Customers Speak: Crown Equipment Corp.

Crown Equipment is the number one brand of electric lift trucks in the United States and the
fifth largest manufacturer in the world. The company's product line includes electric lift trucks
used in warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing environments worldwide.

In 2002, as part of a decision to streamline its vendor population, and the number of different
products used in manufacturing, Crown consulted with Acculube's Fluid Management specialists.

Six specific goals were established:

1. Reduce chemical usage and disposal
2. Lengthen tool life
3. Reduce the number of reportable health issues
4. Generate detailed test data
5. Manage, monitor and report chemical usage
6. Implement new technology where beneficial

Acculube's response was a comprehensive Custom Service Program ("ACSP") that encompasses
all 125+ machines used at Crown and is fully synchronized with the company's DFT
(Demand Flow Technology) program.

Demand Flow technology is a mathematical strategy that governs
all aspects of the product cycle and the plant environment.
It ensures that a wide range of products is continuously available
to meet demand and that product costs are controlled.

The core of Acculube's Custom Service Program is a Fluid Management plan that includes:

• Extensive pre-implementation product trials and testing, both at Acculube,
  and at Crown, to quantify product performance under the most strenuous operating conditions
• Weekly testing of coolant and cleaner performance at five facilities, plus documentation
• Monthly usage reports, that include a "predictive" component, and track actual dollar savings
• The monitoring and control of consigned inventory to assure "true JIT" and "zero shutdown" performance
• Multi-level, continuing communications, from coolant committees through top management briefings.
  Also, extensive hands-on training for plant floor employees to assure proper fluids maintenance,
  prevent health issues such as dermatitis, and reduce waste streams
• Aggressive consolidation of products (coolants, cleaners and lubricants) to lower costs,
  reduce inventory management and simplify post-use processing
• An enhanced coolant recycling program
• Documentation in "meaningful terms" i.e. not just "savings realized," but savings dollars as they
  relate to customer sales dollars
• Extensive pre-implementation product trials and testing, both at Acculube, and at Crown,
  to quantify product performance under the most strenuous operating conditions
• Weekly testing of coolant and cleaner performance at five facilities, plus documentation
• Monthly usage reports, that include a "predictive" component, and track actual dollar savings
• The monitoring and control of consigned inventory to assure "true JIT" and "zero shutdown" performance
• Multi-level, continuing communications, from coolant committees through top management briefings.
  Also, extensive hands-on training for plant floor employees to assure proper fluids maintenance,
  prevent health issues such as dermatitis, and reduce waste streams
• Aggressive consolidation of products (coolants, cleaners and lubricants) to lower costs,
  reduce inventory management and simplify post-use processing
• An enhanced coolant recycling program
• Documentation in "meaningful terms" i.e. not just "savings realized," but savings dollars
  as they relate to customer sales dollars

Acculube's Custom Service Program as implemented at Crown is an excellent example of a true
"added-value partnership" that produces continuous improvements in plant productivity, and environmental benefits.
It also provides an efficient and effective protocol for evaluating, and seamlessly adapting, advanced new
chemical strategies where and when they are warranted. And perhaps most notably, the Acculube
ACSP produced a direct, ongoing material costs savings in excess of 30%.

Additional Customers Speak

• All Service Plastic Molding (ASPM)