Kalmar Modernisation Services: A Second Life to Used Equipment

However, all is not as it seems at first glance. This is not, in fact, a brand-new machine straight off the assembly line, but a 2003 model year DCE160 forklift that has undergone a full refurbishment at the hands of Kalmar's Modernisation Services team – a process comparable to a nuts-and-bolts restoration of a classic car.

"For this project, we basically fixed up every part of the machine," says Jani Pulliainen, Service Technician, Kalmar. "The machine was completely disassembled, all the rust was removed, everything repainted, and the engine was rebuilt along with all of the suspension, load handling components, driveline and brakes."

Alongside the repairs and refinishing of the structural parts of the forklift, the cabin also received a full overhaul. "We removed and replaced all the plastic parts that were definitely showing their age," says Henrik Penttinen, Service Technician, Kalmar. "The steering wheel, seat and engine controls are also all new. In the engine bay, all the hoses and connectors are brand new too."    

Top-to-bottom renovation

Jani Pulliainen notes that this is the most extensive refurbishment project that he and his colleagues have worked on. "So far, we haven't had another job that was as big as this, even though we do a lot of different kinds of maintenance, from engine and transmission swaps to routine repairs."

When arriving at Kalmar's workshop, the forklift had 17,000 running hours on the meter, but the actual figure is likely to be much higher. "I very much doubt that the reading was accurate," says Jani.

Based on the condition of the machine, I would guess that 30,000 hours would be closer to the truth. However, with this refurbishment, we have a good chance of giving it another 20,000 hours of active service, as these really are quite dependable machines.

As the two main technicians working on the project, it took Jani and Henrik about three months to complete the overhaul of the machine. "The number of different work steps and parts to be removed is pretty staggering on a job like this," Jani laughs. "But the great thing compared to a car restoration is that with these big machines at least you have a lot more space to work!"

Extending fleet lifetimes

Before beginning the project, the Kalmar Modernisation Services team did a full survey together with the customer, going over the entire forklift and evaluating various options for the project.

"We had three different modernisation options, from a full refurbishment to a more limited project that would only address the most critical points needed to improve reliability," says Jyrki Luukkonen, Service Manager Finland, Kalmar. After careful consideration, the customer decided to go with the full overhaul of the machine."

The goal of Kalmar Modernisation Services is to give a new life to older equipment, enabling terminal operators to extend the lifetimes of their fleet for a moderate investment compared to purchasing a new machine.

"Modernisation projects are currently generating quite a lot of interest from our customers," notes Jyrki.

At best, it's possible to get almost a second full service life for the equipment, or one can also focus on improving the reliability of older machines with targeted upgrades and refurbishments.

"We are currently able to offer modernisation services in most of our European markets, and are very active in developing new, more effective ways to extend our offering across our global operations," adds Jyrki. "At Kalmar, we're committed to solving all of our customers' needs in material handling, and often, the most effective way to do this is to help the customer refurbish their existing equipment instead of buying new machines. This is also great in supporting customers in their commitment to a circular economy., since we're able to utilise most of the existing machine in the refurbishment project."