Capital Equipment News June 2019

MATERIALS HANDLING

With higher GDP growth rates, higher household incomes and with generally younger populations, African economies will begin to play an even more important role in the global economy. Construction activity will gain pace as cities battle to catch up with the ever growing population. “The new world order presents both challenges and opportunities. People in emerging markets are migrating to cities, resulting in the need to build higher buildings, expand malls, roads and bridges,” says Bonnaure. “Research shows that 90% of the urban population growth will take place in Asian and African countries.” Bonnaure says mechanisation and palletisation, coupled with the increased need for productivity and safety, will drive demand for materials handling solutions in these markets. He notes that the telehandler market is thus expected to grow its value 17 times than its current value to 60 000 units in Asia, Middle East and Africa in the next 10 years. “To help with large-scale works in these countries, we are broadening our materials handling offering with the two telehandlers to help users increase their productivity. Intelligent, robust solutions optimise the works’ profitability, and the users’ total cost of ownership continuously decreases. These models’ versatility is also a response to the needs of projects in emerging countries, where equipment is sometimes limited,” says Bonnaure. “Our ambition is to develop the telehandler market through models that are easy to use, robust and that have a total ownership cost suitable to the local users. The 6 m to 10 m telehandler segment in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Africa represents a significant part of the telehandler market. It therefore provides growth leverage for the group. Our choice is also justified by the telehandler equipment needs that are growing significantly in the short and long term due to progressive modernisation projects in those regions,” adds Kévin Arnou, product manager at Manitou Group. Machines in detail With a 7,6 m lifting height for a maximum capacity of 4 t, the Manitou MXT 840 and the Gehl TX 408 telehandlers are particularly suitable for building construction and can easily extend to two floors. Fernand Mira, president of the Material Handling & Access Division, says the

“Telehandler users in developing markets have certain expectations from their machines, and chief among them are simplicity, productivity, safety, reliability and cost efficiency. With the new Manitou MXT 840 and Gehl TX 408 telehandlers, we have responded to these needs.”

Michel Denis, president and CEO of Manitou Group

“Intelligent, robust solutions optimise the works’ profitability, and the users’ total cost of ownership continuously decreases. These models’ versatility is in response to the needs of projects in emerging countries, where equipment is sometimes limited.”

Laurent Bonnaure, Manitou Group’s executive vice president – Global Sales & Marketing

“The two telehandlers can perform an array of jobs, thanks to a wide range of attachments made for construction, such as forks, buckets and winches. Their compatibility with all Gehl and Manitou attachments make their application possibilities wider.”

Fernand Mira, President of the Material Handling & Access Division

TALKING POINTS

Manitou MXT 840 and the Gehl TX408 telehandlers effectively respond to user needs in developing markets. “They can perform a vast array of jobs, thanks to a very wide range of attachments made for construction, such as forks, buckets and winches. Their compatibility with all Gehl and Manitou attachments make their application possibilities wider. The telehandlers also allow operators to work safely on site,” says Mira. The two telehandlers are all-terrain machines, making them perfect for tough working conditions in Africa. Equipped with a four-wheel steering, the telehandlers can be controlled in three

steering modes: two-wheel steering, four-wheel steering, or crab mode to make lateral movement easier. “The two front steering wheels offer greater safety on the road. The four steering wheels allow for easy manoeuvrability in all circumstances. The crab mode is for sideway and tricky unloading manoeuvre,” says Mira. “With a high ground clearance of 39 cm, the MXT 840 and the TX 408 are especially designed to tackle difficult terrain and can work in all weather conditions such as rain and mud. A turning circle of just 3,9 m, combined with four steering wheels saves you

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JUNE 2019 14