Corus Packaging Plus (CPP) has chosen Kalmar (UK) as a preferred service supplier for its tinplate plant in Trostre, South Wales. Since the beginning of April 2004, the company has been providing full service and maintenance on Trostre mixed fleet of handling equipment that ranges from one-tonne pedestrian stackers to 25-ton electric coil handlers.
Kalmar first supplied CPP in South Wales with handling equipment when it delivered five 18-tonne and one 25-tonne capacity lift trucks to replace ageing (non-Kalmar) machines at the company Ebbw Vale plant. Following the closure of Ebbw Vale, the 18-tonne machines were transferred to Trostre while the 25-tonne machine was acquired by a Corus customer. Now some 3½ years old, the 18-tonne machines are still achieving between 96% and 99% availability.
At Trostre, CPP produces approximately 500,000 tonnes a year of steel for use in the packing industry, supplying customers in both the UK and worldwide markets. The site uses 38 machines to handle the products at the various stages of production.
Now, in addition to the five 18-tonne machines, together with CPP, Kalmar is reviewing the options for replacement of the older machines currently used at the works.
Says Contracts Manager Jason Smith of Kalmar UK:
“While we obviously had to be price competitive, we believe that it was the overall package which we offered that was attractive to CPP. In addition to the ‘routine’ maintenance contract, we have been asked to look at other aspects of materials handling operations on site including a driver training programme designed to cover all site mechanical handling equipment licenses for the next ten years.
“We are also participating fully in the acquisition of new equipment on the site and a high percentage of CPP requirements can be met from the Kalmar range.
Adds CPP Works Manager, Stuart Wilkie:
“Kalmar is providing us with the most flexible and up-to-date fleet in order to match the demands of the business while at the same time providing improved reliability of service.
Notes to editors:
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Kalmar is a global provider of heavy duty materials handling equipment and services to ports, intermodal traffic, terminals and demanding industrial customers. Kalmar focuses on supplying handling solutions that enable customers to operate with a high level of efficiency and reliability. Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine.
Kalmar provides a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management. Manufacturing plants are situated in Sweden (as is the head office), in Finland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Malaysia, China and the USA.
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Aija Kalander
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