Australia’s major supplier of portable and micro battery packs has turned to one of Australia’s largest distributors of battery electric forklifts, Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA), for its materials handling solutions.
Master Instruments, a third-generation, family-owned company, has just taken delivery of two Toyota LWE180 pallet jacks to increase turnaround capacity in its Sydney warehouse.
Rapid growth in demand for electrification is driving the 83-year-old company to ramp up its warehouse capacity, with an increase in supply exceeding ten percent year on year.
Master Instruments already delivers more than 10,000 products a month across Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, as well as orders from its Brisbane office.
The dual pallet jack purchase from Toyota brings the number of battery-electric warehouse products to eight in Master Instruments’ three distribution centres across the country.
“We’re moving towards a total Toyota fleet, “Rodney Dunn, General Manager of Master Instruments, said.
“As part of our growth, we moved to a new 5,500 square metre premises in Sydney’s southwest and called for expressions of interest to assist in our relocation, “Mr. Dunn said.
“TMHA not only provided appropriate forklifts but also assisted in facilitating our move from our redundant premises by placing equipment at both locations for our bump out and our bump in times.”
Master Instruments, a proud Australian manufacturer formed in 1942 by Rodney Dunn’s grandfather Joseph, is holding its own against a rising tide of imported products.
“Our key difference is our ability to custom-manufacture critical and industrial battery solutions for commercial, government, and consumer facing retail clients, “Mr. Dunn said.
“Enabling electrification and providing energy storage solutions is a growth industry, and quality, safety & reliability is paramount.”
“The products we provide range from a single cell battery for mobile devices, to multi-cell pack solutions, for example, to monitor remote infrastructure from panel to battery and power conversion equipment in between, all distributed from or custom manufactured in our purpose-built facilities.”
Master Instruments’ inventory of more than 25,000-line items is monitored by a warehouse management platform devised by an Australian software provider and activated by its fleet of battery-electric Toyota forklifts, order pickers, and pallet jacks.
The new Toyota LWE180 pedestrian pallet trucks fulfil a real need to swiftly and efficiently move incoming and outgoing products to and from the loading dock on multiple daily schedules.
Their compact dimensions, 1800kg lift capacity, and 1.45-metre turning radius make them ideal for close-range picking and immediate response.
Master Instruments takes pride in its ability to care for its equipment and also relies on TMHA to service its forklift fleet.
The Dunn family ‘knows’ batteries.
“A battery is not just a battery to us, you can have the best device in the world however it will only ever be as great as the battery that powers it, “Mr. Dunn said.
“It’s a power source, and it needs to be understood & nurtured.”
According to Mr. Dunn, Master Instruments’ careful monitoring of the duty cycle of each forklift will result in an extended lifespan beyond the manufacturer’s expectations.
“The battery tells you when it's not feeling well, “Mr. Dunn said.
“It’s our job to look after them properly.”
Master Instruments putting their new Toyota LWE180 electric pallet jack straight to work