Opitz Holzbau is an industrial manufacturer of prefabricated timber components. Roof trusses, nail plate constructions, wall, roof and ceiling elements as well as special components are part of the portfolio. From its headquarters in Neuruppin, Brandenburg, Opitz delivers within Germany and Europe as well as to Russia, the USA and Asia. More than 40,000 tons of wood are used to manufacture the products each year. Various sizes and the sometimes unusual dimensions of raw materials and finished products make handling the loads within the company a challenge for conventional industrial trucks. Opitz therefore opted for multidirectional forklifts from the Irish specialist manufacturer Combilift, which can move long and bulky loads with remarkable agility across the 85,000 square meter site.

For Opitz, the four-way technology has advantages: Loads that can be up to 18 meters long can be manoeuvred effortlessly through the hall or in the yard with the Combilift devices. Loading and unloading the trucks is quicker and easier compared to transporting loads with sideloaders. For this reason, the company has purchased several Combilift vehicles with load capacities of 4.8 to eight tons over the past few years. They. The two largest vehicles are primarily intended for storing and stacking the long timber packages weighing up to six tons in the twelve-metre-high racking systems. Thanks to the rail-guided narrow aisles, the forklifts can quickly reach the work aisles between the racks and can be driven precisely. This system also reduces the risk of accidents for personnel and prevents impact damage. The aisle widths can be adapted to the depth of the forklift truck to achieve optimum storage density.

Two 4.8-ton forklifts are used to load the finished roof trusses onto trucks. The five-tonne machine is responsible for general transportation tasks in and around the production area. All forklifts are equipped with hydraulically adjustable forks that can be operated from the cab.

The LPG drive is more environmentally friendly than diesel, and the Combilifts can be refueled quickly on the company premises and are therefore continuously available, even for two to three eight-hour shifts. The flexibility of the triplex masts enables passage through the hall doors and also access to the highest racks; a height cut-off ensures safe operation.

Combilift not only specializes in the design and manufacture of forklift trucks, but also offers complete storage and logistics solutions. Opitz Holzbau already used this service during the planning phase for "Future Factory 1", which was built in 2007. Following the completion of the new "Future Factory 2" with 4,500 square meters of production space in spring 2017, it is clear that the collaboration will continue in the future. pb