BEARING and wear part manufacturer Vesconite Bearings has increased its efforts to develop better-than-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) forklift parts.
That’s according to the company’s Forklift Industry Champion Calvin Mpofu, who said it had long known that its gantry support bearings, tilt cylinder bushings, side shift pads, mast pivot bushings, steer axle articulation bushings, king pin bushings and lever and pedal bushings offered low-friction, wear-resistant and high load capacity characteristics.
“The Vesconite parts last longer than the originals and do not need regular greasing. They are sought after by the forklift rental companies who appreciate the longer wear life and savings achieved from reduced maintenance.”
He said that since the start of 2020 the company had invested considerable staffing resources into building a catalogue of parts for all the major forklift brands and offered prototype testing for these “better-than-the-OEM” parts.
“We have parts for nine common forklift brands in our catalogue,” he said, adding that he and his team of three had identified the most popular brands and parts, and then requested the Vesconite factory produces them.
“This mammoth task is ongoing. As the factory completes each batch, we dispatch to select clients for testing.”
He said the global forklift repair and rental industry had picked up after the COVID induced slow down. While the traditional forklift maintenance cycle may have increased due to reduced forklift operation, forklift usage and forklift maintenance is expected to escalate in the coming months.
“Installation and testing of the Vesconite parts is happening at a faster rate,” said Mpofu, who noted that forklift rental companies that have received prototype parts have already indicated that the material feels more premium and commend the great care taken in the machining of these components.
