Seeley International makes OH&S improvements with Toyota forklifts

Air-conditioning manufacturer Seeley International has ordered three-wheel battery-electric Toyota 8FBE counterbalance forklifts to fulfil OH&S and productivity improvements sought by the company.

The transition to the new forklifts has been a smooth one, with the products already being used to load containers, replenish stock on the manufacturing assembly line and carry out other warehouse duties.

Seeley International Purchasing Manager Gareth Morris said the new forklifts are useful for many of the company’s requirements.

“We have sloping floors in certain areas of our site so the 8FBE’s positive foot braking and anti-roll back features were essential prerequisites for us,” said Morris.

“The bright LED lighting is great, especially for our night shift. The longer battery life means our whole production shift can be covered without the need for recharging, with the added bonus of avoiding associated downtime.”

The smallest counterbalance forklift in the range, the Toyota 8FBE, was introduced to provide manoeuvrability and efficiency, coupled with high safety standards.

In addition, new motors and controllers in the forklifts increase operating time by 20% in standard mode, when compared with the past model.

Improvements made to the system of active stability (SAS) include automatic vehicle-speed control that manages the forklift’s speed, acceleration and deceleration according to lift height and load weight, assisting with stability in transporting loads and preventing lost loads.

Automatic turn-speed control regulates the forklift’s turning speed according to lift height and weight as well as desired turning radius, providing stable turning and reducing the chance of a vehicle tip-over.

Seeley International’s partnership with Toyota Material Handling spans 20 years.

Image courtesy of Toyota Material Handling.