GROWHOW KNOW-HOW WITH SPECIALLY ADAPTED KALMAR FLEET

14/04/2009

GrowHow UK Limited, a major UK fertiliser manufacturer and supplier of process chemicals to industry, has just taken delivery of a new fleet of 16 specially adapted Kalmar DCE100 heavy duty forklift trucks at it’s manufacturing plant in Ince, Cheshire.

GrowHow is the UK’s only ammonium-nitrate and true granular compound fertiliser producer supplying British agriculture. The company came into existence at the end of 2007 following the merger of the UK activities of Yara International ASA (formerly Kemira GrowHow Oyj) and Terra Industries Inc. The Ince manufacturing site was first established in 1965 and employs some 400 people. It occupies 55 hectares and produces around one million tonnes of fertiliser each year, supplying key market sectors for grass and arable farming.

Challenging application

In order to keep pace with production and the loading of delivery vehicles, GrowHow’s operators handle 6 bags at a time – each weighing around 600 kilograms – at an extended load centre of 1,800mm. The application also requires the bags to be stacked 4 high, presenting a unique challenge as Steve James, Area Sales Manager for Kalmar, explains:

“The drivers need to accurately position the forks into the lifting points on the bags. But when stacking above the first level, the fork pockets on the bags are out of view when using a standard truck. The solution was to develop an elevating cab so that the drivers can continue to look down onto the fork tips, even when the mast is fully raised,″ he said.

Kalmar’s team of design engineers developed the unique elevating cab for the Kalmar DCE100 lift truck. This was created with the aid of a second mast which the cab is mounted onto, allowing it to freely move up and down at the will of the operator. The DCE100 has a capacity of ten tonnes and comes from Kalmar’s medium capacity range, which is perfectly suited to GrowHow’s application.

The Kalmar DCE range

Innovative features abound on the DCE range, including class-leading levels of visibility – an essential for safe and efficient handling when using a truck of this size. Take the cross-beam in the mast, for example – it is shaped to present a narrower profile yet maintain strength. The hydraulic cylinders, hoses and chains have all been optimally positioned for excellent visibility to the front, while the counterweight slopes away from the operator’s cab to the rear. Even the air filter has been placed out of the way underneath the cab and the exhaust pipe has been positioned for minimum interference.

The DCE range is highly fuel efficient, presenting lower running costs over the lifetime of the truck. This is thanks in part to the standard CAN-bus electronic control system which allows the truck’s operating parameters to be adjusted to suit the site’s characteristics. Fuel consumption can be further reduced with the addition of Kalmar’s optional Optidrive system. Optidrive automatically maintains engine revs at the optimum level and controls gear changes, ensuring that just the right amount of power is delivered to the transmission or hydraulic functions depending on travel speed and lifting speed. This makes a significant contribution to fuel savings.

The rising cab allows operators to raise the cab by an additional 1,900mm taking the overall maximum cab height to just over 5 metres, the optimum position for visibility determined by Kalmar’s extensive site survey. For added health and safety, each truck comes equipped with a camera and monitor inside allowing the operator to clearly see that nothing is obstructing the underside of the cab should he or she wish to lower it back into position. Longer forks were also developed with guides clearly marked on so that operators can see the ideal position for lifting six bags of fertiliser at once.

The manufacturing process

The manufacture of fertiliser at Ince involves five separate stages. Firstly, natural gas is converted into gaseous hydrogen and combined with nitrogen to produce ammonia. Nitric acid is also produced on site and the reaction between ammonia and nitric acid results in ammonium nitrate. The ammonium nitrate solution is prilled (a process that turns the solution into pellets for easier handling) to form the straight ammonium nitrate product. Lastly, the pelletised ammonium nitrate is used with ammonia phosphate, potash and sulphur to manufacture the granulated compound fertiliser.

The quality of GrowHow’s product is kept in check by using an automated analyser as well as additional routine checks carried out in the laboratory. These fertilisers provide essential key nutrients to enable crop growth. The DCE100 trucks are used to move the bags of fertiliser from the end of the production line onto waiting transport lorries, or to put them into stock.

Kalmar’s major strength

One of Kalmar’s major strengths is its focus on customer service and this played a key role in GrowHow’s decision to award it the contract.

“Whilst we had to be sure that the trucks were up to the task, it was vitally important to us that we had a sound working relationship,″ said Ed Sharp, Production Manager for GrowHow. “Kalmar’s clear understanding of our needs coupled with their professional approach was a significant deciding factor,″ he said.

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