Longer and stronger
British Steel is a leading international steel manufacturer, producing around three million tons of steel products every year. At their facility in Teesside, North Yorkshire, they operate a rolling mill alongside a processing and global distribution center for long steel products in construction applications.
The challenge
British Steel Teesside needed to lease two new lift trucks that could move large steel sections up to 33 tons to and from internal pallet trailers wider than the standard external heavy haulage flatbed trailers. Because long steel products can vary widely in size and weight, the trucks had to be adjustable for different loads and easily maneuverable in all kinds of spaces across the site.
The solution
Konecranes provided two SMV 33-1200 C forklifts, sturdy lifting machines with a capacity of 33 tons. Built to a British Steel specification for long steel handling, they have reinforced 2.8-meter forks (80 cm longer than standard), a reinforced heavy-duty mast and a carriage with extra supporting rollers and bearings. Importing was through local distributor Aprolis UK Ltd, and leasing was arranged by Middlesbrough dealer Advanced Material Handling Ltd.
The benefits
Special customizations for British Steel make these forklifts truly unique and ensure efficient daily operation in the challenging conditions of a steel plant. The long-term lease offers high operational flexibility with minimum downtime as it includes weekly inspections, all servicing, maintenance and parts, and TRUCONNECT® Remote Monitoring for up-to-date diagnostics and optimized usage. “We’ve been using Konecranes forklifts for nearly 10 years. They are fantastic machines that have proved a great asset to our business,” says Lee Robson, Operations Manager, Prairies, Teesside, British Steel.
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