An industry first: the Wiggins Yard eBull

An industry first: the Wiggins Yard eBull

by | Jan 10, 2020 | Material Handling, Yard Trucks

Wiggins Lift Co. has introduced the first commercially available zero emission large capacity forklift. Fully electronic and manufactured in the US, it has capacities ranging from 30,000 to 70,000 lbs.

This lift will enable you to stay ahead of the approaching regulations that will eliminate diesel engines in all off-highway equipment. With a 10-year equipment replacement cycle, for example, the time to start electrification at your facility is now. (Tier IV engines are only a temporary step on the way to Zero Emissions.)

All power comes from unique high voltage Lithium Ion battery packs, designed and built by Thor Trucks. Safe High Voltage 720 VDC keeps power delivery strong and efficient while helping to keep weight and costs down. High Torque, direct drive, AC electric motor feeds power to our proven drive axles for high pulling power and gradability. Zero Emissions for clean operations inside buildings and ships, without fumes, soot, or noise.

Maintenance is minimal and cost-saving. Change the air filters on the battery cooling system once a year. Optional Automatic Greasing is available for mast and steer axle. Hydraulic axle brakes can last the life of the machine. On-Board Diagnostics assist with maintenance and repairs. No engine oil or filter changes, no DEF, no diesel fuel spills, no transmission oil or filter changes. Electricity has higher energy efficiency than diesel and costs less per shift to operate.

Wiggins is always about safety. Unique battery technology eliminates potential for cascade failures. Other features are reverse backup camera, daylight strobes when moving, optional rear facing radar with audible and visual warnings, and optional noise makers include conventional backup alarm and modern White Noise Generator to alert nearby pedestrians.

Designed and built for long life and strong like a bull. Many Wiggins forklifts delivered in the last 60 years are still working for their owners or are commanding high resale value. We know, because we provide parts and repair support for units that started service decades ago. Join our customer family with confidence of a fair and comprehensive warranty coupled with on-going support.

Wiggins Lift and the US Military

by | Nov 15, 2019 | Material Handling, Military

For decades, Wiggins has worked with various branches of military organizations. We have a proven record for completing complex projects on time, on budget, and of the highest quality. Below are a few examples.

Tunnel Truck (US Army)

How do you carry a 12-foot tall panel down an 8 foot high tunnel and then set it upright in a large gallery? Wiggins does so by engineering a 90-degree tilt back, 90-degree rotation, and places the operator out of the way, but where everything can be seen clearly.

Littoral Combat Ship (US Navy)

A fast, stealthy ship that can operate in heavy seas needs a forklift to safely handle mission packages belowdecks. The Wiggins LCS does just that with three computers, a dozen sensors, safety control programming, and a locking stability steer axle. The operator gets the job done safely and quickly—even while the deck is pitching and rolling! UL rated and U.S. Navy-approved, with shock-load analysis and certified for use in heat, cold, rain, salt, and fog.

Boat Handler (Singapore Navy)

For the Singapore Navy, Wiggins designed and manufactured this marina lift with custom forks designed to lift navy boats from trailers. It also sports a custom lift height and fail-safe components. After three days of performance testing specifically required by the Singapore Navy, this lift passed with flying colors.

Click here to view and download PDF versions of all of our brochures.

Call for a quote, M-F, 8am to 5pm (US Pacific time) at +1 (805) 485-7821.Or email a qualified sales person at sales@wigginslift.com

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Wiggins Lift—custom engineering and manufacturing to meet your unique material-handling needs

Wiggins Lift—custom engineering and manufacturing to meet your unique material-handling needs

by | Oct 18, 2019 | Custom Engineering

At our manufacturing facility in California, we use state-of-the-art equipment and techniques both for engineering and manufacturing. This enables us to be creative as we partner with our clients to produce custom solutions. Wiggins Lift is known for our custom engineering, unlike other manufacturers who produce assembly-line forklifts.

This includes custom attachments for material handling of tires, rebar, large spools, and more; low-profile lifts for small spaces; ordnance handling forklifts for use aboard ships, and more. But we also design and build more unusual solutions. Here are just three examples:

Trash Cylinders

Residential trash trucks deal with a pretty dirty environment. Wiggins was asked to design and manufacture a cylinder that could not only perform well, but weigh less than previous solutions. A lighter truck means a more trash can be transported at once, saving time and money. The addition of a rod scraper consistently removes debris from the cylinder, protecting the seals and increasing reliability.

Drill Rig Modifications and Load Stands

Drilling rigs are fraught with complex regulations and requirements. Wiggins designed and manufactured a self-erecting stand with a BOP (Blow-Out Preventer) to keep the drillers safe as they work above the well head. Because it was self-erecting, it removed the need and expense of a standard crane installation. Tested to 150 tons, the need for safety and precision was paramount. Wiggins delivered.

