Midland Lead, leading British manufacturer of machine cast lead, has invested £122,000 into supply chain upgrades, in a move that marks part of a wider drive to support emissions reductions in the UK.
A substantial part of overall investment has seen the firm welcome five state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly forklifts on site, including four Hangcha XF25s and a Hangcha XAC425. Replacing older models, the new forklifts run on Autogas (LPG), known as a ‘green fuel’ due to its use reducing CO2 exhaust emissions by around 15% compared to petrol.
Managing director Boudewijn Tuinenburg explains the reasoning behind the company’s keen focus on reducing emissions: “There’s no doubt that greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise – and supply chains make up a substantial part of a company’s footprint that’s often much larger than operational emissions.
“As well as supporting the Government’s environmental policies, we know that business leadership and a commitment to managing energy usage are vital for companies like ours in order to make a positive change. Reducing carbon emissions also makes good business sense – saving money, and often coming hand in hand with risk reduction, innovation and a clear competitive advantage.”
Alongside the forklifts’ environmental benefits, the new fleet has also been installed with a Keytroller TDS601 system. Supplied and fitted by Transmon Engineering Ltd, the technology works to further improve Midland Lead’s production facility, both in terms of efficiency and safety.
Karl Nicolson, engineering and maintenance manager, explains the system’s key benefits: “Offering increased site safety, the system allows us to keep in constant communication with the trucks via Wi-Fi, providing real-time information, and automatically generated reports and alerts. It also allows our truck maintenance procedures to go paper-free, which gives us associated cost and environmental benefits.”
Bob Warner, Sales Manager at Transmon Engineering, adds: “Midland Lead’s team are very health and safety conscious, which is why they approached us. The TDS601 dramatically improves site safety and reduces damage from increased accountability. They have also been fitted with the Road Speed Controller, which, along with the Keytroller TDS601, helps to reduce exhaust emissions by encouraging safe driving habits and fuel wastage.”
In addition to the new forklifts, the company has also upgraded three of its existing H120D Linde 12-tonne trucks by fitting them with the same TDS601 system, along with cameras and a GreenUrban Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), which captures fumes and reduces emissions by 90-96%.
With more changes geared towards further emissions reductions on the horizon, Karl adds: “With the Government’s 2020 drive for vehicles to be more energy efficient, we’re looking to get ahead of the game and start making a difference now, to drastically reduce, if not eliminate, diesel emissions at Midland Lead.”
