KAUP Australia develops TWE to alter barrel handling

By Staff Report March 20, 2025 11:56 am IST

KAUP Australia has developed a new technology for Australia’s largest winery, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), which revolutionises barrel handling by allowing a forklift attachment to be attached to a conventional forklift.

KAUP Australia’s innovative technology, originally designed for Australia’s largest winery, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), has revolutionised barrel handling by allowing a forklift attachment to be attached to a conventional forklift. This new equipment, designed by KAUP and the Treasury’s engineering team, provides the seamless lift and transport of barrels on and off master cradles at wineries.

In the wine industry, barrel handling is a critical operation, as wooden barrels are essential for ageing wine and enhancing its flavour. The KAUP 0.8T405/130 barrel handler is an innovative attachment that helps to streamline operations while also enhancing safety and improving process efficiency for material handling. This new attachment is a specialised forklift attachment designed to safely handle heavy wine barrels, typically made of oak, which can weigh up to 272 kg (600 lbs) or more when full.

The KAUP Barrel handler allows wineries to transport barrels from storage areas to racking systems, move them for blending or tasting, or position them for filling and emptying. Not only does this attachment lift barrels, but it can also rotate them into place. Picking up barrels from a vertical position, then clamping one or two barrels at a time and laying them down so they can be put into storage racks used in wine cellars. This precision is essential to preserve the integrity of the wine and prevent any spillage or oxidation.

Mike Barton, Managing Director at B&B Attachments, KAUP’s sole UK distributor, said, “It is possible for this attachment to be customised further to consider barrel sizes as well as other factors, including machinery sizes. For wineries dealing with large volumes of barrels, this new attachment will streamline the ageing process and ensure proper wine production practices are followed. This one piece of equipment has the potential to improve the handling process across the whole winemaking sector.”