Richard Burbidge Ltd has added a 2.5 tonne Combi-CB 4-way forklift to its materials handling fleet at its manufacturing facility and headquarters in Oswestry.

The company alredy has two of Combilift’s “core” C4000 trucks in use at the site to offload and handle heavy raw materials, such as packs of timber, but also needed a truck that could handle a mix of pallets and long loads, as well as feed lines in the production facility.

Richard Burbidge’s manufacturing engineer Mark Chorlton and his team evaluated a wide range of options, but was won over by the Combi-CB’s “extreme manoeuvrability” and by its “versatility to work indoors and out, together with its counterbalance design”.

Combilift’s design engineers worked with its West Midlands distributor, Abex Ltd, and with Richard Burbidge to produce a CB that was specific to the joinery manufacturers requirements.

As a result of limited headroom the diesel-powered CB has a 4.9m triplex mast. It also has a hydraulic fork positioner that can be operated from inside the cab.

“The truck’s capability to ‘turn on a sixpence’ as well as its ability to access floor level storage has boosted productivity at a busy site,” said Mr Chorlton. “The drivers also appreciate its easy operation, the roomy cab and good visibility. In short, the Combi-CB has become an integral part of our operations and we would be stuck without it.”