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Atlet News & Stories is where to find material handling news and knowledge. Here you’ll find articles about Atlet, trucks, material handling companies and lots more about our business. For press material, please visit our press room.
With the introduction of the new Presto PLP CD, we combine double-stacker efficiency with long-distance capacity. Standing safely on the operator platform, the operator conveniently handles two pallets per work cycle – all the way through the warehouse.
"Fitting perfectly into the loading/unloading and cross-docking segment, the new Presto PLP CD means we can offer our customers the best of two worlds in one truck", says Jan Callderyd, Product Manager at Atlet.
Featuring state-of-the-art technology such as a ProVision mast design, 5-point chassis with hydraulic Friction Force system and an AC drive motor with Anti-Rollback function, the new Presto PLP CD provides an ergonomic and safe working environment. Allowing for long travel distances and extended work cycles, the foldable operator platform has excellent damping, while the operator is protected by foldable protection bars. A variety of fixed platform options are also available.
"Ergonomics, safety and efficiency are our top priorities", says Jan Callderyd. And that's exactly what our customers expect from an Atlet truck.
Designed within Atlet's common component strategy, the Presto PLP CD is of modular construction and is largely based on pre-existing, proven components within the Atlet truck range. This maximises operational durability and contributes to market-leading up-time benefits for the customer.
Atlet technology for safety, ergonomics and efficiency
• Foldable operator platform with excellent damping enhances operator's safety and comfort. Also available with fixed operator platform
• Easily foldable protection bars
• Adjustable tiller arm to suit operators of all sizes (optional)
• Electric power steering for effortless handling (optional)
• Anti-Rollback function for safe handling on dock levellers
• Electrical proportional valve for smooth lifting and lowering controlled by rocker switch on the tiller head
• PIN code entry or Smart Card entry (optional) allows authorised use only
• ProVision mast design with off-centre lift cylinder optimises vision
• 5-point chassis with hydraulic Friction Force system for excellent stability and traction
• Up to 400-Ah battery on rollers for fast and convenient change
Specifications
Lift height: 1675 mm, straddle lift 210 mm
Lift capacity: 800 kg + 1000 kg or straddle lift 2000 kg
Width over forks: 560 mm
Drive speed: 10 km/h unloaded, 8 km/h loaded (6 km/h with protection bars in folded position)
Our new generation Tergo reach trucks is focusing on how to minimise operator fatigue and stress and are designed to be the most ergonomic trucks on the market.
Designed around the operator – by the operators
To enhance productivity, the operator environment of the new Atlet Tergo reach trucks is entirely designed around the operator. It's a complete ergonomic concept including a wide range of personal adjustments and innovations, allowing a strain-free, variable and inviting working environment. The product development also included a large commitment from the users.
"Our aim was to design the world's most personal truck. By involving the users from the very beginning of the project and then continuously soliciting their input, the operators had a profound impact on the final result", says Atlet's Product Development Manager Dan Ulmestrand.
No 1 in comparative ergonomic study by Chalmers
Ergonomics have been an Atlet hallmark since the early 1990s. Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg carried out a comparative ergonomic evaluation study. "The study compared the new Atlet Tergo with reach trucks from three other makes and showed that the Tergo offered more ergonomic working postures than the other reach trucks", says Dan Ulmestrand. "And of course, we are very pleased our hard work keeps paying off."
Expanded truck range for expanding markets
"Our goal is to take a stronger position within the market for warehouse trucks, and this launch of the new Tergo reach truck is securing our position as one of the leading suppliers of high performing quality trucks", says Keiji Ikeda, CEO at Atlet.
In Europe, reach trucks form the main force in most internal material handling operations – not least within food distribution. The new Tergo range is extended in both ends to meet the needs from a wide range of users.
"In Europe we meet the demands from intensive food distribution to stack higher, heavier and faster, as well as the requirements from new fast growing businesses in Eastern Europe who require a more basic reach truck but still with focus on the operator and the productivity", says Bengt Kristiansson Vice President Sales & Marketing at Atlet.
The lift and lowering action is now more precise on our PS series which, in combination with new lift cylinders on our free lift mast, allows not only for improved performance but also an enhanced working environment for the operator.
Thanks to a new technical solution we have replaced three components with one* thus adding a higher sensitivity when lifting and lowering. This new solution allows for a smoother and more precise way of working.
*the speed regulated lift motor is now controlled by a single Combi Controller doing the job of our HVC (Hydraulic Valve Controller), TMC (Traction Motor controller) and lift contactor
We have improved our unique Friction Force allowing increased drive wheel traction. This allows us to offer, via Custom Design, a higher speed for our stand on pallet truck PLP200. The PLP200 now runs in 12 km/h without load and 10 km/h with load. For warehouse operations this means increased productivity.
