Capital Equipment News June 2022

MATERIALS HANDLING

The RPL201 from Orizen Group is a next generation ride-on electric pallet truck.

The ICE series from Orizen Group is designed to replace diesel forklifts with fully electric lithium powered machines.

A reach truck from Eazi Access.

well as the material which will be handled. “This will determine whether an industrial (diesel or gas), electrical or rough terrain forklift will be required. Tyre options (solid versus pneumatic) should also be considered depending on the terrain and use.” Purchase versus rental Ultimately, the decision whether to purchase or rent a forklift comes down to the businesses policy and the major consideration is the outlay of working capital, says Light. “Cash purchase requires a significant outlay of working capital, and it must be established how the customer takes ownership of the asset and can recover the return value at its end of life. An operating rental allows the customer to minimise the capital outlay and provides the benefit of reducing the unforeseen variable costs of maintaining the asset, as a comprehensive maintenance contract is included in these rental agreements.” Barber says the decision should be based on the financial viability over time, so what makes the most financial sense over time is not considering aspects like the capital price or the cost of renting, but what the best financial outcome would be for the customer over time. According to Naidoo, the choice to rent or buy a forklift depends on the activities of the company and the Capex available. “If a forklift is needed often as part of the daily operations, it will make more sense financially to purchase a forklift as the rental costs may outweigh the cost of purchasing. However, if the use is intermittent or temporary, renting on a short-term basis will be more cost-effective.” He says maintenance costs can become expensive when owning a forklift, particularly if the forklift is not used often but still requires maintenance. “In this instance, renting a forklift may

A Linde order picker from Eazi Access.

Masslift Africa offers the Mitsubishi Forklifts Grendia range from 1,6 – 16 t.

Masslift Africa is the sole distributor of Mitsubishi Forklifts in southern Africa.

CFAO Equipment SA’s Light says, “it is critical that we understand the business requirements and the application in which the unit will operate.” He says key factors to consider include the working environment; application intensity; stacking, loading and packing requirements; load dimensions and weights; health & safety requirements; lift heights and operator safety and comfort. Jozua Coetzee, business development manager: Sales at Eazi Access, says it is essential to understand the correct specification by doing a professional application survey when looking to buy a new forklift. “Energy consumption could be as much as the purchase price of the equipment, which is why it is important to understand the supply and cost of your energy when you choose between diesel; LPG; natural gas; lead-acid battery; Li-ion battery and hydrogen or fuel cell powered forklifts.” Manchanda agrees, calling for a thorough

site analysis conducted by a competent technical sales solutions specialist before purchasing a forklift solution. The site analysis should identify an application based solution and include aspects such as the warehouse type; a detailed shift breakdown showing hours and days of use, break times and continuous use in one go; monthly hours of use; whether the machine is to be rented or purchased; required special attachments; the environment; lifting heights and capacity; mast heights; 3-phase power availability and aisle widths. When purchasing a forklift, says Naidoo, the after-sales service offering is often overlooked. “Neglecting this factor could result in a loss of productivity when waiting for a technician or parts availability.” He says that, as there are many diverse types of forklift available, the prospective buyer should first understand what environment the forklift will be used in, as

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