Expedited Order Picking with Easy On-Off Access

Aisle Master-OP (AME-OP) is a stand-on, electric-powered model from Combilift (Greensboro, NC) that combines the advantages of a narrow aisle articulated forklift with an order picker for versatile operation in warehousing applications. Driven in part by customer feedback and soaring growth in e-commerce, research and development of the AME-OP spanned 2019-2020 and resulted in a key new feature: a step-through operator compartment with design copyright protection across multiple markets worldwide, including U.S. Design Application No. 29/541,841.

“Customers already using the Aisle Master for space saving, storage and efficiency in their warehouse asked if we could redevelop the Aisle Master to meet their ever-growing demand for order picking customized orders,” said Combilift CEO Martin McVicar.

The unit’s low-floor height of just 11 inches enables convenient, single-step access from both sides of the truck, enabling operators to pick orders faster than when they’re continually getting on and off from a seated position. The AME-OP truck has all the key advantages and applications of the conventional Aisle Master: indoor/outdoor, loading/offloading, and stock replenishment during shifts when order picking is complete.

The Aisle Master-OP is available in a number of variations, with lift capacities from 3,300 to 6,000 lbs, lift heights up to 39 feet, and the ability to operate in aisles as narrow as 72 inches. It features a patented chain steering system (U.S. Patent No. 9,586,798) that allows the truck to articulate more than 205 degrees, with an inline drive motor and front drive axle assembly, all of which enable narrower aisle operation.

The multifunctional programmable joy stick in the operator compartment, which includes controls for the hydraulics and traction, is adjustable to create comfortable and ergonomic working conditions for operators of all sizes. The Operator Presence Detection floor pad engages the parking brake automatically when the operator steps off the truck to carry out order picking.

“Before we officially launch any new model, Combilift carries out extensive field testing on customers’ sites – this was the case with the Aisle Master-OP,” said McVicar.

The first AME-OPs are in build for customers in the U.S. and New Zealand, including Sorted Logistics in Christchurch, New Zealand, a third-party logistics provider and freight forwarder that will soon receive eight units.

“This is a major innovation in the warehousing sector,” McVicar said, “and the versatility to use the one Aisle Master for multiple applications – narrow aisle operation, truck-to-rack handling, bulk picking and item order picking – will result in strong demand for this new product in our home and export markets around the world.”

www.combilift.com