In 2016, the Duisburg headquarters of Rheinfelsquellen H. Hövelmann made the decision to focus on greater sustainability and environmental protection for its industrial trucks too. Reduced CO2 emissions and lower energy consumption were the maxims for converting the entire forklift fleet from diesel to electric forklifts. Since the end of the test phase, all of Rheinfelsquellen's old industrial trucks - whether combustion or electric - have been gradually replaced with forklift trucks from Carer and Mitsubishi.

Operating costs reduced
Markus Jürgens from Degener Staplertechnik in Senden is particularly proud of the forklift conversion. He was able to impress with his electric machine concept and not only replace the eight-ton diesel trucks with Carer electric forklifts, but also replace all the tonnages below them, including all warehouse equipment, with Mitsubishi trucks. The entire process will continue until 2020. In 2019, a warehouse was converted into a battery charging station with 38 battery charging stations so that the 16 Carer and twelve Mitsubishi forklift trucks as well as a Mitsubishi reach truck and various Mitsubishi pedestrian low and high lift trucks can be charged. An investment that pays for itself within a short space of time - thanks to the operating costs saved by switching from diesel to electric. Depending on the model, the annual operating costs of an electric forklift truck are on average around 75% lower than those of a comparable diesel truck.

The initiator and driving force behind the conversion of the forklift fleet at Duisburger Mineralbrunnen is Michael Michailidis, Head of Overall Logistics. "Now, more than three years after the initial test phase, I am glad that we made this decision. Degener is a competent and flexible partner, and the forklifts and warehouse technology work perfectly."

Several forklift types on the road
Three Mitsubishi FB50 80-volt high-performance forklift trucks in beverage design are currently in operation at the Duisburg site. The five-ton trucks have the usual high cab for the beverage industry with air conditioning and safety and lighting features. A Kaup beverage clamp and two Hawker Ironclad batteries make the electric forklift trucks endurance racers in three-shift operation. Three more FB50s are to be added.
An EDiA-EX three-ton, four-wheel electric forklift truck with 80 volts is currently the only one of its series still on duty at the mineral water company. Another three EDiA EXs are also in the pipeline here. The type FB30N is equipped with a Kaup double pallet unit and Hawker Ironclad batteries, with air conditioning and safety and lighting equipment. Another EDiA EX, but with a load capacity of 3.5 tons and a turning device, is used for sorting empties. A 48-volt four-wheel EDiA-EM with 1.6 tons (FB16AN) is used in production.

Continuous operation thanks to interchangeable batteries
Three VELiA-ES low-lift order pickers (OBP20N) with a load capacity of two tons work in shifts in the order picking department. Corresponding interchangeable batteries ensure continuous operation. A SENSiA-EM reach truck with a 1.4 tonne capacity called RBN14N2 is an indispensable helper in the advertising material warehouse of the promotion department. In addition, there are various Mitsubishi electric pedestrian pallet trucks of type PBP16N2 (PREMiA ES electric low lift pallet truck with 1.6 tons) and SBP12-16N2 (AXiA ES electric high lift pallet truck with 1.2 to 1.6 tons). The pallet trucks are on the move everywhere: in production, in dispatch and on trucks, they ensure congestion-free logistics. The Mitsubishi forklifts are not painted in their own green, but in the color of the Rheinfelsquellen machine fleet. For safety reasons, almost all larger industrial trucks are painted in traffic red.

Volume of almost four million bathtubs transported
The large logistics fleet guarantees that around 700 million liters of non-alcoholic beverages can be bottled in Duisburg-Walsum every year. The brands include well-known names such as Sinalco, staatl. Fachingen, Aquintell, Römerwall, Burgwallbronn, Ardey Quelle, Rheinfels Urquell and Rheinperle. 450 employees work in three shifts from 10 p.m. on Sunday to 10 p.m. on Friday. In 2017, a fully automated high-bay warehouse with a height of 43 meters and 53,000 pallet spaces was put into operation. The pallets with full bottles go out via the loading ramps and the empties return - transported by electric forklifts supplied by Degener Staplertechnik.