Pneumatic trucks handle heavy loads, outdoors and inside
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 9/15/1999
Lift trucks that spend most of their time outside should be equipped with pneumatic tires. Loads are usually heavier and lift heights generally higher than those encountered in an inside-only operation. Since rough terrain affects load stability, softer, more pliable pneumatic tires are preferred for outside applications since they provide a more secure base for the truck than do harder tires.Eden Stone Company, Eden, Wis., manufactures landscape stone, stone veneering for fireplaces, and cladding for building exteriors. Eden Stone saws raw stone using large, radial arm saws. These cut pieces are then placed on tables where they are sawed into commercially usable dimensions and hand dressed.
The company operates 10 pneumatic tire equipped lift trucks, nine with a lift capacity of 6,000 lb and one with a lift capacity of 5,000 lb to load and unload the tables and move and stack pallets in the outside storage area.
The cut pieces are 8-10 ft long, about 3 ft deep and weigh from 20 lb up to 5,000 lb. Pieces are stacked on pallets, weighed, banded, and then moved outside for storage. The larger lift trucks move the pallets around outside and stack them for storage purposes.
Because of the heavy, bulky nature of Eden Stone's product, the company has chosen to use pneumatic tire lift trucks inside as well as outdoors. Pneumatic tires provide better mobility than cushion tires for the longer wheelbase and heavier weight of larger lift trucks like those used at the company. Plus, by using pneumatic tire lift trucks both indoors and out, the company has more flexibility in employing the trucks to meet changing materials handling requirements.
Fuel is another important consideration in selecting a lift truck. Generally, for outdoor applications, diesel powered lift trucks are the choice. Diesel fuel is relatively inexpensive and diesel powered vehicles generally have a longer service life in heavy-duty applications than vehicles powered with other fuels. For inside operations, LPG powered trucks are a better choice since reduced emissions from these engines are more environmentally friendly than those from diesel engines. In the Eden Stone operation, the lift trucks are all LPG powered since the company wants to have the flexibility to use them both inside and outside as necessary to meet production and shipping schedules.
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