Since they were first introduced as a material handling tool, forklifts have become ever more effective at lifting and transporting pallets. Standardisation has occurred across the world of logistics, meaning (with several major exceptions) that many goods are formed into unit loads and placed on pallets of a uniform size, allowing a wide range of goods to be transported and stored more easily.
But what happens the goods you handle don't fit neatly on a pallet? Items that are particularly large or long won't fit on a standard pallet, and they can be harder to handle with a standard forklift. One company that works with goods like this is Mac Messe- und Austellungscenter Service GmbH, a German designer and manufacturer of trade fair stands.
For Mac, standard pallets are an exception. Most of the loads they handle are irregular in size, such as the components for the stands, which can reach up to 5 metres in length - longer than the width of their aisles.
For that reason, they need smart solutions - one way they meet this challenge is with the TERGO UFW, a multi-directional reach truck. Rather than having to turn 90 degrees to exit the aisle, like a typical reach truck, the UFW's wheels can rotate in 360 degrees, allowing it to move down the aisle 'sideways', with the load staying in the same orientation. It's a simple solution, but one that makes the storage and transport of these large metal frames much easier.