Ten years of continuous operation — and yet like new again: when forklifts get a second life
Seven automated trucks, ten years of continuous operation, declining performance. La Molisana was faced with the choice: buy new or have it refurbished?
La Molisana is one of Italy's largest pasta manufacturers. Since 2016, seven automated EKX 515a have been moving fresh pasta reliably through the high-bay warehouse. Around 120 pallets per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After almost ten years of continuous operation, the age became noticeable at some point: Performance declined, reliability dropped. Even the most robust technology needs to be freshened up at some point.
Six steps. Many more years of use.
So what to do? Buy or lease new vehicles? “We were faced with a dilemma and asked Jungheinrich for advice,” says Antonio Martello from La Molisana's system maintenance and installation team. The pasta producers then opted for a sustainable and economical path: the complete refurbishment of the existing fleet through the Jungheinrich Remanufacturing Service as part of the JUNGSTARS program. One vehicle at a time — during operation, so that the flow of goods continues reliably and La Molisana's popular pasta can end up on plates all over the world as usual.
The vehicles were and are being refurbished at the Jungheinrich Used Equipment Center in Dresden. There, professionals make used cars fit for their second life. The industrial refurbishment process follows a fixed pattern in six steps: incoming inspection, complete disassembly, cleaning, repair in steel construction, complete painting, reassembly, final quality check. Only when all technical parameters are correct is the vehicle returned to the customer — with a twelve-month warranty, just like a new device. Because what arrives at La Molisana again looks like new and works like new. More about this in the video:
The bill comes up several times
Antonio Martello puts it in a nutshell: “With the remanufacturing service, we get the most out of our existing fleet.” The calculation works and is convincing on several levels. Ecologically, processing saves raw materials, energy and emissions compared to new production. Economically, the costs are significantly lower than those of a new purchase, resale values are rising and follow-up costs are falling. Operationally, there are no sacrifices in performance or safety. The already refurbished vehicles were delivered on time and integration into ongoing operations went smoothly. The almost new EKX 515a deliver what they promise.
The following decision shows that the remanufacturing service is even having a positive effect on the new equipment business: La Molisana recently added two more brand-new EKX trucks to its fleet in view of the growing business. A total of nine vehicles are now in use.
Through professional industrial processing, La Molisana benefits from a fleet that is back to full performance — and we are proving that the circular economy works on an industrial scale.
