THE STARTING POINT
Developing and producing efficient logistic solutions for trade and industry are the hallmarks of GEBHARDT Logistic Solutions GmbH. The company is successfully managed as a family business in its sixth generation now and can look back on a more than 185-year history engraved with tradition. GEBHARDT employs around 500 people worldwide at five production sites and has established itself as the market leader in warehousing and transport solutions.
REMIT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS
When it comes to supplying supermarkets, hotels or restaurants, as well as transporting goods in residential areas, roll containers not only have to withstand a lot, they must also be as quiet as possible. No mater whether they are empty or loaded or are moved over uneven ground. Especially when deliveries are made at night and in the early morning hours, the loud noise of containers being wheeled along often leads to complaints. But noise is not only a nuisance, it also has a harmful effect on the health of local residents and employees: Exposure to noise of more than 50 decibels can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. For GEBHARDT, reducing noise therefore plays an important role and the company takes a variety of measures to avoid it. Starting with the insulation and suspension of the container’s base plate, through the use of stretch film when attaching the goods to be transported and right up to low-noise wheels from us – GEBHARDT’s containers need to remain as quiet as possible.
OUR SMART MOBILITY SOLUTION
Afar comprehensive analysis, we combined our proven sheet steel castors with modern Duratech silent wheels for GEBHARDT. Thanks to these, the noise level of a loaded roll container can be reduced by an impressive ten decibels, which is perceived as halving the volume.
The load carrying capacity, which is identical to that of conventional wheels, remained completely unaffected. The trick behind it: our Duratech silent hybrid wheel. The wheel body and base are made of polyamide, while the core is made of elastic solid rubber. This allows us to combine the advantages of a hard tread with the strengths of a soft wheel. The combination of the two materials results in optimum damping properties and thus significantly reduced noise emission
This also convinced the customers of the logistics expert. For example, the whole-sale company Transgourmet mentions the low-noise delivery of goods in its sustainability brochure and highlights it as a special quality. However, our cooperation with GEBHARDT focused not only on running noises. Due to our holistic view of the logistics challenges and the Duratech silent wheels, we also scored highly in terms of stability. After all, the specialist for logistic solutions puts its products to the test and simulates real conditions through extensive trials. For example, heavily loaded roll pallets overcome thresholds and obstacles, such as forklift trucks bump into them. The wheels also have to withstand cold and heat, dirt and rainwater, as well as show no signs of weakness even in snow. Our Duratech silent wheels have passed all of these tests.
LONGER DURABILITY AND REDUCED COSTS
The wheel has a service life more than twice that of conventional castors, which are used for an average of only two years. In contrast, the Duratech silent wheel is often used for up to five years.
