Rolling Metal Ladder Manufacturer Deploys Amigo’s Industrial Dex Pro+ to Cover Long Distances

At close to 300,000 square feet, walking from one end of Cotterman Company’s main manufacturing facility in Croswell, Mich. is about a quarter of a mile in length. While that may not seem like much at first, it can be if you have something heavy to carry or push the entire distance multiple times each day.

Add to such a trip the need to manage any number of parcel packages containing heavy supply items for manufacturing, disassembled machinery parts that need to be moved for maintenance, or transporting a load of tools, the journey can quickly become a lot more demanding.

While manual pushcarts or even forklifts might seem like the right approach to move bulky or heavy items, the manufacturer of rolling metal ladders and other industrial safety equipment relies on a better solution, battery-operated, mid-size industrial material handling vehicles from Amigo Mobility.  

Initial help with parcel deliveries

Cotterman Company initially acquired its first Amigo Dex Pro+ motorized material handling vehicle two years ago to help with UPS shipment parcel deliveries to several manufacturing business units and office areas. The Dex Pro+ has a 1,100 lbs. (498 kg) weight capacity, 24-volt battery system that charges in a 110V outlet, operates up to 30 miles on a full charge, and a 42.5″ (108 cm) turning radius.

The company’s maintenance department has since purchased a second Amigo Dex Pro+ to help with transporting tools as well as disassembled machinery parts that require repair.

“Our facility is huge and it’s easy to walk more than five miles in an eight-hour shift,” according to Patrick Schott, Assistant Maintenance Manager. “For example, if we have to take down a chain hoist, that can mean up to a quarter mile walk back to the maintenance area. Now, we can just load up the chain hoist on the Dex Pro+’s attached trailer and go. Plus, we can haul all our necessary tools and don’t have to waste time traveling back and forth to the maintenance area or wait for a forklift to deliver something to us.”

Parcels that arrive in receiving and need to make their way to any one of three manufacturing business units include small inventory items or supplies (e.g., fasteners, specialty labels, wheels, powder coating boxes, cartons, or other packaging materials) all of which require delivery to various work areas.

The answer to improper forklift use  

“Before, we were using a forklift with all of the parcels stacked on a pallet, but there were several issues with that process, says Project Manager, Rob Stimpson. “Using a seat-style forklift, the delivery person had to constantly climb out and back in at every stop. Plus, a forklift’s large size means it can’t navigate into tight work areas and visibility is compromised due to its mast being in the direct line of sight.” Stimpson also points out that forklift operators must be licensed. And if a temporary replacement is required to cover a vacation or other absence, that person must also be licensed.

To address these concerns, the rolling metal ladders manufacturer began an initiative to identify uses that were outside of a forklift’s primary functional purpose. The company set out to find any suitable alternatives due especially to a forklift’s high purchase, maintenance, and operational costs. “We found that the forklifts were being used for many jobs outside of their primary purpose, most of which pertained to mobility needs,” Stimpson explains.

Amigo Dex Pro+ enhances employee satisfaction

With the Amigo Dex Pro+, Cotterman Company implemented a solution that not only helped to reduce operational costs but provided a significant functional advantage. The company’s delivery person can now more easily execute his daily requirements using the Dex Pro+ versus a forklift and is a more satisfied employee as a result.

The Dex Pro+ is more maneuverable than a forklift and able to make deliveries right up to a parts shelf or rack. In contrast, a forklift would have to park an awkward distance away requiring the delivery person to manually carry packages to their final destinations. Visibility has now gone from poor to excellent around machinery and other obstacles, and the operator can easily step off of a low platform instead of climbing down from a high forklift. In addition, loading the vehicle’s attached trailer can be done right at the UPS truck.

“Since we’ve started using the Dex Pro+, the time it takes to deliver parcels throughout our facility has been nearly cut in half. It provides us a high degree of value that we’re really pleased with.”

Rob Stimpson, Cotterman Company Project Manager

Contact Amigo Mobility for a price quote on our industrial mid-size material handling vehicles and be sure to ask about a free 7-day contactless demo.