Autoliv has been developing safety for motorists for more than 50 years. It all started with seat belts. Nowadays the company also develops and manufactures airbags, whiplash protection, integrated child seats, control systems for airbags, and more. But how important is safety in the company's in-house work?
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Autoliv innovations and products have been protecting motorists since the 1950s. Safety is also at the heart of what the company does in-house - to safeguard deliveries in a tight production chain, and also to protect its staff.
When you have safety as a business concept, perhaps it is not that unusual to develop a tradition of prioritising the work environment and keeping work-related injuries to a minimum. – "Quite simply, how we view people is important. People are a crucial factor in our development and success," says Erik Tönsgård, Group Head for logistics development at Autoliv.
Autoliv has an active safety committee, and safety representatives who have a part to play in important decisions. No matter what the issue - procurement of equipment, rearrangement of flows or layout changes in the warehouse - all decisions are made with stringent work environment requirements in mind. These are deliberate measures that pay off, including when it comes to Swedish Work Environment Authority audits.
For Autoliv, safety is also part of guaranteeing production and deliveries. The company has a tight production chain with lots of goods passing through, short lead times and daily deliveries. What is completed today has to be sent out tomorrow.
"If anything goes down, production will stop within the hour"
These tight tolerances make materials handling a critical function at Autoliv. - "If anything goes down, production will stop within the hour," says Erik Tönsgård.
About a decade ago, this created a major logistical challenge for Autoliv. At that time, the company had an automated system with narrow aisle trucks, a kind of hoisting crane on rails which could not be moved or modified. This was a risk factor when it came to delivery reliability.
Autoliv collaborated with Atlet to come up with a more flexible solution, with free-moving sit-on stackers. These could be moved around between various applications as required, and their design was adapted to suit Autoliv's own specific requirements.
First of all, Autoliv needed trucks which could travel particularly quickly on antistatic flooring. They were also customised to allow faster, easier battery changes. Finally, the sit-on stackers were also fitted with special seats which were designed to provide the right ergonomic conditions for long periods of use.
The sit-on stackers selected also included a unique innovation from Atlet, S3, which prevents the stackers from overturning. The technical solution adapts the speed automatically according to the angle of the steering light, and the height and weight of the load. This ensures that the stacker moves at the right speed while maintaining maximum safety.
The main feature of the company's partnership with Atlet is personal relations. For example, Atlet service engineer Anders Benjaminsson is a key person in Autoliv's operations.
"Anders knows everyone here and is very familiar with what we do. He knows what demands we face in terms of tight lead times and so forth."
"We have been working with Anders for as long as I have been at Autoliv, so for at least five years. He knows everyone here and is very familiar with what we do. He knows what demands we face in terms of tight lead times and so forth. He gives us great help fast if any problems arise," explains Erik Tönsgård.
Nils Engelbrektson from Atlet is another valuable resource for Autoliv. He acts as a sounding board and as a source of knowledge and new approaches. "When we were renovating the warehouse a couple of years ago, we were able to discuss appropriate walkway widths with Nils in relation to the spaces for pallets so that we could use the available space as effectively as possible. We have also been able to ask for his advice with regard to driving licences for various types of trucks," says Erik Tönsgård.
These good relations create security and continuity, all helping to ensure that Autoliv is able to maintain high levels of delivery precision and reliability.
Would you also like a personal partner who can advise you on your materials handling?
Contact your local Atlet representative.
The interplay between truck and driver is one of the key aspects of a well-functioning goods handling process. Comfort and personalised settings are therefore our new counterbalance truck’s greatest assets. In the new Balance EH, the ergonomically designed seat will allow you to be as relaxed as if you were driving your car and the performance can be adjusted to suit your driving ability.
The new counterbalance truck from Atlet, Balance EH, provides a successful combination of the sense of being in a car as well as excellent reliability. Finger tip controls and guide wheel synchronisation create a relaxed and ergonomic driver position. A top quality chair and load damping system make the most uneven floors feel even. And we have reduced the energy consumption by installing the latest A/C technology in the engine, as well as integrating new controls and regenerative braking.
Keep reading or go straight to your country-specific site: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK or USA.
Atlet EH is a very capable truck designed to handle most situations. With a speed of 21km/hr (13 miles/hour) it’s one of the fastest forklifts on the market – thus making it even more efficient over longer distances.
But not all people can handle high speeds. That’s why the performance of the Balance EH can be adjusted depending on who’s driving – whether beginners or more advanced drivers. PIN codes are part of the standard package and enable personal settings to be entered for top speed, acceleration, lift/tilt speed and regenerative braking.
As one of the most modern trucks on the market, EH Balance naturally provides a smart display with easy diagnosis enabled through the use of error codes. This display is conveniently located in front of the seat.
