It’s a total gas, says Yale

The first consignment of Yale lift trucks has been delivered to Total Petrochemicals UK Ltd in Stalybridge, as part of a new contract to supply a range of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered Yale Veracitor VX counterbalance trucks to assist the handling and loading of polystyrene or granules used in the manufacture of a variety of products for the Teletronics and Food Packaging industries.

Yale has been at the forefront of the development of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to power lift trucks since the first factory manufactured truck was produced in the mid 1990’s.

CNG is well established as a cleaner and safer alternative to LP gas or diesel fork lift trucks. The subsequent recognition of the wider environmental issues as well as occupational health concerns and safety in the workplace, has placed greater emphasis on CNG as a viable alternative to other energy sources to power lift trucks. Total Petrochemicals has considerable experience of using Compressed Natural Gas to power Yale lift trucks and CNG was the natural choice for the new lift truck contract.

World leader

Total Petrochemicals consolidates the petrochemical activities of the Total Group, its base chemicals and their related commodity polymers, polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene, serving a wide number of consumer and industrial markets.

Peter Harris the Warehouse Manager for Total Petrochemicals at Stalybridge explained: “Styrene is converted into clear crystals used in the manufacture of CD cases or natural pellets used in the production of products like fast food containers and hot drinks cups. The automated process plant also compounds Polystyrene with other products such as rubber, used in the manufacture of flame retardant injection mouldings for the telectronics industry.”

The finished product at Stalybridge is granular in nature, packed into polythene sacks or loaded into eight sided ‘Octabins’ and then palletized for ease of handling. Unit loads vary in weight from 1000 to 1375 Kg and are up to 2000mm high. Peter Harris continued: “This is a large site and loads need to be transported from the storage silos to the warehouse and then onto trailers or into containers for shipment. Loaded lift trucks often travel in reverse and good visibility with ease of operation was an important factor in the specification for the new lift truck fleet.”

Total Petrochemical’s Peter Harris concluded: “Safety of all our staff was one of the primary concerns when choosing our lift truck fleet.”

Supply Chain Manager for Total Petrochemicals, Cathrine Owen said: “We have considerable experience of specifying and operating lift trucks at plants located throughout Europe and have successfully used Yale lift trucks at Stalybridge in the past, which made Yale a serious contender for the new contract. What helped us was the fresh approach from Yale who stood back and looked at the overall materials handling requirement and then came up with the raised operator cab on the Yale GNP25VX which offered greater visibility and safety in the way we operate, going a long way to meeting our ideal lift truck specification.”

Raised operator module having a higher driving position for the operator has distinct advantages when handling higher loads like the Octabin or the palletized granules produced by Total Petrochemicals. The raised operator module, 500mm higher than standard, offers clear vision over the load when traveling forwards and better all-round visibility when reversing and maneuvering into tight spaces. Importantly, there is no reduction in load capacity due to the raised cab position.

Ergonomics play a major part in improving productivity. Operators at Total Petrochemicals liked the elevated driving position on the Raised Operator Module, with the swivel seat and rear grab-handle, which makes operating in reverse so much easier. The operator is protected from the weather by a fully glazed cab. A custom designed, electrically interlocked safety gate provides easy access to the cab, whilst allowing for good communications with drivers and co-workers due to its open design. Access is made easy via the evenly spaced wide steps, with space for even the largest work boot. Additional grab handles assist entry and exit on the left hand side of the truck and good forward visibility through the mast, with forward and reverse LED safety lights – all helping to promote safe operation.

CNG the natural choice Safety is of paramount importance for Total Petrochemicals, which was early to adopt Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a cleaner, safer fuel for operating the Yale lift truck fleet at Stalybridge. Cathrine Owen continued: “Apart from the safety aspects of using CNG, we were attracted by the environmental considerations, as well as it being quiet in operation, the longer lift truck service intervals and the lower fuel costs”.

Total Petrochemicals has its own CNG pumping station and storage tanks installed on-site which has more than paid for itself during the initial lift truck contract operated by Yale. The CNG refueling operation is extremely safe. It is a sealed process, with gas delivered underground direct to the pumping station, hazardous spills are eliminated and the operator does not need to wear special protective clothing. Refueling can be completed safely in just a few minutes. Increased productivity The Yale Varacitor VX counterbalance trucks specified by Total Petrochemicals have ADS (auto deceleration system), CSE (continuous stability enhancement) and the Intellix VSM (vehicle system manager) diagnostic computer, offering enhanced productivity carefully adjusted to each application at Stalybridge. The Yale GNPVX25 is one of the quietest and smoothest trucks to drive. A further aid to productivity is operator comfort, with the 3-point isolated drive-train on the Yale Veracitor VX Series designed to reduce the noise and rolling vibration associated with truck operations. When coupled with Yale’s Continuous Stability Enhancement system (CSE), this advanced suspension system limits steer axle articulation and offers a noticeably smoother ride over outdoor surfaces.

Frequent braking is a major source of muscle strain. Even moderate applications can see lift truck brakes being applied more than 100 times per hour. Careful attention to brake pedal positioning, an extra wide pedal and braking effort reduced by 50%, all contribute to ease of operation. The Auto Deceleration System (ADS) available with the Techtronix transmission on the Yale Veracitor VX, is the engine truck equivalent of regenerative braking on electric trucks. It automatically slows the truck when the driver releases the throttle pedal, by engaging the opposite direction selected clutch pack to reduce the travel speed of the truck.

Operator approval The final verdict on the suitability of the new CNG powered Yale Veracitor VX Series of counterbalance trucks supplied by Yale was left to the operators at Total Petrochemicals who, after initial training and familiarization with the new Yale GNP25VX Raised Operator Module design, gave extremely positive feedback. This sentiment was echoed by Cathrine Owen who said: “We have been very impressed with Yale, their advice and local support has been excellent and we look forward to continuing our successful relationship with them as the new contract is rolled-out”.

Yale Europe manufactures and assembles 97% of its products in Europe, at group manufacturing sites in the UK, Italy and the Netherlands, which share the latest demand flow technology (DFT) manufacturing techniques and are registered to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 Environmental Management standards. The Yale range of materials handling equipment has evolved to meet customer needs in handling loads from 1-18 tonnes for every type of application. Whether it is the latest AC powered warehouse trucks or the innovative Veracitor VX Series Raised Operator Module lift trucks at Total Petrochemicals. Yale will seek ways to enhance productivity at the lowest possible operating cost, whether the power source is diesel, LPG, battery electric or CNG.

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