La Cisa takes 32t Hyster Tier 4 Final lift truck for magnetic hot steel operation
21st April 2015
“The customer is handling hot steel bars nearly 4m long, which leave the steel mill at about 400°C,” says Roberto Provenzi from La Cisa, a company that provides specialist machinery, staff and consulting services for some of the most important foundries and industrial ports in Italy.
La Cisa has introduced the new 32 tonne capacity Hyster® H32-12XM lift truck at a pipe manufacturing and storage operation in Dalmine, close to Milan, run by Italian manufacturer and supplier of steel pipe products, Tenaris.
The hot steel bars are lifted with a powerful 22kw electromagnet attachment powered by a generator. The generator is strategically positioned on the counterweight of the new Hyster machine so visibility to the rear is optimised. The truck then transports the bars from the mill to the storage yards, which can be up to 1km away.
“The Hyster trucks operate for an intense 16 hours per day, allowing 8 hours for the magnets to cool each day,” he says. “Even after considering the weight of the attachment and load centre, we can lift 24 tonnes of product in this challenging application with hot, heavy loads and long distances.”
Using innovative fuel saving technologies from Hyster, the 32 tonne forklift features the latest Stage IV / Tier 4f Cummins QSB 6.7 engine, making it possible to achieve up to 25% fuel savings.
“We get a powerful, reliable performance and save approximately 2.5 to 3 litres of fuel per hour, which really adds up,” he says, explaining that they have been using the Hyster truck for almost a year and have kept a good record of consumption. “The environmental benefits are important to La Cisa and our customer, with significant NOx and CO2 savings per year.”
The trucks mast is rigid and tough, yet offers enhanced visibility for the operator, giving a clear view of the attachment and load, which is particularly important during pick up from the production line. Load-sensing power steering provides low-effort operation and the smooth ZF 5-gear auto-shift transmission enhances operator comfort by virtually eliminating jerk and provides true inching capability.
The Hyster® Vista cab provides an outstanding range of standard ergonomic features, plus good all-round visibility, to ensure ease of operation and accuracy.
“Our operators are happier. Convenient responsive controls, good visibility and a spacious, covered and air conditioned cab provide a comfortable working environment for operators in all weathers,” he says. “Noise levels are also low.”
La Cisa supports many businesses in Italy with their internal logistics, providing specialist handling machinery with attachments, fully trained operators and other support services. The company has more than 250 forklifts in its fleet ranging from 2 tonnes to 52 tonnes lift capacity. Hyster machines in the fleet also include Hyster® ReachStackers with hooks and 48 tonne machines with pipe clamps.
La Cisa has been working with Hyster for more than 40 years and still has an operational Hyster big truck from the 1970s available as a backup machine on one of its sites. La Cisa also provides a range of other equipment such as trailers, tractors and dumpers.
The magnetic attachment featured on the new 32 tonne Hyster truck was built by LC Project, a business unit of La Cisa. LC Project designs and manufactures specialist attachments for the metal industry including hooks, rams, magnets and pipe clamps for handling semi-finished and finished goods. In this case LC Project developed the special magnet system to be able to pick up the hot bars as steel loses it magnetism with increased heat.
“The work we do in the Dalmine steel mill is an excellent example of a partnership between La Cisa, LC Project, Hyster and our customer,” Provenzi adds.
All Hyster products are supported worldwide by a network of highly trained dealers providing expert, responsive local service and customisations for specific industries such as the metal industry. Visit www.hyster.eu.