LONDON-BASED Davies Turner Air Cargo has made a significant investment in material handling equipment (MHE) at its Heathrow logistics hub, reports the American Journal of Transportation.

The existing fleet of materials handling equipment has been replaced with seven electric forklift trucks, three reach trucks and one battery changing truck. All are fitted with high tech batteries and chargers.

From the Bobcat MHE range, the 11 vehicles have been procured on a lease contract from Rushlift, one of the leading national full-service suppliers of multi-brand materials handling and ground support equipment, with which Davies Turner Air Cargo has partnered for nearly 30 years.

The new MHE fleet will ensure that Davies Turner Air Cargo's Heathrow hub continues to operate at peak performance, even as demand and operational complexities grow.

Safety remains a top priority, and the new fleet includes advanced safety technologies designed to reduce accidents and improve operational safety, underlining the company's commitment to HSE matters.

Among the key innovations are perimeter proximity lights, which surround the equipment, enhancing visibility and safety in crowded or low-light conditions, which are complemented by the addition of flat LED chevron strip lights fitted on the counterweight.

Progressive directional arrow safety lights that appear on both the front and back of the equipment, depending on the direction of travel, have replaced the traditional blue spot reverse light, offering clearer directional guidance, when shone on the floor, in the directional path of the vehicle.

Fork cameras provide operators with better visibility when the forks are raised, or through the mast, reducing the risk of accidents during operation; whilst pedestrian detection cameras identify people within a set proximity, automatically slowing down the truck to prevent collisions.

Each truck is fitted with an RFID beacon to detect other trucks on a potential collision course. These beacons interact with red flashing beacons on door frames and blind spots to alert other operators, further reducing the risk of accidents.AI pros and cons