Moving reels safely is one of the most important aspects for paper, steel cable or packaging manufacturers. But which machines are most suitable?

Coils represent one of the most common handling requirements that do not find a solution in the standard product. In fact, they require customised applications, studied ad hoc in relation to the real needs of the end user. OMG is well aware of this and has been manufacturing special forklift trucks for this niche market for several years, responding promptly and effectively to the customer’s different needs.

Several factors influence the design and manufacture of these forklifts models. Among these we can certainly mention the different types of reels that exist and the variability in the handling required.

Let us start with the latter. The types of handling can essentially be traced back to the need for simple transport, the need to place the object at height, or the handling of the reel itself. If on the one hand, for simple transport, it will be sufficient to choose a reel handling truck that does not damage the product during handling, the case where vertical movement of the object or handling of the object is required is different. In these situations, particular attention will have to be paid to guaranteeing, on the one hand, the stability and non-deformability of the forklift mast, in relation to the expected loads, and on the other hand, the ability of the machine itself to adapt to the working environment and the type of use envisaged, as in the case of lateral load handling.

It is therefore immediately evident how, for this type of sector, the choice of a manufacturer accustomed to building machines designed to the customer’s specific needs, with personnel available to assist him in defining the necessary technical solutions, is a guarantee of a winning purchase.

A simple transport, for example, requires a totally different forklift truck than one that has to position the reel inside a machine. Not to mention the environmental elements that affect transport. Narrow spaces, for example, which could lead to having to move the reel not lying down but vertically.

And it is precisely the characteristics of the reel that are the main discriminating factor in the choice and realisation of the trolley: different materials ranging from steel to paper and even textiles, with widely varying dimensions or weights, require very careful analysis in the design phase. The very nature of the load will often lead to having to resort to unconventional gripping solutions. A reel, for example, of very delicate material, will not be able to be handled on its sides because it will deform, crushing. Instead, it will have to be handled by means of booms, cylindrically shaped single-purpose tools that will allow the load to be moved through the central hole.

It is therefore easy to understand how only a perfect knowledge of the type of reel and the application that the customer intends to make of the machine can steer the project, both technically and economically, in the right direction. In this respect, OMG has proven over time to be an ideal partner, providing the user with a wide range of forklits, customised on request. We start, for simple movements, from pallet truck models equipped with a cradle with a prism profile or with tilting sides, depending on whether or not you need to handle reels with a variable diameter range. If, on the other hand, there is a need to lift the load and manipulate it, OMG designs forklifts equipped with specific equipment, such as grippers or spikes, which guarantee the possibility of gripping the load, from the ground, from a pallet or from machinery, also allowing it to rotate from a horizontal to a vertical position.

All these solutions are able to adapt to reels of any material and size, responding to different handling requirements.