What is a forklift bale clamp attachment?

Whether it is the transport of reusable materials in the recycling industry or the loading and unloading of trucks or rail wagons in the paper industry: the transport of non-palletized products and goods places the most different demands on forklift truck attachments. the wide range of special clamps from Longhe Attachment always ensures that the right equipment is available for the most varied material handling tasks in their programs.

 

This blog looks at a beneficial forklift attachment​ bale clamp and how they can benefit the industry in terms of mobile product bale.

 

What is a forklift bale clamp attachment?

Forklift bale clamp attachments are fitted to a forklift mast in place of standard tynes and carriage. The attachment consists of two hydraulic clamps that clamp the sides of the baled product, while the rear frame of the attachment holds the load in place during transport and lifting.

 

Recycling Bale Clamps are suitable for the transportation of non-palletized reusable materials in the recycling industry. This special range of bale clamps has several specific features, e.g. clamping arms 2 meters long for clamping the load, and strengthened arm connections on the clamp profiles to allow clamping with the tips of the arms.

Common bale clamping applications 

A wide range of bale clamps are manufactured to safely lift and transport a variety of products and goods that can be used in a number of industries, including

 

Agriculture

Paper, recycling, and packaging

Wool

Textile and synthetic material manufacturing

 

Some common examples of how bale clamps can assist the above industries are described below.

Bale clamps can be used to move almost any baled product in agriculture and farming, which may include animal feed (e.g. hay) or raw materials (e.g. cotton) in bales before and during processing. Paper recycling and packaging manufacturers can use forklift trucks with bale holders to assist in moving pulp bales during recycling or to handle baled waste at the end of processing

 

Textile and synthetic material manufacturers can also use bale clamps to easily move products during the manufacturing process or to assist in the storage of finished products.

 

Benefits of the bale clamp attachment

In situations where multiple bales are stacked on top of each other, the thin profile of the bale clamp arms allows them to easily pass through tightly compacted loads, allowing for easy removal of the bales This capability increases operational safety, efficiency, and productivity.

 

Safety is improved as the forklift operator can pick up a large bale load directly, even if it is tightly compacted, meaning that the operator/employee does not need to manually manoeuvre a potentially large and heavy load into a position beforehand so that the clamp can hold the load. In some storage situations, bales can be stacked from floor to ceiling and the clamp eliminates the possibility of employees having to climb onto the bales as they may be struck or dropped.

Forklifts with clamps allow lifting and transporting operations to be completed in one go, increasing efficiency. There is no need for auxiliary vehicles or handling in the process as the forklift can pick up, transport, and safely lower the bale load in one go, reducing the time required to move each load and thus increasing efficiency and productivity.

 

The pressure applied when gripping the load via the bale clamp can be intelligently controlled to apply the correct pressure to provide safe and reliable gripping while minimizing damage to the product. Damage to bales is also reduced due to the variety of clamping pads available for specific applications on the market.

 

The bale clamps allow for quick and easy movement of non-palletized loads, which saves on freight costs as the weight of any necessary wooden or plastic pallets do not have to be factored in. In addition to saving freight costs, additional storage space can be recovered as bales are stacked directly on top of each other, removing any pallets from the storage stack.