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Case N.C. Nielsen has helped BMS to refurbish an older LPG forklift truck and turn it into an electric model. The sturdy BMS machine, with a lifting capacity of 27 tonnes, was remodelled in line with the concept of 'NCN Heavy Handling Upcycling', which saw the machine’s entire powertrain switched from LPG to electric operation, ensuring a new lease of life and the option to carry out even more specialised lifting jobs in the future.

The BMS truck was developed to carry out tasks indoors, where there are restrictions on access and limited space. It is used by food producers, packaging companies and the pharmaceutical industry to move heavy machine parts. Generally this use takes place internally, well away from outside areas, where it is required for complicated lifting tasks and where the aim is to disturb operations no more than is absolutely necessary.

“LPG forklift trucks can no longer be used indoors, and our clients also have to comply with working environment regulations that make use of the machine impossible. As such, we either had to scrap the machine or modify it for electric power. We chose to refurbish it, as this made sense in business terms and was also consistent with our aim of reducing CO2 emissions,” explains department manager Henrik Studsgaard Nielsen from BMS.

 

From gas to electric in six weeks

The BMS truck is the only one of its kind in Scandinavia and forms part of a fleet of custom-built forklift trucks. As a non-off-the-shelf product, ordering a brand new truck from the supplier in the USA would have taken a relatively long time compared to any modification work done at N.C. Nielsen, where refurbishment within just six weeks could be guaranteed.

“Trucks are generally indispensable at our company and often get booked at short notice, as our clients need to have machine parts assembled in production. That meant it was imperative that we got the refurbishment done within a relatively short time. It was actually only a few weeks from initial contact with N.C. Nielsen to delivery of the fully refurbished truck,” Henrik Studsgaard Nielsen points out.

The BMS truck was transported to N.C. Nielsen’s production department in Balling, where the gas engine, cooler and exhaust were removed from the machine. The space this freed up was used to install two electric motors, a battery charger, built-in lithium-ion batteries and a 16-amp power plug as part of a compact refurbishment. All modifications were made within the truck’s outer frame. The machine’s weight did not increase as a result of the refurbishment either.

“The truck is a ‘one of a kind’ special-purpose machine without any equal on the market. I’m really impressed with N.C. Nielsen, as they have managed to extend the truck’s life by many years. It’s a great feeling to be able to re-use a large amount of the machine and offer our clients an electrically powered, zero-emission, quiet machine and take a sustainable approach in that respect,” says Henrik Studsgaard Nielsen from BMS.

Upcycling the truck puts BMS in a position to offer clients even more environmentally friendly solutions. BMS already has the largest fleet of custom-built forklift trucks in Scandinavia, so the newly refurbished BMS truck represents an important addition to the overall machine park, which also includes a range of electric trucks from Linde, optional machine equipment such as turnable forks and hydraulic crane arms for the many specialised tasks that need to be carried out.

“We’re really happy with the refurbished truck, which is taking care of a growing number of tasks for our clients. The efficiency, low noise level and lack of emissions from this kind of machine has been a pleasant surprise, which is why it has been put to use on other internal transport jobs that it did not do before. Its extended role also means that it has created more added value for our clients,” Henrik Studsgaard Nielsen from BMS finishes.

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