Switch to all-electric supports business growth for Browns
Original article from STILL Materials Handling UK
When the time came to upgrade their materials handling equipment, choosing STILL was a clear-cut decision for the team at Browns Distribution. Serving all major industries, Browns Distribution has been providing customers with dependable, cost-effective transportation and storage of palletised goods for over seven decades.
Moving into a brand new, £9 million, 75,000 square foot purpose-built distribution centre in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Browns enjoy an Energy Performance Certificate rating of A, due to the reduction in the use of gas and heavy fossil fuels from the site infrastructure, together with the installation of solar panels.
To complement the new facility's green infrastructure, the team at Browns Distribution were looking for a materials handling solution which mirrored their sustainability practices but also retained the same, or higher levels of efficiency and safety than their current fleet.
Having used STILL equipment for several years and impressed by their service response times and after-care, they reached out for a solution to replace their existing LPG trucks to an all-electric fleet, as part of their efforts to reduce their carbon output.
The answer was STILL's 2018 IFOY winner the RX 20, an electric powered counterbalance truck of 2.0 tonnes capacity, in which independent tests carried out by F+H stated: "The practical operating time of the RX 20 is 80% to 133% longer, the energy consumption per 100 pallets is 29% to 38% percent lower, and the number of pallets handled in a shift - up to 430 - is 4% to 15% higher than average."
Browns are delighted with the trucks, David Brown Jnr, Managing Director at Browns Distribution commented "STILL possesses a solid understanding of our operational requirements. The units we have received are cleaner, greener, safer and more efficient, and have improved our warehousing operation in a crucial time of growth for the business. We would not hesitate to recommend STILL to any business looking for a new MHE partner, especially those looking to make the switch to electric units."
Luke Cobden, Warehouse Manager at Browns Distribution added, "STILL have considered every aspect of safety with the RX 20 units. The warning zone light is a particularly clever and crucial addition and compliments the rear warning light and reversing alarms to prevent collisions in complex areas and prioritise pedestrian and operator safety."
Additional features which have helped Browns Distribution maintain their commitment to safety include a Pre-Shift Check in the onboard computer which ensures a thorough safety assessment before each shift, this, together with the seat belt control system further enhances safety by automatically reducing speed when the cab door is open, and the operator is not buckled up. These features reflect STILL's commitment to creating a secure environment for operators.
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