UK – SLOVENIA – History was made this month when Narrow Aisle Ltd announced it has produced its 10,000th Flexi warehouse truck, the landmark machine is a Flexi ACiON, the company’s latest full digital control, very narrow aisle articulated model. It has been specified by a third party logistics (3PL) services company and will be deployed at a warehousing operation near Ljubljana Airport. Narrow Aisle managing director, John Maguire, commented:
“The production of the 10,000th Flexi VNA warehouse truck is a significant milestone in the history of our company. Since Narrow Aisle pioneered the concept of articulated warehouse trucks, articulated VNA technology has come squarely into the intralogistics solutions mainstream and, in the process, Flexi has become a world-renowned brand.
” These days, Narrow Aisle is a leader in the manufacturer of articulated warehouse trucks with customers as far afield as the US, Korea, India, China and South Africa all operating Flexi trucks that have been designed and engineered at our UK manufacturing facility at Tipton, in the heart of the Midlands.
“In today’s logistics-lead global e-commerce economy the Flexi concept is exactly what many customers are looking for, Flexi users know that thanks to Narrow Aisle’s expertise and extensive experience in the VNA intralogistics solutions market, every Flexi unit that we produce is manufactured to the highest standards, which is why Flexi trucks represent such an outstanding long-term investment.”
The Flexi ACiON collection was launched at the recent IMHX trade fair in the UK with all drive, hydraulic and power-steering motor functions controlled digitally. Full digital control means that all models are ultra-energy efficient. Regenerative energy is produced every time the truck’s mast is raised or lowered, as well as during forward and reverse travel and by movement of the steering wheel.
This feeds back to the battery to maximise the time the truck can perform between battery changes or charges. In addition, noise levels are significantly reduced and steering and mast control operations, whether using the lift/lower or side shift functions, are carried out with optimum precision at all times.
The real benefit to most logistics groups is of course that ability to operate in traffic aisles which would have been considered ridiculously narrow just a few years ago when basic counterbalance trucks were the favoured tool of the industry. The demands of higher warehouse rents, increased competition and the advances in racking technology have seemingly ensured the continued prosperity for articulated fork lift trucks.
Photo: John Maguire test drives the 10,000th truck.