With quick access to all diagnostics equipment you don’t need special tools or computers.
Guide wheel synchronisation: The guide wheel synchronisation means that the driver will always be seated in an ergonomic position. The steering knob will always end up at 9 o’clock, before and after the driver has turned.
Load damping system: This new factory elective makes the handling of fragile goods much safer. A sophisticated system with double hydraulic accumulators reduces the oscillations that occur in the hydraulic system when driving on uneven surfaces, which in turn reduces the vibration transmitted to the load and the driver.
Fingertip control: Fingertip control has long been an appreciated feature on our other Balance trucks and is now also available for EH. Together with the adjustable arm rest, it ensures an ergonomically correct position for all drivers.
Do you work in front of a computer? Then try to imagine that you are left-handed, but must hold the mouse to the right of the keyboard. Also, there's no support for your arms. Lastly, imagine the screen placed somewhere by your left shoulder, and you have to turn your head in order to read this. How does that feel? That's how forklift truck operators have been working for years, several hours a day – until Atlet invented the mini steering wheel.
Atlet's mini steering wheel prevents forklift truck operators developing strain injuries. It also enables truck operators previously on sick leave to return to work. How does it do that? We added a movable arm rest, moved the steering wheel closer to the body and made it small and easy to manoeuvre, kind of like a computer mouse.
The steering wheel of a forklift truck is subjected to thousands of turns ever day. The old large wheel design and positioning meant that operators' shoulders, necks and wrists were exposed to considerable strain. In reach trucks and sit-on stackers, moreover, the operator sits at a 90-degree angle to the direction of driving, which creates even more strain.
A forklift truck operator's daily routine is physically demanding. What Atlet wants and can contribute with is the best ergonomic solutions possible so that forklift truck operators can carry out their work efficiently without harm to the body.
The mini steering wheel enables more natural movement, while reducing the strain on the body. The operator's arm is constantly supported, the wrist is kept straight and the hand rests gently above the steering wheel. Turning the head to the side is easier, too.
The mini steering wheel was invented back in the 1980s. In consultation with physicians and occupational therapists, Atlet then developed proposals for reducing the strain on forklift truck operators. The result was a completely new forklift truck model – Tergo®. That model is no longer manufactured, but the mini steering wheel lives on as an ergonomic success in Atlet's reach trucks and sit-on stackers.
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You know that the right equipment, routines and knowledge lead to better results. And, like most employees and supervisors, you are also acutely aware of how you and your staff should work in order to avoid strain injuries. But sometimes you're simply too stressed to do things right.
Stress is a well-known risk to health. Many of us have experienced stress-related worry and pain. In the long term, stress can lead to illnesses such as depression, cardiovascular diseases and even disorder in the thyroid gland.
But stress can also indirectly cause problems. Rushed decisions and incorrect planning affect the safety and ergonomics in everyday work.
You buy or hire the cheapest or immediately available forklift truck and don't have the time or resources to optimise the space and layout of your warehouse. Your staff has no time to stretch or rest strained muscles and joints.
So how can you ensure good ergonomics and a calm workplace when time is short, and when it's hard to see past what you're busy with at any given moment?
See the big picture, one part at a time
One first step is to be aware of what works and what doesn't. Here are some practical issues to consider:
– Does the time frame make it possible to work safely and ergonomically?
– Do your staff feel that they are able to influence their situation at work?
– Do your staff have the awareness of their bodies needed to perform work in the correct working position and with the correct patterns of movement?
– Is there enough physical space to carry out work safely and ergonomically?
– Are the temperature and ventilation adapted to both the people and activity?
– Do staff possess sufficient knowledge, experience and strength to carry out work safely and ergonomically?
– Are there suitable working clothes and shoes?
– Is it easy to hold onto goods that must be lifted manually?
– Is the ground level and even?
– Can manual liifting be done on the principle lever movement?
– Is there enough time and lack of disruption to carry out precision work with sufficient concentration?
– Are the tools and equipment suitably designed and chosen for each task?
People and technology
The key is to enable successful interaction between the individual's physical and mental prerequisites and the intended activity. After all, it is us humans that steer technology, and not vice versa.
Good ergonomics are a requirement for a safe and profitable business. They really are – apart from the legislation to provide your staff with a superior work environment, there are also real benefits to be gained. Safety and ergonomics are prerequisites for efficiency, up-time, reduced costs and a good atmosphere at work. How can you achieve this? Start by taking up the most important requirements and issues with your supplier.
Ask your supplier to deliver quality ergonomics! The supplier should possess the expertise that you lack in materials handling. His advice and training can help you accept your responsibility as an employer.
As an employer/work manager you are responsible for safety and ergonomics, both in the eyes of the law and the insurance companies as well as in the eyes of your colleagues, management and board. What are the working conditions like, what risks are involved? How can any shortcomings be rectified?
