IBstock Brick Limited

LOCATION: MERSEYSIDE, UK

Ibstock is one of the largest manufacturers of clay products in Britain. It is a CRH Group company with 24 facilities in the UK

BACKGROUND

The Ibstock facility operates seven days a week, manufacturing in excess of 30 million bricks per annum for both domestic and industrial projects. Locally quarried clay is crushed, mixed with water, then extruded and cut into bricks. The resulting shapes are then dried and fired in a kiln to a temperature of approximately 1050°C, cooled and bound in packs of 500 in a fully automated process. Forklifts are crucial to support the production line and transport operation.

Before talking to Hyster, Ibstock faced several materials handling challenges including:

• Looking to increase the motivation of staff by offering an improved working environment
• Avoidance of stock and truck damage during handling operations
• Production and delivery delays due to truck downtime, resulting in increased operational costs

EQUIPMENT SUMMARY

Trucks are used to support the production process to off-load the packs of 500 bricks from production line and store them the stockyard. Trucks are also used to load lorries for customer deliveries and operate for two eight-hour shifts, Monday to Friday. The core fleet includes:

• H4.0FT Fortens Advance diesel trucks

BENEFITS HYSTER BROUGHT TO IBSTOCK

• Ibstock doubled the number of handling cycles per hour thanks to the double pallet handler attachments fitted to each truck
• Productivity has improved through lower downtime due to the dependability of the Fortens trucks
• Two forward speeds provide outstanding performance through the electronically controlled DuraMatch transmission featured on the H4.0FT Advance
• Operators are now managing their loading & stacking operations more productively with reduced damage, thanks to the Auto Deceleration System (ADS) and Controlled Power Reversal (CPR) features. ADS allows the operator to slow the truck without using the brake, and CPR enables him to change direction smoothly without removing his foot from the accelerator pedal
• Driver fatigue has decreased over the duration of the shift, thanks to a smoother ride from the optionally fitted Hydra-smooth accumulator and built in “HSM” stability mechanism,/p>
• Excellent ergonomics and all-round visibility provide drivers with a comfortable working environment with heater, radio, adjustable full-suspension seat and steering column, e-hydraulic mini levers on the side arm-rest and clear dash display
• Drivers are more motivated and are now working in a more productive environment thanks to the Hyster trucks and driver training courses
• A locally based engineer services and maintains the trucks, and is able to respond quickly and efficiently to any call-outs. Truck downtime should cause very little interference to the operation of the factory, thanks to on-board diagnostics systems, which allow problems to be assessed and a solution prepared, before the engineer arrives on site. This ensures that Ibstock will be able to retain the required levels of productivity
• Service downtime and operating costs have been reduced. For example ADS and CPR have contributed to reduced tyre and brake wear
• Expenditure is more controlled, overall costs have reduced and productivity is up

HOW DID HYSTER HELP?

1. Audited existing fleet and implemented a 5-year full maintenance lease program for entire fleet at production facility
2. Created a truck replacement plan and replaced out-dated trucks with more efficient new and dependable Hyster trucks
3. Conducted on-site training for operators