Internationally renowned high end women’s fashion label Marc Cain is one of the first German companies to take delivery of the new narrow chassis 15E Aisle-Master articulated forklift model which is working in a new warehouse at its HQ south of Stuttgart.
A recent overhaul of storage and handling procedures was part of a major programme of investment which included a completely new production and administration building with state-of-the-art equipment and machines at the site.
The 2,300m² storage area houses bales of textiles that are designed and produced in-house, and team manager Mr Lacher was keen to make the best use of space from the outset as he explains: “Setting up this facility from scratch was a good opportunity for us to review the trucks available on the market. Space optimisation and indoor/ outdoor operation were priorities and when we saw the Aisle-Master working at a nearby location we realised it was the solution for Marc Cain too. The current combination of the Aisle-Master, narrow working aisles and racking to a height of 5.4m has enabled us to achieve maximum storage density.”
The textiles are stored in specially designed folding containers before being dispatched to garment manufacturers across Europe. Due to their dimensions which are somewhat larger than standard pallets, as well as the presence of metal posts throughout the building, aisle widths were configured at 2.2m, to accommodate a good 700 containers. “If we had gone for reach trucks we would have been looking at aisle-widths of at least 3.7m,” says Lacher, “so this represents a vast improvement.”
The 15E model with a lift capacity of 1.5t is a relatively new addition to Aisle-Master’s range. It is designed for companies handling lighter loads in low bay applications and as such was the perfect choice for Marc Cain’s operations. The truck was fitted with an in cab camera system which facilitates depositing and picking in the highest bays and also reduces the risk of product damage. Its versatility also allows easy loading and offloading in outdoor delivery bays. Lacher sums up: “The truck is manoeuvrable, robust, easy to operate and ideal for our requirements.”
Aisle-Masters have capacities of up to 2.5 tonnes, lift heights of up to 12.5 metres, with a choice of AC electric or LPG power. The range is designed and built at the dedicated production facility of its parent company Combilift in Monaghan, Ireland, and can be customised for individual requirements. Aisle-Master design engineers also offer a site visit and warehouse layout service and supply free layout proposals illustrating how to maximise the use of available storage space.
Aisle-Master
T: 07870 976 758
