Q&A with Baumann Sideloaders

WHAT IS your company’s USP?

Baumann is a world leader in creating innovative, durable and reliable sideloaders, materials handling machines specifically designed to carry long loads, from 3 tonnes to 50 tonnes capacity. We are the only company to offer 120v electric machines with lithium battery options and unique options such as VRS outreach and SafeLoad Assistance.

Tell us about your recent innovations?

SafeLoad Assistance uses sensors in the truck chassis to monitor the forces acting upon the front and rear axles to determine the level of safety. Software in the cabin processes the forces and calculates the relative tipping point of the truck in relation to these forces.

It therefore by-passes the load centre problem, where operators can inadvertently exceed the capacity of the truck, and provides a more accurate and reliable guide to the safe operating level. A simple screen in the cabin shows the safety levels relative to the truck’s tipping point.

Operators can respond instantly to the warning to prevent dangerous situations occurring. Costly or harmful levels of damage to products, building infrastructure, machines, operators and pedestrians can be dramatically reduced.

Furthermore, the machine can measure the number of times the safe level is exceeded, and managers can assess operator capabilities and machine suitability.

What challenges do your customers face and how are helping them respond?

Sideloaders are perfect for handling long loads, such as timber, steel, aluminium, roof trusses, pipes and concrete. Improve your storage capacity, use regular doorways, with a better view... in a machine that’s built for the job.

Carrying long loads with a forklift can be a challenging and potentially hazardous task. Traditional forklifts are designed for lifting and moving pallets and other relatively small loads, but when it comes to long, heavy loads, such as pipes, timber, or metal sheets, they can be unstable, difficult to manoeuvre, and prone to accidents.

One of the main challenges is stability: long loads can be more difficult to balance and can shift or tip over more easily, especially when turning or moving on uneven surfaces. In addition, the operator’s view of the load and surroundings can be obstructed, which can increase the risk of collisions, falls, or other accidents. Finally, the load capacity of a traditional forklift may not be sufficient for carrying long, heavy loads, which can result in overloading and potentially dangerous situations.

A sideloader is a type of forklift that is designed for carrying long loads. Unlike a traditional forklift, which uses front-facing forks to lift loads off the ground, a sideloader uses a side-facing platform that can slide under the load and lift it from the side. This provides several advantages when it comes to carrying long loads:

Improved visibility: Because the operator sits on the side of the load, they have a clear view of both the load and the surroundings, which can help prevent accidents and improve efficiency.

Increased stability: The side-facing platform provides a more stable base for the load, which can help prevent tipping, load shifting, and other hazards.

Greater load control: The side-facing platform can be adjusted to fit the size and shape of the load, which can help ensure that it is properly balanced and secure.

Higher productivity: Baumann sideloaders can move long loads more quickly and efficiently than traditional forklifts, especially in tight spaces or narrow aisles.

What industry sectors do you target?

Timber, metals, pre-cast concrete and manufacturers handling long loads.

What you are doing to meet sustainability objectives?

We have led the sector in the promotion of electric sideloaders, offering the most capable and durable machines on the market. We help other businesses to reduce their carbon impact by switching to electrics, and are continuously looking at our own sustainability efforts. As well as utilising solar and wind energy supplies, we are in the process of completing our largest ever investment project at our factory in Cavaion, Northern Italy, which includes measures to convert lost heat into energy for our paint shop and production facilities.

What trends have you seen in your sector this year?

It has been an incredible year for Baumann sideloaders, our most successful ever. The popularity of electric power continues, we have seen more and more customers make the change from diesel power. A subtle but significant trend has been a shift in expectations from ‘if ’ to ‘how’ electric machines can do the job.

Safety features and different handling options such as spreader beams and extended carriages continue to grow in popularity. It’s also been our most successful ever year for the production of pantographs – allowing trailer loading from one side and extended load handling. We also have a host of cameras that provide excellent visibility and identify pedestrians, as well as a growing number of lights and audio alert options.

Over many years we have seen a trend towards heavier loads - whether that be in loads such as timber packs or aluminium billets – where customers want to do more as machines become more capable. Our heavy load capacities have been around for decades, but modern design and production techniques allow us to produce these in smaller form factors with longer run times and high levels of durability.

Our core sectors - timber and steel - remain, but we are also seeing growth in a number of new applications, such as concrete and waste handling, and we continue to see growth in emerging markets.

What does your company have planned for 2024?

We will shortly complete our largest ever investment program and plan to expand our innovative features, such as SafeLoad Assistance, to other products in the range. We continue to develop our electric range and see the extension of the capacity above 10 tonnes to be essential to future growth.

What is the latest news from your company?

We recently launched the EGX X-Plus series, equipped with extended outreach, lead acid or lithium-ion batteries and highly efficient new motors featuring vector control technology. The combination of higher voltage and vector control provides improved motor responsiveness, resulting in smoother acceleration and deceleration, increased battery longevity and more precise load handling.

Our latest expansion project is the largest ever undertaken in the 53-year history of the business. The work includes the excavation of 1,200 lorry loads of earth, removing and buttressing much of a steep escarpment and adding over 3,000m2 of automated storage, around half of which will be underground. Over 700 locally-sources plants will add green space to the finished area, whilst decades-old olive trees have been carefully relocated.

A new rolling road, testing centre, energy supply upgrade and sandblasting area are also being added. A restructuring of the pre-assembly process is already underway, with full completion expected early this year.

BAUMANN SIDELOADERS

Aldwarke Business Park, 49 Waddington Way, Rotherham, S65 3SH Tel: 01709 242506

Web: www.baumann-sideloaders.com