The Cape Town branch of one of South Africa’s packaging icons, Golden Era Packaging, has added new Doosan forklifts to its fleet of materials handling equipment. The latest acquisition includes the Doosan D160S-5 and the Doosan B25S-5.

According to GEP GM, Dirkie van der Merwe, Doosan was chosen because of the reliability of the machines and the excellent backup service his company gets from Goscor Lift Truck Company’s Cape Town branch. “We run an efficient operation and so reliability of machinery is crucial to the success of our business. While the Doosans have so far performed as expected one cannot discount the fact that things can go wrong. And it’s at these times that you need total trust in your supplier to get you up and running as quickly as possible to minimise downtime. We have that trust in Grant Laight (Regional Sales Manager for GLTC) and the GLTC Cape Town team,” says van der Merwe.

The Golden Era Group comprises a series of privately-owned printing and packaging companies. “We specialize in a spectrum of specialist products and services including the manufacturing of craft paper and board, cartons, wet labels, laminate cartons, notestiks, paper bags, corrugate cases, self-adhesive labels, metal cans, vacuum-formed and thermo-formed packaging as well as paper-based waste collection and recycling,” van der Merwe says.

The Group is headquartered in Johannesburg with operating and sales branches nationwide.

The Doosan D160S-5 diesel forklift with lifting capacity of 16,000kg is one of the most durable and robust machines in the Doosan forklift product line-up. Its powerful hydraulics can handle the toughest tasks in the most demanding applications. Features include: Powerful and efficient intercooler turbo-charged Doosan 5.9 litre diesel engine with up to 158 hp and EPA Tier III compliant; Fully electric controlled “Autoshift Transmission” provides electronic inching enabling even massive loads to be moved with great precision; Spacious operator compartment with full suspension deluxe seat, tilting steering column, ergonomically located pedals, and integrated instrument panel keeps the operator comfortable and productive.

With a lifting capacity of 2,500kg the Doosan B25S-5 electric forklift series is built to handle almost any application one cares to throw at them. They are sufficiently strong and reliable to work in some of the toughest environments on the planet. By introducing revolutionary 3-phase AC control technology, Doosan electric forklifts have numerous advantages: Faster travel and lift speeds to ensure peak performance; Energy consumption efficiency that translates into more run time per battery charge; Closed loop speed control system that maintains consistent operating speeds whether truck is loaded or not; Easily programmable performance selection that optimizes productivity while conserving energy; Enhanced driver awareness of all operating and performance characteristics of the machine to enable ongoing productive operation throughout the shift; Reduced operating costs achieved by the elimination of motor brushes and  directional & hydraulic contactors, which reduces maintenance and increases uptime.

“All Pro5 series Doosan forklifts come equipped with an enclosed oil cooled disc brake system that is guaranteed for 5 years, unlimited hours. This system is ideal for abrasive, corrosive environments. The enclosed brake system also eliminates outside contamination, significantly extends brake life and decreases maintenance costs, in fact experience has shown that little to no maintenance is required, thus minimising downtime, which is a huge advantage to a 24 hour operation such as GEP,” Laight says.

He adds that the 3 electric forklifts have done over 1200 hours each in the four months they have been on the GEP site without incident. “This is further proof of the demanding conditions they are working in and their ability to handle it!”

Laight is very optimistic about the future relationship between GLTC and GEP. “They are a dynamic and professional operation and we will endeavour to give them the service they require for us to move forward with them in their expansion,” he concludes.