Stationary Mask and Lift Cylinders

Because Wiggins designs and manufactures its own lift cylinders, we can provide solutions for stationary lift applications. For example, the need to lift a heavy-duty entertainment lighting and laser array from an underground position to 70 feet above ground. The cylinders had to sustain high cycles and have a long life. Another example of Wiggins’ ability to engineer solutions to unique situations.

Wiggins Lift Cofounder Hattie America Wiggins Passes Away

Wiggins Lift Cofounder Hattie America Wiggins Passes Away

by | Nov 26, 2018 | Press Release

We are sad to announce that. Hattie America Wiggins passed away at the age of 98 on November 22, 2018, at her home in Oxnard, California. She and her husband, Melvin Wiggins, founded Wiggins Lift Co., Inc. in 1960. Mel passed away on November 24, 1989.

Hattie was born on October 14, 1920, in Ada, Oklahoma. She married Melvin Wiggins in 1935. They lived in Oklahoma and Texas before following the Great Migration to California. After living in Newhall, Hawthorne, and Ojai, they settled in Oxnard and began Wiggins Lift Co., Inc., a heavy machinery manufacturing company, making forklifts for the agricultural industry. Wiggins Lift grew to provide innovative and customized forklifts to the marine, agriculture, military, yard, and mining industries. Mel passed away in 1989, and Hattie continued working at the company every day until this year.

She is survived by a son, Michael and his wife, Nancy; a daughter Darleen, and her husband, Paul. She has four grandchildren (Michele, Dana, Melissa, Michael) and eight great-grand-grandchildren (Micah, Cayman, Alexa, Maya, Grayson, Cody, Kennedy, Holland).

A memorial service will be held at the Ventura Church of Christ on Wednesday at 12:30 pm, followed by a burial at Ivy Lawn in Ventura. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the John Clayton’s Does God Exist program.

See also:

Happy 95th Birthday, Hattie  Wiggins!
Ventura County Star: Oxnard’s Wiggin’s Lift has been a family business for over half a century

Wiggins Announces the First Zero-Emissions Large-Capacity Forklift: the eBull.

Wiggins Announces the First Zero-Emissions Large-Capacity Forklift: the eBull.

by | Sep 24, 2018 | Custom Engineering, Marina, Material Handling, Military, Press Release, Yard Trucks

Wiggins Announces the First Zero-Emissions Large-Capacity Forklift: the eBull.

Oxnard, CA – Wiggins Lift Co. is excited to unveil the first commercially available zero emission large capacity forklift. With capacities ranging from 30,000 to 70,000 lbs, the Wiggins Yard eBull is fully electric and wholly manufactured in the United States. Wiggins Lift is a family-owned forklift manufacturer that has been operating in Southern California since the 1950s. The world leader in marina forklifts, Wiggins will display its first zero-emission industrial unit at the Breakbulk Americas Show in Houston on October 2-4.

Wiggins has partnered with battery supplier Thor Trucks, a fellow Southern California company, recently chosen by UPS to provide electric delivery trucks for field tests by the logistics giant. Thor provides batteries and electrification system integration, enabling Wiggins to reduce R&D effort and development time. “We’ve been innovators in the material handling field for over 50 years, so producing the first commercially available large capacity zero emission forklift in the industry was a logical next step for us,” says Micah McDowell, Wiggins’ Director of Sales.

McDowell points to the company’s previous projects, including the continued evolution of the industry-leading Marina Bull LoPRO, the crab-steering Marina FLX, the Nuclear Waste Handler, and Operating in Heavy Seas: the Wiggins LCS Forklift as evidence for Wiggins’ ability to innovate and build new vehicles from the ground up.

Wiggins is using high voltage lithium-ion batteries, which are more resilient and longer lasting than the lead-acid batteries typically used on smaller warehouse forklifts.

With an estimated 6-month lead time, Wiggins will begin taking orders at the Breakbulk Show. Due to the higher costs associated with battery electric power, Wiggins has been working with state authorities on available grants designed to ease the financial burden of customers who purchase the electric forklifts. Many states have put such programs in place to incentivize operators to adopt zero emission material handling solutions. Many predict that advances in battery technology will significantly reduce costs of batteries within the next few years. Wiggins is also working on designs for a forklift that runs on hydrogen fuel cells, the technology, and infrastructure for which it estimates will be available in the next few years. Wiggins will build all of its battery-electric Yard eBulls with the capability the convert to hydrogen power in the field when that technology is available. For now, Wiggins will offer its entire product catalog in electric, including marina and industrial forklifts, tire handlers for mining, and other all-purpose and agricultural equipment.

Wiggins Lift invites you to see this technology for yourself at the Breakbulk Americas Show in Houston on October 2-4 at Booth 1349. With the first Wiggins Yard eBull on display, Wiggins will show you the advantages of zero-emission material handling and answer any questions you may have. Wiggins looks forward to seeing you there!

Contact Micah McDowell for more
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