Rebuilt Doosan forklifts for HELUKABEL

HELUKABEL SA recently took delivery of two rebuilt Doosan BR16JW forklifts from Goscor Lift Truck Company. The units made economic sense for the German cable importer and distributor, considering its warehousing and storage application doesn’t necessarily warrant buying new machinery.

As the costs of doing business keep rising, especially in constrained economic conditions, the thought of purchasing new materials handling equipment (MHE) may be out of question for many, especially when the application doesn’t necessarily warrant buying new. To survive the tide of such a downward economic cycle, there has been a clear shift towards rebuilt/ refurbished equipment. In fact, the trend is not unique to the local market, but it’s a global phenomenon as companies find it a cost-effective way to stretch their capital to service their operations.

With that in mind, Goscor Lift Truck Company (GLTC), has identified the need to offer machine rebuilding services for the full range of products in its stable, allowing its customers to extend the lifecycles of their existing forklifts, or buying refurbished or fully rebuilt units that have the same capabilities of a new unit, but coming at a much lesser price.

One company that has benefitted from the quality of GLTC’s rebuilt forklifts is German company HELUKABEL’s South African subsidiary, a specialist in the importation and distribution of cables. The company took delivery of two rebuilt Doosan BR16JW forklifts sometime this year.

HELUKABEL is one of South Africa’s leading cable companies, boasting an extensive range of cables, wires, special cables, media technology, cable accessories, as well as data, network and bus technology. Today, the company produces for all markets and a wide range of industrial and infrastructure applications. Its extensive warehouse stock, containing over 33 000 articles, enables it to deliver its customers’ orders within extremely short delivery times. Thus the reliability of its lifting equipment is of great significance.

“We needed to upgrade our lifting equipment, and these units were the most suited for our warehousing and storage needs,” explains Habib Chagan of HELUKABEL. “The cost was obviously the main reason for opting for these machines, and also the fact that the type of industry we are in doesn’t necessarily warrant us buying new machinery, as they get changed regularly.”

“Buying a rebuilt forklift makes economic sense, especially for our type of warehousing and storage needs. When the rebuilding work is carried out by a credible supplier like GLTC, one can be rest assured that the equipment will offer the best possible production during its second life,” adds Chagan.

Key advantages

In these challenging economic times, it is sometimes difficult for MHE owners to buy new and GLTC has therefore made the refurbishment route a viable alternative. “We established a dedicated Rebuild Centre in March 2017, which is purely focused on refurbishing ex-long term rental units,” explains Darryl Shafto, MD of GLTC.

There are several benefits associated with rebuilding old, pre-owned equipment. The first and foremost benefit of giving a machine a second life is economic savings, obviously as a result of a substantial reduction on new price. “Our rebuild programme gives customers the opportunity to save as much as 50% over buying new, while having the assurance that their refurbished machines will operate at peak capacity,” says Darryl Shafto, MD of GLTC.

“When it comes to the lifetime of refurbished forklifts, depending on the original age of the truck and the application hours worked, one can get an additional 3 years or 6 000 hours from their rebuilt unit. Again, this is only possible when the particular rebuilding job is undertaken by a credible service provider like GLTC.”

The customer also has the ability to add site-specific requirements to the work scope. Additionally, with each refurbished unit, customers get a standard 250-hour or 3-month warranty, whichever comes first. This gives them complete peace of mind around machine performance, reliability and durability during the subsequent life. “Our rebuild programme gives customers the best possible return on investment and the lowest total cost of ownership,” adds Shafto.

The process

All refurbishments are completed in-house by experienced technicians and close attention is paid to the quality and long-term utility as each component receives the necessary attention to increase the lifetime. Refurbishing services span across all the forklift brands in the GLTC stable. These include Crown, Doosan and Bendi.

Each refurbishing job starts with a full analysis that documents each step the refurbishing team needs to take to ensure greater quality. “The refurbishing process includes engine and transmission compression testing; drainage and filling of oil and lubricants; refurbishment of hydraulic systems (change hydraulic pipes if required); mast refurbishment; new tyres; a complete respray; new stickers; load testing and new battery installation,” says Shafto.

Customers are able to choose a category that suits their needs – Gold, Silver or Bronze. In the Gold Category, the appearance of the machine is cosmetically good, and new tyres are fitted. The machine comes with a 6-month warranty, and the first service is free within a 3-month period. A previous full service history, a load test certificate for a year and compression test are also provided. For its two Doosan machines, HELUKABEL opted for the Gold package.

Meanwhile, machines in the Silver category are cosmetically good when it comes to the appearance, and come with good second-hand tyres. The machine is offered with a 3-month/250 hour warranty. Pre-delivery service is conducted, while a full service history, one-year load test certificate and compression test are also provided.

In the Bronze category, the machine is sold as is, with no cosmetic touch ups. Tyres are also sold as is, and the machine has no warranty. However, a pre-service delivery is performed, and a full service history is provided. The machine is not load tested, but comes compression tested.

In conclusion, Chagan is happy with the performance of the machines. He is equally satisfied with the service provided by GLTC. “Goscor has given us very good service. I would recommend them anytime to anyone looking for quality, rebuilt forklifts, and will most certainly consider them again on my next purchase,” concludes Chagan.