ilke Homes boosts efficiency with Totalkare lifts
Leading modular housing company ilke Homes has reduced factory overheads and boosted output following the introduction of a bespoke solution from lifting equipment specialist Totalkare.
ilke Homes, which has bases across the UK, including Yorkshire, London, Bristol and Birmingham, manufactures up to 2,000 steel framed homes a year from its 250,000 sq. ft factory in Knaresborough, north Yorkshire.
Modules, which are assembled onsite to create homes, are precision-engineered along production lines and then loaded onto lorries for despatch to sites across the UK.
Previously, the loading operation was conducted by crane – a painstaking process adding significant time on to the dispatch process.
Totalkare solved this with the provision of two sets of six T8DC cable-free mobile column lifts, complete with rubber in-fill plates. This enables the unit to be lifted so a flat bed transport can reverse underneath before the unit can be lowered and secured in place.
The T8DC mobile column lift from Totalkare can lift 7,500kg per column and can be used in sets of four, six or eight depending on the lifting requirement.
Highly manoeuvrable, the lifts can be put aside when not in use, making them a flexible and cost-effective solution for any workshop, Totalkare says. Following their successful introduction in the factory, ilke Homes has invested in an additional two sets of six Totalkare T8DC mobile column lifts, taking the total number of columns at the factory to 24.
Each set is supported by a Totalkare Afterkare service plan, which includes two service engineer visits per year plus Reports of Thorough Examination.
“Using the Totalkare lifts in our production facility has increased the speed in which completed units are despatched to site, while also saving the considerable cost of crane hire,” said Rachel Beech, supply chain director for ilke Homes.
“Doubling the number of lifts on site allows us to replicate these efficiencies throughout the factory as we continue to optimise our production processes and remain at the forefront of the modular home industry in the UK.”
ilke Homes’ recent success has led to a string of industry awards and media attention, including from BBC Breakfast News whose coverage in May 2019 saw Totalkare’s mobile column lifts heavily featured.
Jack Longstaff, area sales manager for Totalkare, said: “We are delighted to provide ilke Homes with this bespoke lifting solution and contribute to their continued success.”
Also suitable for vehicle lifting in commercial vehicle workshops, the T8DC column lifts feature adjustable forks to accommodate a wide range of wheel diameters; this is said to provide a distinct advantage over column lifts with rigid forks.
The T8DC model is cable-free, meaning there are no interconnecting cables, thus reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls in busy workshops. The columns charge from a standard 240v socket. A single charge will generally provide between three and five days of lifting cycles, depending on the level of use.
Each column lift features an identical control panel, and once the lifts are synchronised together, they can be operated from any column.
