Forward move

News

JCB trials its adapted telescopic boom Teletruk for quick, efficient removal of robots from car plant production lines. Siobhan Wagner reports

When a robot breaks down on a car production line, manufacturers look for the quickest and least disruptive way to remove it for maintenance and get things moving again.

One solution could be

TLT 35D adapted Teletruk forklift, which recently had its first big test at Jaguar and Land Rover's Halewood plant, in Liverpool. Previously the plant hired a crane or dismantles robots and repaired themin situ.

'Halewood had a fleet of forklifts, but none had the Teletruk's abilities,' said Mark Roberts, a Teletruk specialist from JCB dealer Gunn JCB. 'The main difference is the Teletruk is able to move its forks not only up and down but also forwards.'

The vehicle, a two-wheel-drive hydrostatic lift truck, uses a telescopic boom rather than a vertical mast and it is this boom's forward reach that enables the Teletruk to lift robots up and over the production line at the Halewood plant where the Jaguar X-Type and Land Rover Freelander 2 are assembled.

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address