UK forklift factory proves its worth for US parent

US-based Nacco opened the doors of the Craigavon plant to journalists from countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa recently, and revealed the manufacturing processes and techniques that led to the plant winning Northern Ireland's EFQM Quality Award earlier this year. The event for Hyster forklift trucks, dubbed 'Promise to proof', set out to "show how we join up the dots," said Hyster brand manager Kate Pointeau. "The promise is tough trucks for demanding applications and at Craigavon we can demonstrate how design, customer research, testing, manufacturing and quality all back that up." The 37,000 sq m factory, one of three group plants in Europe, exports more than 80% of its output. It opened in 1981 and last February the 350,000th truck rolled off the line. Capacity is 90-plus units per day; it is currently producing 54 forklifts daily, most of which are destined for European customers, with others in Asia Pacific and the US. "In 1981, it took 10 days to produce a forklift truck here – today, that's down to four days from raw material to shipping," said plant manager Alan Little. "That gives a very good sense of how this plant has continually strived to innovate and improve." When the plant opened, he added, it manufactured one Hyster forklift model. Now that's increased to 18 models, with four IC engine trucks and five electric-powered models both for Hyster and its sister brand Yale. "UK forklift manufacturing is not only strong, it is leading in design and manufacturing quality," said Pointeau. This is underlined, she added, by the site's investment in a new testing facility. The Hyster trucks were shown undergoing rigorous testing out on the track, during which lifecycle simulation verifies design reliability. Test cycles replicate extreme conditions to assess durability, before further field testing in application sites. Hyster records and analyses an extensive list of performance data such as engine efficiency, fuel consumption, noise and vibration, all-weather performance, stability, productivity and more. At the event, Hyster demonstrated new and old versions of a popular diesel model. The latest Hyster Fortens 2.5t diesel forklift was tested and compared with an older version to show improved fuel efficiency. Tests also demonstrated the effectiveness of the new Eco-eLo fuel efficiency function, which when engaged lowers fuel intake without compromising productivity. A further test was staged to show how electric-powered trucks can match their diesel counterparts. The J2.5XN electric forklift and the new 2.5t Fortens diesel model took part in a short but intense challenge and pallet movement numbers were recorded. Though acceleration was quicker with the diesel model, the Hyster J2.5XN more than proved its worth. Dan Heap, product strategy leader, said: "Electric trucks are now able to keep up with productivity requirements in demanding applications, inside and out." Lifetime cost, emissions and noise reduction are three key reasons for customers moving to electric trucks, he added, though diesel is more responsive and faster for long travel distances: "It still depends on the application but we believe we will see a slow migration to electric trucks in this capacity range over the coming years." Ian Melhuish, Nacco's European vice president of marketing, summed up: "Lower cost of ownership comes from dependability which, in turn, is driven by two things: reliability and durability. "When we say 'strong partners and tough trucks' we mean it. These trucks are designed to work in the toughest, most demanding applications."