Interesting features at exhibition
QUALITY, reliability and low cost were the theme of the mechanical handling exhibition organised by the Hinckley and District Productivity Association under the direction of the chairman, Mr G Byrom, in conjunction with the British Productivity Council.
Councillor James Robinson, chairman of the UDC, who opened the one-day exhibition, was shown the stands by Mr Byrom, Mr T L Gage, the project officer and Mr W Boggon, secretary.
There were 12 stalls in the showroom with exhibits ranging over a variety of subjects. This East Midlands Electricity Board has just begun an advice service, free on how to achieve maximum automation. Mr P B Roberts, the board’s industrial development engineer was demonstrating an electrically operated bowl feeder.
Hall Textiles (Mansfield) Ltd, showed a new garment inspection and turning machine ideally suited for the examination to all types of knitwear, tight, nightwear, etc.
The machine will examine 275 dozen garments in a 40 hour week. A manufacturer who recently purchased one said it did the work of 16 girls.
The British Monorail Ltd firm’s stand demonstrated a new cable form of monorail which can convey 80lb weight in a speed of 60 feet per minute. Larger machines can handle anything up to 10 tons.
Yale Fork Lift Truck stand displayed a new fork lift truck capable of carrying 3,000lb. Electronically controlled by a battery, this truck can run for 15 hours before recharging, longer than the average. Variable speed control gives precision in operation.
The Conveyance firm of fork lift truck makers showed a film of industries that use their equipment which included the textile and hosiery industry. Many local industries use their battery powered electro – hydraulic machines.
The only Hinckley firm that had a stand at the exhibition was Hira-Lift Ltd, of the Harrowbrook estate where they make fork lift trucks.
They produce machines which can carry weights ranging from half a ton to 10 tons. A firm in Hinckley supplied by this firm is Sketchley Ltd.
Lenson a company that has considerable experience in the field of material handling, displayed a comprehensive range of mobile lift and a sloping shelf trolley used in warehouses and factories were on show.
An item of use to the hosiery industry is the Gravity Feed Storage System produced by Slydang which is designed for high speed order picking of light weight packages. There is no machinery involved. The racks are on a slight gradient and the packages slide easily along.
Tooley Electro Mechanical Co Ltd of Earl Shilton displayed some generating equipment.
Armand and Micheala Dennis have used this firm’s generator on their safaris and John Allegro used one on his trip to find the Dead Sea Scrolls.