Articulated truck manufacturer Aisle-Master continues to add more well-known names to its list of satisfied clients. One of the latest is NEXT, the UK based retailer which offers a wide range of fashion, accessories and homeware. It distributes through three channels: NEXT Retail, with more than 500 stores in the UK and Eire; NEXT Directory, a home shopping catalogue and website with over 4 million active customers and NEXT international, with around 200 mainly franchised stores around the world.
![Next-1[5]](https://warehousenews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Next-15.jpg)
Furniture orders are despatched from a large distribution centre located in Yorkshire. At this warehouse Next has recently started using a pair of Aisle-Master articulated forklifts to ensure more efficient handling and storage of pallets of mattresses in high bay racking. “This is a very specific application in one section of the warehouse where we are dealing with unusual sized loads and we needed trucks capable of safely handling these in the space available,” said MHE Manager Next Distribution Harry Dooley. “Having looked at what was out there on the market we decided that the Aisle- Master was the right truck for the job due to a variety of reasons.”
The pallets containing up to five king-sized mattresses measure 2m x 1.8m and weigh around 350 Kg, and in order for maximum storage density to be achieved they need to be lifted to a top bay height of almost 15m.
The Aisle-Master’s ability to lift to this impressive height was a major factor in the decision making process, as it is the only articulated truck on the market to do so. “We also looked at sideloaders as a possibility,” said Harry, “but we would not have been able to use the bottom storage location with these, so all in all the Aisle-Masters offered the best in terms of optimum space utilisation and stable handling at height.”
The two AM20WHE models are fitted with high lift quad masts and the double mast mounting unique to the Aisle-Master range guarantees utmost stability even when placing or picking in the top bays. The low closed mast height also enables the trucks to travel through doorways for easy access to the collection area to pick up the pallets which have been deposited by power pallet trucks. As well as replenishing the racking they are also used for taking pallets to their forward picking location. Aisle- Master’s ability to tailor its products according to customer requirements was of particular advantage in a specialist application such as this.
Other features that benefit Next’s operation and drivers include fluorescent tips on the forks and a camera fixed at fork height with a wider angle lens as standard, both of which enable the forks to be clearly visible in low light and in the operators’ line of vison at all times.
Having initially considered using the one Aisle-Master with a spare battery, Harry and his team went for two trucks. Even though battery changing is a quick and easy procedure, it was decided that having one truck for each shift to cover the 24/7 operation was more convenient. The fifteen drivers who have undergone familiarisation training by Next’s in-house trainer find the Aisle-Masters easy to operate in the generous pre-existing aisle widths of 3m – necessary due to the size of the pallets.
Harry Dooley sums up: “Having the Aisle-Masters in place for this particular application ensures a high level of productivity as they free up other materials handling equipment to deal with more standard sized loads in what is a fast moving environment. We have been impressed with their performance and reliability and we were equally impressed by the service from the factory when it came to initial advice, the demo and ongoing contact with the manufacturers.”
Tel: 047 80500
Email: info@aisle-master.com
Comments are closed.