Moving the goods around

摘要

In the world of material handling, there are many avenues to explore in terms of applications and machinery. This article aims to cover a number of those different niches in the sector and offer an insight into some of the most interesting machines in their categories. Telescopic handlers (telehandlers) are one of the most popular construction machines in Europe, with sales over the last two years in the region of 30,000 units, according to specialist market research and forecasting company, Off-Highway Research. Only mini and crawler excavators sell in higher numbers. One of the reasons for the telehandler's popularity is that these machines are also used extensively in agriculture as well as construction. Agriculture typically uses smaller machines with lift heights of 6m or less, while construction generally uses bigger machines. That said, compact telehandlers also have a place in construction, and there is some evidence that they are replacing certain traditional small loading machines, such as backhoe and skid-steer loaders.