A large part of the attachment business is supplying directly to equipment OEMs.
This market is getting more difficult, however, with Cascade now owned by Toyota Industries Corporation, and Bolzoni owned by Hyster.
Hyster has looked to leverage its ownership of Bolzoni, with its new series of “attachment ready trucks” recently launched under its Yale brand in the US. The range includes cushion tyre and pneumatic Yale trucks with a “modified” front end to allow Bolzoni paper roll and bale clamp attachments to fit seamlessly. This will help minimise “installation inefficiencies”, noted Hyster.
Another attachment OEM, China’s Longhe, is also targeting the lift truck OEM market, but the pressure on price can be intense. Longhe UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Longhe China, recently disclosed that JCB, at its 2017 supplier
conference, gave its suppliers a message to “be ready for growth, grow with us, or be left behind”. JCB discussed its “lean activities” plan, including improving warranties, parts quality and cost-saving initiatives.
“Against a background of raw material increases – steel 10%, rubber 52%, oil 40% – the demand on JCB suppliers for 3% year-on-year cost-saving plans was a tough challenge. However, the benefits for suppliers will come in volume-incremental business, as JCB is forecasting a bright future, with an anticipated 25% increase in sales for 2018,” noted Longhe UK.
For another OEM, Baoli Forklift Trucks, the brand owned by Kion that produces lift trucks for the “economy segment” of the market, Longhe developed and supplied a clamp for handling concrete block products. Longhe UK was approached by Neckar Forklifts (the Kion Baoli dealer in the UK) for replacement clamps for one of its UK customers.
Longhe developed a clamp to match the range of brick, concrete blocks and pavers handled at the customer’s site, with 360-degree rotation and sideshift features. The clamp was designed in China, and, once the drawings were approved, was manufactured within six weeks at Longhe’s factory.
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This complete item is approximately 350 words in length, and appeared in the April 2018 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 20. To access this issue download the PDF here.
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