THE NEED FOR SPEEDY LOADING, UNLOADING ELEVATES FORKLIFTS TO ‘KEY’ LOGISTICAL PIECE. BY J.J. SMITH MLF CORRESPONDENT smithj@kmimediagroup.com 10 | MLF 3.7 www.MLF-kmi.com
Because sustaining the warfighter is such an important part of a battle plan, moving supplies from location to location is vital to supporting a war effort. Yet such an effort can be slowed because of having to load and unload trucks by hand. Therefore, the need for speedy loading and unloading of trucks or aircraft, or anything that transports supplies, has made forklifts “a key logistical piece” of sustaining military operations, say representatives of companies that produce those machines. When moving an armed force the size of the U.S. military, war planners need to be able to move mountains of supplies, and that includes loading and unloading containers and vehicles, said Jake Verhoef, JLG Industries Inc.’s director of government sales. The ability to do just that makes the forklift “a key piece of the puzzle of a giant military,” he said. Without a forklift, trucks have to be loaded and unloaded by hand, and Jake Verhoef the average warfighter is limited to single-handedly lifting up to 60 pounds, he added. Loading or unloading a truck by hand can take an exorbitant amount of time, whereas a telescopic forklift can pick up a palette or large items, and unload a truck in minutes, making “these machines invaluable when it comes to logistics support.” JLG oversees production of the TRAK International 6000M variable reach rough terrain forklift truck (VRRTFLT); the JLG all-terrain lifter-Army system (ATLAS and ATLAS II); and the OminQuip Millennia military vehicle (MMV). In 1990, TRAK International acquired the first contract for a 6,000-pound capacity, VRRTFLT, Verhoef said. Based on Army specifications, TRAK designers combined aspects of commercial sector forklifts with what they knew about tanks to develop a machine that can descend a steep grade, and operate in rough terrain and in temperatures ranging from -25 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, he said. In addition, it had to meet requirements for a 24 volt system and run on JP8 fuel. In 1995, TRAK was awarded a contract for the ATLAS, which has the same appearance as the VRRT- FLT, but which increased lift capacity to 10,000 pounds, Verhoef said. Chris Saucedo In addition, the forks were narrowed and their profile lowered, enabling it to pick up 463L palettes, which are aluminum palettes that go on aircraft. ATLAS can unload the palettes from an aircraft in a non-airport setting, and move the palettes over rough terrain. It is more than traditional what vertical lift forklifts—operating on smooth, hard terrain—are designed to do, he said. Top Photo Page 10: The JCB high-mobility rough terrain forklift. [Photo courtesy of JCB] Bottom Photo Page 10: The JLG Industries all-terrain lifter-Army system (ATLAS). [Photo courtesy of JLG] Select DoD contract efforts for material handling equipment. Light Capability Rough Terrain Forklift The Tank-automotive and Armaments Command is in the process of soliciting for a single model light capability rough terrain forklift (LCRTF) with a 4,000/6,000 pound capacity. Dimensionally, the overall length, with the boom retracted, should be 235 inches; width 80 inches; height, with the boom fully lowered, should be 84 inches. The extendible boom of the LCRTF is expected to have a minimum forward reach of 110 inches with a minimum boom lift angle of 60 degrees and minimum lift height of 140 inches. The minimum payload at 140 inches lift height has to be 500 pounds and the minimum pick load at 110 inches forward reach must be 1,750 pounds. In order for the LCRTF to provide complete operator protection in all directions against blast and fragmentation from munitions, a crew protection kit (CPK) must be available. The kit must be easily and quickly installed, and maximize commonality of attaching hardware with no special tools required for maintenance. The overall weight with the A kit cab, but without the addition of the B or C kit cannot exceed 14,322 pounds. This is driven by the helicopter transportability requirement. The LCRTF shall be able to load and remove standard 40-inch by 48-inch cargo pallets, stacked two high, from the 40-inch end, side by side inside an 8-foot tall, 20- or 40-foot long ISO container, without manual adjustments to the fork tines. The LCRTF, without the CPK installed and using a trained operator, has to be able to move 16 pallets from a loaded 20-foot ISO container, on the ground, into an empty 20-foot ISO container, on the ground, with an average cycle time of no more than five minutes per pallet. The maximum travel speed of the LCRTF (with A-kit) for self-deployment, is to be a minimum of 20 mph, without load, on improved roads for a distance of 30 miles. With a rated load, it has to be able to travel for distances up to 3 miles over unimproved surfaces, at a forward speed of at least 10 miles per hour. The expectant contract from this solicitation is expected to be a 5-year, firm fixed price award with an estimated 1,414 LCTRFs ordered. SEI Manufacturing Inc., Huntsville, Ala., awarded a $27,000 contract for miscellaneous material handling equipment. The Army Contracting Agency, Fort Shafter has issued a solicitation for a Hyster H280HD forklift or equal. (Solicitation Number: W912CN09R0077) The Army Contracting Agency (ITEC4-West) has issued a solicitation for forklifts. (Solicitation Number: W9124A09T0246) The Naval Facilities Engineering Command has issued a solicitation for a 100-ton straddle/rubber tired gantry crane for the Defense Logistics Agency, Barstow, Calif. The estimated range of the procurement is between $1 million and $5 million. (Solicitation Number: N6247009R7004) The U.S. Amy Sustainment Command has issued a solicitation for a 400-pound capacity manipulator with attachments and an 800-pound capacity manipulator with attachments. This procurement is for the purchase of one 400-pound lifting capac- www.MLF-kmi.com MLF 3.7 | 11
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