The largest forklift in America helps get things moving for renewable energy supplier

What the customer needed 

As the size and weight of these power units are expected to grow again, sooner or later, the customer’s current forklifts – suitable for up to 60-tonne loads – are not going to be fit for purpose.

“The future is unknown for renewable power. There are a lot of unknowns,” Paul explains. “That’s why the customer needs forklifts that are going to be able to handle larger units than what they were previously handling to support their operations for the foreseeable future. That's why they came to Kalmar,” explains Paul Fiala, East Coast Regional Sales Manager for Kalmar.

“The customer needed something that wasn't available commercially,” says Randy Wingenroth, Vice President of the Americas at Kalmar. “So, they came to Kalmar because we have done this in the past. We are the number one leader in the world to produce large material handling equipment for specific growing needs, especially in the sustainability realm.”

The main function of the forklift in this case is to transport the large power units off flatbed trailers and move them within the facility, either for assembly or distribution to other facilities. “So, it's really used as a transport machine,” Paul adds. “But something of that size is very rare.”

How the forklift solved the problem

“They came to us and asked: how large a forklift can you provide?” Paul recalls. “We said that we may have to handle these items with other products that we offer, like industrial reachstackers, but they particularly wanted a forklift simply due to its mobility.”

Looking ahead, both Kalmar and the customer acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the future of renewable energy and the increasing size of its components. With the technology rapidly evolving, it’s difficult to predict how large these pieces might grow. To future-proof the customer’s operations, Kalmar developed a forklift  capable of lifting and moving loads of up to 82 tonnes – the largest forklift in the Americas. The client is confident that it will meet their needs for the next five to ten years.

“Kalmar is uniquely positioned to engineer and manufacture the largest forklifts in the world,” Randy points out. “We have the most experienced and skilled R&D staff in the world when it comes to large material handling equipment, so we're uniquely positioned to do this.”

Big on ergonomics

Not only did the Kalmar forklift meet the customer’s capacity requirements, but the functional design of the machine impressed them too. “The customer was very impressed with the ergonomics of our machine compared to other machines they've had previously,” Paul says. “And the visibility from within the cab is industry leading.”

Visibility is a crucial factor when dealing with such large and heavy components. Kalmar forklifts offer excellent front visibility, particularly through their curved glass design, as well as unobstructed rearward visibility through the counterweight. This clear sightline allows operators to maneuver with greater confidence and precision. “There are really no obstructions,” Paul says. “There’s a very clear view and that makes the operator feel a lot more comfortable in handling product of that size.”

Partnership was key

A big forklift means a big project. Developing, delivering, and maintaining a forklift of this size is no small feat. To ensure that all bases were covered, Kalmar worked closely with their dealership partner, Thompson Lift Truck.

“I think the way we worked as a team – both Kalmar and our local dealer – in several meetings with the customer, laying out this project over several months – they felt very comfortable with us,” Paul reflects. In this case, both Kalmar and Thompson Lift Truck worked closely with the client to cover every detail.

Randy is pleased with how this co-operation went and looks forward to maintaining that close relationship with dealerships in the future. “Having an end-to-end OEM capable of providing everything that the customer needs for the life of the product – from its birth to its exit someday – this was key to the customer’s needs, and we can provide that.”

The big forklift was a giant success

Thanks to their new forklift, the customer is prepared for the increasing size and weight of the power units for years to come. And, the local dealership has taken steps to ensure they have the right parts on hand to service the new forklift whenever needed.

“I think all of those things combined are what really made the customer feel comfortable moving forward with Kalmar and our dealer on this project,” Paul says. “I just hope that it leads to other opportunities in the renewable energy industry, because I think that's something the future holds. We have the products to support other customers in that industry.”

The largest forklift in the Americas is a prime example of how we at Kalmar can leverage our industry-leading R&D capabilities to meet the needs of the renewable energies industry. “We’re looking forward to the next challenge,” Randy says.