February - Modern Materials Handling

modern BEST PRACTICESTAKE A LOADOFF YOUR FLEETLoads don’t have to be burdens. With the right combination ofinformation, engineering and imagination, fleet managers canmake lift trucks much more efficient.By Tom Andel, Editor-in-ChiefGetting an object from Point A through Point Zis a matter of physics and logic. If you have aproblem with that, take it to a lift truck specialist.That’s what many materials handlers do whenthey have load handling challenges. Physics comesin when considering elements like load stability andcenter of gravity. Logic involves variables such asoperator skills and work environment.Outside the boxNot all load handling challenges involve boxes. Onein particular is a pig. Not an oinking pig, but onethat separates various types of crude oil products inpipelines. Enbridge Energy’s Ft. Atkinson PipelineMaintenance Group had some initial concepts forthis specialized handling device and approached RonHendriksen, a sales representative for Badger ToyotaLift (800-242-0541, www.badgertoyotalift.com), aToyota dealer in New Berlin, Wisc., who worked withattachment provider Cascade Corp. (800-242-2233,www.cascorp.com).The challenge was in manipulating this long barbell-shapeddevice so as not to cause damage orinjury. Cascade applied some of its drum clamp technologyand adjusted it to handle a “pig.”“It took us about eight months to come upwith an application we thought would work,” saysHendriksen. “We could pick it up and rotate it, butthe idea of setting that pig down on the ground wasthe hard part. Tilt was another big part of it. Puttingthe ‘bottlers’ tilt’ on that mast gave us that little extradegree of backward and forward tilt needed to set itA pig, shown above, separates various typesof crude oil products in pipelines. They are achallenge to handle.mmh.com MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING / FEBRUARY 2009 27