Friedrich Klumpp in Stuttgart develops and manufactures high-quality, innovative coating systems for the panel, furniture and flooring industry, which are used worldwide. The family business has been refining surfaces since 1919 and has invented technologies such as anti-scratch UV topcoats.

An Aisle-Master articulated forklift truck has been in use on site for several months, improving the safe handling of raw materials and finished products, among other things. These loads, which have to be transported between production and the warehouse, consist of various types of liquids stored in IBCs or drums on pallets. They require extremely careful handling to ensure that they remain stable during transportation and do not pose a risk to personnel.

At Klumpp, the forklift truck must be able to lift IBCs weighing up to 1,200 kilograms up to 4.40 meters. (Image: Aisle-Master)

Klumpp Coatings had previously relied on a high-lift pallet truck for storing and retrieving pallets in the warehouse, as the device coped well with the relatively narrow aisle widths of 2.40 meters. However, production manager Harald Felstow was not entirely convinced by the existing safety reserves and looked for an alternative.

"The new device had to be able to cope with a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications so that the pallets deposited in the yard could be brought into the warehouse. It had to offer optimum protection for the drivers and be able to lift IBCs weighing up to 1,200 kilograms up to 4.40 meters. Above all, it had to be able to work in the existing aisle widths," explains Felstow. The choice fell on Aisle-Master. "The narrow construction and the articulated design ensure that the Aisle-Master can easily access the aisles, where it can store or retrieve pallets between the racks. And it can even do this with a little free space," says Logistics Manager Damir Ziberi.

The operating hours counter of the electric Aisle-Master 15E model showed 662 hours within three months. According to the manufacturer, the AC technology used as standard in all Aisle-Masters with electric drive creates the conditions for increased efficiency, as acceleration and climbing ability are higher. Fewer wearing parts also ensure low maintenance requirements and improved battery performance: with a daily 8.5-hour shift, Klumpp Coatings only needs to recharge the battery every two days.