which are required for the high volume logistics carried out by glass producer SAINT-GOBAIN Oberland in Bad Wurzach, who counts on the 4 or 2 Pallet Handlers from MEYER (Salzgitter, Germany) that are fitted to their forklift truck fleet.

Moving a million pallets a year

SAINT-GOBAIN Oberland produces bottles and glasses for the beverage and food industry throughout the whole year. The warehouse in Bad Wurzach are being filled day and night by the continuous production, requiring the goods receipt and the distribution to operate in a two or, three shift system. Harry Schmehl, the Dispatch Manager in Bad Wurzach, is responsible for the effective logistics and coordinates the flow of about one million pallets. "The forklift trucks and attachments are always in operation. Every downtime disturbs the whole production." For that reason in particular, the reliability of these ‘work horses’ is very important. "Our MEYER pallet handlers work exceptionally reliable and smooth in this arduous application but, our fragile product is kept safely in good hands - respectively on good forks."

Efficient logistics

The forklift truck fleet is equipped with MEYER 2 or 1 and 4 and 2 Pallet Handlers: "Lifting four pallets with just one stroke and, relocating them without any glass breakage is possible with extremely high-performance and well-engineered attachments", Schmehl points out. "Furthermore, our Pallet Handlers stand out due to their long life, long maintenance intervals and very low life cycle costs, which are, ensured by the MEYER Auto-lubrication System fitted to the attachments". The sophisticated chassis design allows for an optimum visibility for the drivers, even in difficult loading positions. The maintenance interval of the attachments are in line with the forklifts and, therefore, constitutes no further downtime or, extra maintenance expenses caused by the attachments.

"In our business short delivery times are extremely important to our customers - and this is the direct result of our efficient logistics and fast stock turnover. Here the MEYER 2 or 1 and the 4 or 2 Pallet Handlers have proven themselves", Schmehl summarises.