The Reel and Shaft Handling Co has introduced a range of reel turner attachments for both pedestrian stacker and counterbalanced fork trucks. The new reel turners lift the reel in the core, so as not to damage the outer layers of the material.
Following an injury caused by a reel dropping when an operator tried to turn it manually, a leading UK packaging extrusion and printing company commissioned The RSHCo to design and manufacture five turners, capable of handling up to 300kg reels by gripping in the core. (Higher capacity models have since been sold).
The RSHCo first made a prototype by taking its existing hoist based Reel Turner Mk2 system, originally designed for handling reels up to 125Kg, and fitted it to a prototype fork pocket support. This was trialled with great success at the customer’s factory, proving the system would work. The company then designed two versions of the new Reel Lifter Mk3, four of which were to be mounted on the fork carriages of Armanni Speedylight pedestrian stacker trucks. The fifth was to be mounted onto fork pockets, so that it could be used by any one of the fork trucks operating in the warehouse.
RSHCo managing director Stephen Weston explains: “A key aspect of all the designs, after safety and ease of use, resulted from a rapidly growing number of export enquiries, particularly from North America and Australia. We therefore decided to make all versions of the Reel Turner Mk3 into compact self contained units that would be easy to ship and retrofit onto a customer’s own stacker, anywhere in the world.
“In this way, a stacker truck can be locally sourced, or an existing stacker truck used, saving on shipping costs. We now offer factories the opportunity to safely lift and turn heavy reels by the core, at minimal cost.”
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