The BwFuhrparkService GmbH, the fleet service company especially for the German Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces), ordered 39 Konecranes reach stackers in March last year. Specially adapted for harsh conditions, they will be used to handle containers in military locations around the country. Delivery started in September 2020 and will be complete by February 2021.
Established in 1955, the Bundeswehr unites the German army, navy and air force under one command. Apart from its role in defending German and EU territory, it also works in cooperation with global bodies like the UN. To maximize their efficiency when conducting these operations, they use containers to move equipment and supplies, and they need a fleet of high-performing reach stackers to handle it.
Since the beginning of September 2020, Konecranes has been modernizing the fleet with a weekly delivery of two Konecranes SMV 2216 TC3 reach stackers to BwFuhrparkService GmbH, the vehicle fleet service company for the Bundeswehr, at various military locations across Germany.
“The incremental shipment is helping us to smoothly integrate such a large number of reach stackers into operations around the country, and abroad as well,” says Michael Antschischkin, Chief of Back Office Sales Management at Richter Fördertechnik GmbH & Co. KG, the local distributor that has worked closely with Konecranes on this order. “From the moment the trucks arrive, the military operators and technicians receive full driver and service training on-site.”
“Konecranes was asked to provide a compact container handling machine, easy to transport, with the flexibility to work efficiently in many different kinds of locations,” says Ralf Gowin, Sales Manager Germany for Konecranes Lift Trucks. “We studied the customer’s strict requirements carefully and adapted one of our existing models to suit all their needs.”
The 39 tailor-made Konecranes reach stackers are painted in military green, have a 5500 mm wheelbase and are able to stack 22-ton containers up to three high on the first row, as well as 16 tons and 6 tons on the second and third rows respectively. Other customized modifications include: a special coupling to recover the vehicle or assist other trucks if one gets stuck on uneven ground, and tire pressure monitoring to help reduce wear, fuel consumption and improve safety in harsh environments. For a truly secure driving area, extra safety features have been added as the Bundeswehr requested.
One special customer requirement was to make transportation over long distances easier. So Konecranes put special safety eyes between the front axle and on the counterweight to secure each reach stacker when on a transport carrier, as well as metal plates to stop the wheels from moving. In addition, to aid dismantling and assembly, the lift trucks have a special coupling system for hydraulic hoses on the boom and spreader.
Konecranes wins its largest-ever order for reach stackers - released in April 2020
