Ergonomics and reliability were major factors, says Belgian sanitary product wholesaler Facq, in its decision to install new Crown trucks at its recently opened Zaventem distribution centre.

Close to Brussels airport, the 20,000 sq m warehouse has been in operation since September 2001 and directly supplies a wide range of high-class bath and toilet fittings to its 13 shops, for purchase by interior designers, sanitary and heating engineers, and the general public.

All articles - ranging from a basic seal to bath tubs, wash basins, radiators and drain pipes - are stored at Zaventem. Shop orders are picked using printed order lists, which contain the storage location, the quantity ordered and the delivery address. Each order is supplied within 24 hours. As every shop is supplied each day by one of the company's own 18 lorries, more than 7,000 deliveries leave the stores each month. Deliveries from 250 suppliers are stored in the racked complex. This collectively houses some 40,000 items from manufacturers from all over Europe. Crown WP 2000 S series pedestrian pallet trucks with a folding platform are used for unloading the incoming pallets, as well as loading outgoing deliveries.

"The main advantage of this 2000kg capacity model is its automatic special travel function which automatically changes to creep mode when the tiller is vertical, and is therefore ideal for loading and unloading lorries," says Chris Paternotte, Central Warehouse Manager.

With a width of just 708mm the WP 2000 S is also ideally suited for block stacking and travelling through areas that are narrower than a standard pallet. Designed for easy one-handed operation, "the Crown trucks really are good trucks," continues Chris Paternotte, "and our staff like working with them because of their ergonomics."

Crown's WE 2000 pedestrian stacker - with lift heights up to 5230mm and capacities up to 1600kg - also provides Facq's operator with an ideal view of the pallets when stacking, as well as affording the smallest turning circle of any truck in its class.

Ideal View for Stacking
For storage up to 8 metres ESR 4000 reach trucks are used with capacities of between 1400 and 2000 kg and lift heights ranging from 4.5 to 11.5m. "The operator has an excellent view of the forks thanks to its patented offset mast," says Chris Paternotte, "and with its on-board Access 1-2-3 control system, the ESR 4000 is particularly maintenance friendly."
Facq decided on a preventative service agreement through which the trucks are serviced every six months. But should a problem arise in-between, "the response time of the Crown Service department is equally impressive", concludes Chris Paternotte, enthusiastically.