ACO FUNKI is a leading European supplier of equipment for pig producers all over the world. The company has its head office in Gjellerup just outside Herning, Denmark. Since its beginnings in 1933, the company has expanded physically to include over 10,000 m2 today, which encompasses administration, showrooms, production, warehouses, visitor buildings and large outside driving areas and storage facilities.
“We very much needed to strengthen our internal logistics. Among other things, we had tested out some order pickers, which needed to work together with a newly introduced scanner system. We also needed a large amount of machines for the picking work and a quiet-running electric truck that could operate both indoors and outdoors,” says Supply Chain Manager Tommy Nørregaard from ACO FUNKI.
N.C. Nielsen was chosen as collaborative partner after a major analysis, thorough assessment of several offers and previous experiences with the Linde brand. This led to the arrival of four brand-new Linde V10 order pickers, one used Linde V10 order picker, one Linde E16 EVO electric truck and one Linde E20 EVO electric truck in autumn 2022. The fleet was increased to a total of 13 electric-powered Linde machines.
“There are many good reasons for choosing the Linde brand. For me, technical quality is the most important selection criteria, as the machines are virtually impossible to wear down and almost never break down. I would like to highlight the high level of service at N.C. Nielsen, where we can quickly get hold of our service fitter, who has up-to-date knowledge of all our Linde electric trucks,” says Tommy Nørregaard from ACO FUNKI.
For ACO FUNKI, it was crucial to streamline the entire machine fleet, operate with the same supplier on all units and thus have one single contact for the subsequent N.C. Nielsen service. Having a broad fleet of Linde electric trucks has enabled ACO FUNKI to achieve surplus capacity, meaning that any short-term breakdown on a single machine will not throw a spanner into the overall logistics.
“Moving over to electric trucks has made a huge difference to our entire arrangement. We have optimised our driving routes in the warehouse, placed more products at heights and established new corridors for driving between outside and inside. And the quiet electric trucks from Linde have allowed us to expand the outdoor driving area and adjust our driving hours, so we now start one hour earlier in the morning,” says Tommy Nørregaard.
There is an increased focus at ACO FUNKI on noise in the outdoor environment, as the factory borders on a private residential area in several directions. The wish is to expand the outdoor storage facilities on the grounds. The reduced noise from the Linde electric trucks has meant that the company has been able to save on the cost of erecting a noise barrier facing out towards the road and has thus made it possible to start driving the trucks at 6 am.
“The Linde trucks have resulted in much quieter driving, which is an advantage in the outdoor areas in particular. The noise from the extension forks has also stopped. A lower noise level and greater comfort for the forklift operators has had a positive knock-on effect on the working environment, which has definitely been improved thanks to the electric trucks from Linde,” concludes Supply Chain Manager Tommy Nørregaard from ACO FUNKI.