Special Forklift Attachment Eases Safe Lifting of Bricks

A Malaysian company that makes decorative bricks and other industrial ceramic products uses a special forklift attachment that makes it easier and safer to transport their products.

Forklifts at Oriental Brickworks’ facility in the district of Segamat — which is located in the Malaysian state of Johor — are equipped with customized brick tine attachments.

Safe, Efficient Brick Transport

The innovative forklift attachments clamp the bottom layer of bricks that have been loaded onto a pack. This greatly reduces the likelihood that the bricks will be damaged while being transported around brickyard, thereby protecting the company’s investment and preventing the high cost of replacing any damaged bricks.

To protect the bricks even further, the pressure of the brick tine forklift attachment’s grip on the pack is controlled by mechanical springs on link rods. These are operated by a single, rear hydraulic cylinder, giving the safest grip at the lowest pressure to the product.

The brick tine forklift attachments have both upper and lower replaceable strips,which hold the bricks in place without causing any damage. To allow for safe and precise loading onto other stacks or onto delivery trucks, the attachment is fitted with a side shift facility so that the forklift operator can perfectly align the load. This ensure faster and safer handling.

Originally Built in the UK

The brick tine forklift attachments were provided by Histar Insustrial Development, a Malaysian engineering company that specializes in equipment and machinery for the ceramics industry. The forklift attachments originally were built by B&B Attachments, a UK-based forklift attachment manufacturer.

Mike Barton, managing director of B&B Attachments, said that his company was happy to provide Oriental Brickworks with a solution that saved time and increased the safety of its products.

“Working with Histar and Oriental Brickwords was a pleasure,” Barton told the website Warehousing and Logistics International. “I am always delighted to make overseas contacts as we take B&B forward. The strength and performance of the equipment is crucial, as well as ease of use, providing Oriental Brickworks with maximum onsite productivity. I am thrilled to add that due to the success of these attachments, Oriental Brickworks have placed an order for a third unit to greater increase their on-site productivity.”

Satisfied Customers

Calvin Neo, an industrial development engineer for Histar, said he appreciated how responsive B&B’s designers were during the creation of these specialized forklift attachments.

“It has been a pleasure doing business with B&B,” Neo said. “Since our first purchase of the tine attachment in 2006, we have found B&B a very friendly and responsive company. The first unit was received promptly and it was beyond our expectations in both quality and durability. B&B Attachments have been flexible in fitting in with our requirements and are willing to accept any feedback to further improve designs.

“Whilst being responsive, B&B has also been supportive in both technical advice and customer service,” Neo added. “I believe B&B will continue to grow as there are still many industries that require special and unique attachments for loading and unloading purposes.”