You are an expert at your business. Is your forklift truck supplier an expert at materials handling and all the logistics, risk assessment and ergonomics this involves?
The supplier needs to understand the big picture, from daily routines on the shop floor to long-term consequences for the customer's business. He must be able to answer questions about total cost from start to finish, not just one-stop purchase costs. This applies, for example, to costs such as sickness compensation and loss of productivity caused by strain injuries.
Atlet News has defined five demands you should place on good ergonomics. Use them as a good starting point for maximising the benefits your supplier can offer you.
Just like performance and smart functionality, ergonomics need to be part of the forklift truck. The word "ergonomics" relates to work know-how. It's about the interaction between people, work tasks and the surroundings. This interaction can be improved, and has improved over the years (by Atlet's 50-year history of ergonomic product development, for one thing).
If there's one thing worse than poor quality, it's when someone tries to hide those shortcomings. Demand clear and honest information on the ergonomic features of the equipment, including possible weak points. Only once you are well-informed on both the strengths and weaknesses can you make the right decision.
A serious, experienced supplier constitutes support also following the purchase. Make sure clear operating instructions are included. Additionally, the supplier should be able to offer qualified training in working and planning work in a more ergonomic manner.
As mentioned above you should be able to expect honesty in the matter of potential risks associated with the products and their use. The supplier must also be able to assist with professional risk assessment of the materials handling in your line of business. That is done long before placing the order in order develop the requirements that form the basis on which services and products are chosen.
Based on the risk assessment, your supplier should give you advice and recommendations before your purchase, and also for your materials handling as a whole. Based on your needs and requirements , the supplier must be able to help you plan for optimal ergonomics in product handling, warehouse layout and forklift truck fleet composition.
Four important questions to the supplier:
1. Are there any health risks associated with use?
2. Are the controls simple and well-located?
3. Are noise and vibrations muffled?
4. Is the ergonomics good and has it been risk-assessed?
Do you want to make demands on Atlet? You're welcome to contact us with any questions or comments on our offer!
During the last few years, Lindab in Grevie, Sweden have made their goods handling processes safer for both humans and machines. And the annual costs of damages to their automated trucks have been reduced by a total of 73 percent!
- Safety for our staff was our primary concern. That it also led to cost savings was a bonus, comments Tony Ivarsson, truck manager.
Lindab Ventilation in Grevie, Sweden has had a rental and service agreement with Atlet for many years. When they wanted to improve the safety of their goods handling processes, the obvious first step was to carry out a risk assessment.
- When you see something every day you sometimes stop noticing the details. That’s when you need a new pair of eyes to help you see key aspects, comments Tony Ivarsson, truck manager at Lindab Ventilation who also co-ordinates any matters concerning trucks for the whole Lindab group.
Following the risk assessment performed by Atlet, significant improvements could be achieved through simple changes. For example, staff no longer have to share tight spaces with large forklifts and other trucks. Electric hand trucks are used instead in such areas. They’re small, easy to use and always there when needed.
The changes have meant that the production area at Lindab is less crowded with trucks and staff and this has led to fewer collisions. The repair costs for automated trucks alone have been reduced by 73%, from 210,000 to 57,000 SEK.
As part of the safety improvement project, Atlet held a team leader course focusing on responsibility and safety.
- The trainer really knew his stuff, and our team leaders were reminded of their responsibilities. It was also confirmed that we handle the driving permits in a good way, comments Magnus Grönborg, factory manager at Lindab Ventilation in Grevie.
In addition, Tony Ivarsson has completed Atlet’s instructor training course and is now qualified to train truck drivers within the company.
In addition to improving safety, Atlet also helped Lindab increase efficiency and capacity. Lindab was shown how smart changes can create significant improvements.
- Atlet’s tools for storage analysis are excellent. And they’re good at using them, says Magnus Grönborg.
One of the changes Atlet suggested was using picking trucks instead of sit-on stacker trucks for picking. By using trucks specifically designed for picking the entire chain can become more efficient.
Atlet is not purely a truck supplier for Lindab, but also a trusted partner.
- They understand that a valuable partner should point out inefficiencies even if it reduces their own revenues in the short term, says Magnus Grönborg.
The collaboration with Atlet has led to a more reliable truck inventory and high delivery reliability. This is a critical factor for Lindab’s operations.
– If a customer has rented an expensive crane to lift our products to the seventeenth floor they can’t wait for a delayed shipment to arrive. The smallest delay may cause great inconvenience. If the trucks don’t work, nothing works, says Magnus Grönborg.
Lindab is an international organisation that develops, produces, markets and distributes sheet metal and metal products and solutions in order to simplify construction and improve indoor climates within its business areas of Ventilation and Profile.
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