Working under molten glass dripping from a furnace overhead is a challenging environment by any standards. When the area of operation is particularly narrow as well, the challenge becomes even greater. But this is the situation WH Malcolm faces in its logistics contract with glass manufacturer O.I. Glass at its site in Alloa, Scotland.
In order to cope with this work, as well as other materials handling needs around the site, WH Malcolm has chosen a fleet of 28 Linde fork lift trucks.
“We changed supplier because of a proven range of benefits,” says Freddy Solomon, Assistant Warehouse Director, WH Malcolm. “Fuel saving benefits, operator comfort, lifetime cost of the products and a strong brand reputation.”
Demonstrating the difference
Freddy Solomon was particularly impressed by Linde’s decision to provide demonstrator trucks so that they could be tested in the exact working conditions of the glass manufacturing plant.
A H40D diesel truck was supplied so that it could be used in the tough conditions under the furnace and another demonstrator model, a Linde H25T was especially built to WH Malcolm’s exact specification.
The demonstrator trucks also proved Linde’s claim that the fuel consumption would be at least 20% lower than competitors’ trucks, even in this high intensity application. This means that despite the higher initial price, the overall lifetime cost of the truck would be lower.
“We extensively tested the Linde trucks supplied to us to prove they did ‘what it says on the tin’ about fuel consumption, reliability and operator comfort,” says Mr Solomon. “We found out through our own in-house tests that these products were right for our application.”
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