A specific anti-corrosion treatment
The Bodet family business, located in La Plaine-sur-Mer (Loire-Atlantique), has specialized in mussel farming for several generations. A few months ago, it contacted its Manitou dealer to call on the expertise of the Special Solutions team. The objective was clear: to create a custom-made product that was perfectly suited to the constraints of a seaside activity. The salty environment being particularly corrosive, the Special Solutions department redesigned an MC-30 rough-terrain forklift, produced on the Beaupréau site. To do this, a special paint on the lower part of the machine is applied over a height of nearly one meter to protect the truck when it is going back and forth on the harbor holds. The counterweight, the lower part of the chassis, the axles and the wheel arches are covered with a protective tar. Hose skirts and hydraulic tubes are also treated with a grease strip. Waterproof bellows are also positioned on the rods of the tilt and steering cylinders.
Reynald Bauthamy, Manitou Group Special Solutions Sales Technician, adds: "This type of adaptation takes about three weeks, in order to obtain a machine that is operational and suitable for the final application requested. We regularly respond to requests from oyster farmers and port activities that have similar constraints, inherent to the saline environment, thanks to expertise acquired over many years”.
Optimal comfort
Mathis, in charge of handling mussel boxes for Bodet company, confirms the interest of using this model on a daily basis: "The comfort is really appreciable on this machine, in particular because of the quality of the seat and the suspension of this model. We can really do everything thanks to the very easy-to-use controls. The lateral movement of the forks is also a positive point of this model. The turning radius is also very tight, which allows us to maneuver easily in often tight spaces such as holds."
The versatility of Manitou models, backed by the expertise of teams dedicated to specific requests, enables Manitou Group to respond quickly to the constraints of saltwater environments and thus address the shellfish farming markets in their entirety.
