Forklift Stackers can move more than just pallets!
Adding simple accessories make them versatile tools
Author: Dee Jones/28 January 2025/Categories: PRODUCT GUIDANCE, Stock handling, PREVIOUS BESPOKE PROJECTS, Handling & Lifting
Most warehouses in the UK will have the use of a forklift truck or stacker. Fork stackers are the ‘baby’ of the forklift world. They are smaller and more economical than traditional forklift trucks but are used very effectively to move and load/unload pallets either from racking systems or delivery vehicles. However, businesses are missing a trick by thinking that this is the only use of a forklift stacker! For over 50 years, Action Handling Equipment have been supplying accessories and bespoke fitments that allow stackers to become a much more valuable and versatile work tool.
The benefit of a forklift stacker is that it is easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces, enabling it to be adapted to help with a multitude of common workplace tasks. Stackers come in a variety of styles from mini hand hydraulic models to semi and fully electric models. Capacities can vary from 125kg up to 3000kg, with lifting heights of 900mm to 4000mm.
We had a regular customer ask us to look at a requirement for battery charging. They were using a stacker to move and lift pallets within their despatch area, but as a separate task, needed to move and place batteries within another area of their facility. This necessitated a compact and mobile solution for lifting and transporting the batteries between the site and the charging area. We came up with the design of a bespoke lifting jib that could be retro fitted onto the existing stacker and this proved to be the complete answer that solved the requirement which meant that the client ended up with two tools rolled into one!
Lifting tasks can be varied and complicated. We often must think outside the box when assessing the needs of our clients and of course 50+ years of experience does help somewhat. Another interesting project that we were involved in was at the Basildon Tractor Plant. This saw our representative attending site several times to discuss how the operatives could use an existing semi electric fork stacker to safely lift products from an assembly line conveyor system to carry out safety checks. Safe load instability was an issue where the existing stacker had insufficient reach. Consequently, we were tasked with modifying the unit to meet their safety and operational needs and the design process involved creating new specifications for the stacker legs, which required us to remove the existing legs and fabricate longer, more robust ones capable of supporting the required load. The manufacturing of the new legs required precise measurements and calculations to ensure the load could be supported effectively while maintaining the stacker’s overall balance. Following this a lifting jib had to be engineered to extend sufficiently to reach over the conveyor roller bed while maintaining the stacker's functionality.
Calculating the optimal points for the jib’s attachment was essential to ensure that the load distribution remained even. This involved complex calculations to determine the correct angles and leverage points to allow for the safe lifting and lowering of products. The combination of fitting more suitable stabilising legs plus the lifting jib provided the client with a new useful tool which can now handle a new lifting task.
If bespoke accessories aren’t required, there are a multitude of great standard accessories available to help provide solutions for a whole variety of tasks. Any number of forklift attachment add-ons can be used to compliment the normal use of your stacker. So, in conclusion you can turn your stacker into a multi-use tool and prevent the need to purchase yet another new item of equipment!
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