Lift Trucks
The Bendi Series III lift truck combines the strengths of reach, turret and traditional sit-down lift trucks. It features 180-degree steering and front-end articulation as well as rear-wheel drive for extra stability, traction and control.It can service both sides of a six-foot aisle without turning around. Landoll Corp.
Discount Packaging Supply Inc of Miami was planning to expand warehouse space by 30 percent to 40 percent. Instead, the company purchased Aisle-Master lift trucks. Because the front tower portion of these trucks does the turning, operators are able to penetrate a rack and insert or remove a pallet while the lift truck sits practically still. Discount Packaging was able to reconfigure its existing warehouse, using the same racks, from 14-foot aisles down to 7-foot, and still retain a comfortable margin for the lift truck operator. They were also able to add one full additional aisle. Aisle-Master Lift Trucks
The Acroba line of battery-powered lift trucks can take a 90-degree turn by not turning at all. Not only do they travel forward and backward, they also travel left and right. To turn at the top of an intersecting aisle, the driver rotates the front and rear wheels 90 degrees, swivels his seat and proceeds down the aisle sideways. He can control travel speed (to about 10 mph) and direction using a joystick and second floor-mounted accelerator pedal. Then he stops, converts to conventional mode, lifts a load (from 3,000 to 6,000 pounds) and puts it into the rack. TCM Fork Lift Trucks
J30-40ZT three-wheel lift truck series, with capacities from 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, combines maintenance-free brushless AC technology with high maneuverability. An on-board diagnostics display significantly reduces downtime by allowing service technicians to pinpoint issues quickly. Dual, independently controlled transaxles transfer power to the pavement quietly and efficiently, while tractive power is given to each drive motor in proportion to steer angle. This allows increased traction even in full reverse on tight turns — which is especially beneficial on slippery floors. Hyster Co.
The Model 7400 Reach-Fork truck is available in capacities from 3,200 to 4,500 pounds, in Reach and Deep-Reach configurations. The bidirectional truck (forks first or tractor first) features the company’s ACR system, a combination of AC technology and ergonomics. The universal-stance operator compartment and open-view mast give a clear view of the base legs, load and rack. The A-frame suspension reduces shocks and sways in the operator’s compartment. Display panel provides real-time data on a large screen. An optional ThermaKit provides a heated control handle and heated floor cushion. The Raymond Corp.
Damage-free handling in the paper industry is big business for lift truck attachment providers like Cascade. It offers a feature called adaptive force control with its clamps that automatically apply the right clamp force to fragile products like tissue. As the weight, and thus the density, of each roll increases or decreases, the clamp force increases or decreases. A computer can be programmed to adjust to varying conditions in the application. Cascade Corp.
"Many 3PLs are telling us that flexibility is key," says Nick Adams, marketing manager for Cat Lift Trucks. "They change the quantities and types of products they handle and shift locations to where warehouse space is more economical or where new markets develop. As a result most of them invest in lift trucks that offer the most flexibility." Cat Lift Trucks
The ERC-GH lift truck features a transistorized AC-powered traction motor and an auto deceleration system that automatically slows the truck when the accelerator pedal is released. Yale Materials Handling Corp.
Gary Bisbee, vice president industrial products for JLG Industries, says the desire of retailers to eliminate rolling ladders in their stores and ease safety concerns led to the development of its mini-stockpickers. "The idea was to provide ready access to stock in congested areas and to be able to get product they could take out to the floor," Bisbee explains. "The vehicle had to be attractive and quiet and have a lot of safety features that would allow it to be parked in the store. The controls had to be easy to operate, with the smarts to keep it from being overly discharged and make sure it gets properly charged before it gets used again." JLG Industries
Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks has introduced new reach trucks that lift as high as 425 inches. These models offer display-based programming and performance profiling, which operators can use to customize settings such as travel speed and steering sensitivity based on the application. AC-powered drive and hydraulics provide rapid acceleration, precise speed control and accurate fork height selection. Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks
Batteries and Chargers
The Deka HydraSaver line of reduced-maintenance motive power batteries extends watering intervals from the typical one- to two weeks to nine to 10 weeks. A water level indicator LED warns when the battery needs to be watered. East Penn Mfg. Co.
Available in 24-, 36-, 48- and 72-volt configurations, Horizon batteries are optimized for fast charging. Their ultralow internal resistance prevents the batteries from overheating in service or under charge and allows them to be recharged without a cool-down rest. The manufacturer says they can charge in one-eighth the time of a conventional battery charge. EaglePicher
The Powertech high-frequency charger automatically assesses a battery’s charging requirements, allowing the user to reduce utility costs and manage battery watering. One charger can recharge batteries from 450 -1200 AH without adjustment, as long as they are the same voltage. The charger takes incoming AC power, rectifies it and inverts it into high- frequency AC (16-33kHz) before rectifying it back to DC. This isolation allows for power factors at or near unity. Higher power factor and lower peak demand mean lower utility costs. Hawker
