THE NARROW-AISLE REACH TRUCK
Narrow-aisle natural:
The reach truck
If you handle pallet loads and want to maximize storage density, this
workhorse will help get the job done.
With today's premium placed on increased storage
space utilization and productivity per employee, it often pays to think
narrow-aisle storage. And the workhorse vehicle you'll want to consider to put
away and pull pallet loads in NA storage is the reach truck. It's a natural for
NA systems.
Conventional rack storage systems are built around
the counterbalanced forklift truck's maneuverability characteristics.
Typically, an aisle width of about 12 ft (144 in.) is necessary to give a
counterbalanced truck ample room in which to work and turn in a warehouse.
But with narrow-aisle storage, the rack system's
aisles shrink to about 8 ft (96 in.) wide or so. Storage density climbs by
roughly a third or more. And you gain that many more pallet load positions,
compared to conventional racking.
Similarly, rack height matters, too. The higher up
you can go safely with racking, the greater the storage density and utilization
that can be achieved.
Height for your application will depend, however,
upon such factors as building code limits on ceiling and rack heights, fire
sprinkler system restrictions, and the like.
But to work a NA system efficiently you need a
specialized vehicle-and the reach truck is one good choice. Indeed, it may be
your best option, depending upon throughput requirements, handling
characteristics for loads, and other factors.
In this equipment guide we'll examine the basic
features of reach trucks for NA systems. We'll suggest some things to look for
in selecting a specific vehicle to operate in your environment.
Forty-five years of service
Reach trucks have been used for many years. They were
invented nearly a half-century ago. First introduced in 1954 to the North
American market, the electric reach truck has evolved considerably since then.
Manufacturers have added many improvements to motors,
controls, mast, operator cab compartment, and other features over the years.
The result is that today's truck is very highly
sophisticated in its engineering, its electronics, its ergonomics. And it's a
popular performer and productivity producer.
Testifying also to the truck's popularity is this
fact: End users in
Most trucks built for
Pantograph provides reach capability
Pantograph-equipped reach trucks are more popular than moving-mast units. The
pantograph attachment, with its scissors-like mechanism, provides the reach
capability.
Manufacturers offer both single-and double-reach
pantographs for handling pallets in single-deep or double-deep storage.
Manufacturers offer trucks with either a single-reach
or double-reach pantograph, depending upon the application. Typically, a
single-reach pantograph will scissor forward some 24 in. from the mast, while
the double-reach attachment extends about 40 in. or so forward. With a
double-reach (double-deep) system and reach trucks equipped for it storage
space utilization gains some over single-deep NA racking.
With a single reach attachment on your truck, pallets
can be put away or pulled from storage one at a time. With double-deep
narrow-aisle storage, further space savings are achieved. The truck with
double-reach pantograph can store or retrieve a pallet load from either the
forward or rear position, if the former is vacant.
Trucks with single-reach (single-deep) capability
remain the dominant model operating within North American applications.
Industry sources say that these trucks represent roughly 4 of every 5 new reach
trucks sold, leased, or rented.
Even so, what the marketing statistic obviously means
is that the remaining 20% of end users do opt for the greater storage density
of double-deep NA. Slightly wider aisles-about 102 in., or roughly 6 in. or so
wider than a 96 in. aisle-will be required for double-deep NA storage than for
single-deep NA. The longer length of the unextended,
double-reach pantograph mechanism means that these trucks need slightly more
maneuvering room.
If considering double-deep storage, recognize one
limit on the truck's capability: load capacity. Typically, double-reach
vehicles have a rated load limit of 3,000 lb due to stability issues of heavier
loads.
Because the pantograph is such an essential component
of these trucks and gets heavy usage, your selection process should include a
thorough comparison of the pantographs on different brands of trucks for rugged
construction and ease of maintenance, for example.
Moving mast trucks
Although pantograph-equipped trucks are
far more common (perhaps a 98% share of all
Double-deep stacking is beyond the capabilities of
this type of truck. Moving-mast truck proponents do argue that this truck is
more flexible than a pantograph-equipped reach truck. Reason: It can also
efficiently work on the dock as well as in a narrow aisle. Small diameter load
wheels detract from performance of pantograph equipped trucks operating at the
dock.
Cost may well be a factor, too, in choosing between
these two types of trucks. Moving-mast trucks are said to be more expensive to
manufacture. And, of course, because they have barely penetrated into North
American usage, their makers give away economies of production scale to
pantograph truck builders.
Lifting to high levels
Don't assume that the heaviest load capacity can be raised all the way
up to the maximum lift or stacking height. Many trucks will lift safely a full
load only to a height somewhere below the maximum lifting or stacking height.
Unless you wish to store some lighter loads up top, be sure to check before you
select.
Determining available battery voltages and capacities
along with the size of the battery compartment from brand to brand should also
be on your selection checklist. Most pantograph-equipped trucks will have
either 24V or 36V battery systems. Their amp-hr ratings for the supplied
battery help give you a rough idea of your labor productivity per battery
charge.
Ergonomics and operators
Examine one of today's reach trucks and you'll soon
find evidence that thought has gone into the ergonomics of operator
compartments and controls.
Operators do spend up to 7 hours a day standing in
these trucks so their comfort is vital. A multi-functional joy stick directs
vehicle operations in many models, while others have more conventional
controls.
How
do your truck operators want to run this vehicle: Forward stance, side stance,
or some slight variation of these two approaches? Here's where investing in
having one or more employees test drive different models may pay off in the
long run. Operators also will get a chance to find out if they like
multifunctional control, if that's on the models tested.