Hubtex supplies all locations of the Austrian J. u. A. Frischeis GmbH with individual special solutions in the field of industrial trucks. These are optimised for the respective logistics processes and premises. The patented HX steering system from Hubtex plays a special role in this.
One standard for all: The logistics manager of J. u. A. Frischeis GmbH (JAF) can only dream of such simple solutions. At the company headquarters in Stockerau, he is jointly responsible for technical purchasing at the 58 locations of the international wood wholesaler. In this function, his responsibilities include new developments and the configuration of industrial trucks. The Salzburg-Bergheim, Linz and Stockerau sites, which were supplied with customised equipment by Hubtex, show just how different the requirements for the "ideal forklift truck" can be.
The Salzburg-Bergheim branch ordered an MQ 70 multi-way forklift (load capacity 6000 kg with a load centre of 1050 mm) with a removable order picking platform. The platform has a load capacity of 2.0 to and can pick up panels with dimensions of up to 3,300 x 2,070 mm. "Order picking directly from the shelf means a significant time saving for us", says branch manager Thorsten Klingbeil. Without a platform, the complete packages of goods would first have to be placed in a suitable place and then picked from there. There is no space between the racks, so that long distances have to be accepted.
Tailor-made shape: Order Picker Platforms
The shape of the platform was optimized for the local conditions. "Hubtex designed us an individual platform with rounded corners, which allows us to turn comfortably in the aisle despite the limited space available," reports Klingbeil. In addition to the special design, the platform offers a number of other details that Hubtex has realised especially for JAF. These include the two backrests on the two side control panels, which can be adjusted with one handle and adapted to the operator's body dimensions. Equally easy to adjust is the sturdy tubular steel construction, which can be used to secure the heavy wooden boards from slipping. A special feature of the platform concerns the downward-cranked workstations of the order pickers, who therefore do not have to bend down so far when stacking the panels.
Another major relief is the HX steering, which is offered as an option for the MQ 70. The patented steering system makes it possible to change from longitudinal to lateral travel without stopping, which speeds up and simplifies maneuvering. In addition, the HX steering minimizes the wheel wear, because the direction of travel changes while driving and therefore the wheels do not turn on the spot. "The advantage of the intuitive steering system lies in the smooth transition between the directions of movement and movement of the vehicle. Steering program changes that complicate the operation and slow down the processes are not necessary," says camp manager Silvio Hager and adds: "The HX steering was quite on top of the wish list of our drivers and that will stay the same for future investments. "
Central contact: HUBTEX
Hager had involved around ten of his employees in the planning process and took their suggestions and ideas into account. The number of Hubtex contact persons was significantly lower: "We were able to discuss all changes and special requests with just one contact person," recalls Hager.
Helpful is the "mobile project team" from Hubtex. At the headquarters in Fulda, experienced project technicians support the field sales force during the offer phase in the development of customer-specific solutions. Depending on the project requirements and process, the project technician and the sales representative together visit the customer in order to develop the best possible solution. The project technician then ensures direct communication with the design and development department - which enables Hubtex to implement experience and requirements from the market in vehicle development.
The uncomplicated and efficient cooperation and the advantages of HX steering are also appreciated in Linz. The local Frischeis subsidiary put a new MQ 80 into operation in 2017, which is also equipped with the innovative steering system. Overall, the focus in configuring the unique vehicle was on safety and comfort. This is supported by the reinforced and therefore particularly low-vibration forks and the covers of the load-side front wheels. These serve as protection for the sensitive wood panels. "Without covers it can happen that the wheels get stuck in the gears during threading and thereby damage the goods," explains the branch manager Christoph Kapeller, who is responsible for Linz.
Gentle lowering
The Linz location has a different structure than Salzburg-Bergheim, so the distances between shelves and picking stations are significantly shorter. Against this background, Dipl. Ing. Kapeller has also decided against acquiring a picking platform. In Linz, the required wood panels are lifted out of the shelf by pallets with the MQ 80 and picked off at ground level. In order for the lowering of the heavy pallets to be as gentle and safe as possible, the graduate engineer has had additional guide rollers installed in the masthead, with which the mast can be retracted particularly gently under full load.
The automatic reduction of the driving speed from a lifting height of three meters to 2 km / h also contributes to safe and gentle transport. Particular attention was paid to the lighting, which was supplemented by two separately adjustable LED work lights on the cab roof and two more LED headlights on the mast. A "BlueSpot" mounted on the roof of the canopy also minimizes the risk of collision: the light source projects a blue dot onto the road in the direction of travel and thus warns at the intersections in front of the approaching forklift.
Faster without turning
Another picking method is used at the company headquarters in Stockerau. The location, founded in 1948, is at the same time the largest branch as well as the headquarters of the family business. In warehousing logistics alone, 89 employees work here each month in the two-shift operation to distribute about 9,700 m³ of wood during the season. Sheets up to three meters long are picked in Stockerau with mobile platforms that allow working on both sides of the aisle. "In this way, the devices never have to turn, which significantly increases picking performance," emphasizes the logistics manager.
The latest device is a Hubtex EZK 30, which was delivered in 2017. The peculiarities of the induction-guided machine include the integrated scissor lift table with a payload of 1,000 mm as well as the integrated device for strapping the picked stack of plates. The finished commission is taken with a separate stacker. Various practical shelves up to the waste container complete the equipment package. This device is also used in very similar form at the Hungarian company site in Dunaharaszti, so that "the configuration of the machine for Stockerau took only a few days and few phone calls," reveals the logistics manager.
Common replaceable batteries
The EZK 35 is always operated by a two-man team. This also applies to the replacement of the approximately 2.2-tonne battery, which is identical in construction to the multi-directional sideloader MQ 45. This device type is used in Stockerau to replenish the shelves and uses the same pool of replaceable batteries as the EZK 35. With a residual charge of 10 to 15 percent, the team drives to the charging station and exchanges the energy storage against its fresh counterpart.
"We used to swap the truck with a low charge, so now we only have to replace the batteries," says the logistics manager, describing the paradigm shift in energy management at the Stockerau location. In this way, hardly any downtime, which further increases the Fleet Manager monitored utilization rate. "The devices are permanently in operation between 6 and 24 o'clock," says the logistics manager, who has long been working on further rational concepts for order picking. There will be no "standard for all" for Frischeis in the future either.
Since August 2018, JAF IMHOLZ Leipzig has also used two Hubtex MQ 70s with a detachable order picking platform. These are inductively guided and equipped with mobile personal protection system.
The branch in Kramsach was one of the first locations of JAF in 2006 where a Hubtex multi-dircetional forklift truck was used. Due to the positive experiences and reliability, Hubtex was picked in 2019 again for the location in Kramsach: during the summer two MQ 70 with HX steering were put into operation.
