Lift truck trends and technologies: ProMat 2009
By Sara Pearson Specter -- Logistics Management, 1/1/2009
With nearly 50 exhibitors showcasing lift trucks and related products—including batteries, attachments, and accessories—ProMat 2009 promises to offer a great resource for logistics professionals in the market for the latest technologies.
Attendees can expect to find enhancements in fuel efficiency, emissions reductions, safety, and operator comfort as truck manufacturers respond to ongoing trends in the handling and logistics marketplace. Here's a wrap up of the hottest lift truck trends that will be discussed at ProMat 2009 and a few of the products that will be sure to turn some heads.
Increased Fuel Efficiency, Decreased Emissions
As public concerns about environment protection and sustainability has increased, lift truck manufacturers have responded with power-source alternatives. “While plenty of AC battery-powered and LP trucks will be on display, many OEMs have been testing fuel cells as an alternative power source,” says Ken Van Hook, president of Safe-T-Consultants Inc.
Fuel cells produce electricity by mixing fuel with an oxidant, which together react in the presence of an electrolyte. They consume reactant that must be replenished, as opposed to electrochemical cell batteries that store energy chemically in a closed system. “The fuel cells contribute to the green trend by controlling emissions—which are increasingly regulated by the EPA,” Van Hook notes.
Also, manufacturers are unveiling designs that increase time between scheduled maintenance activities, he adds. “Some of the newer trucks don't require hydraulic oil changes as often as the older ones did, therefore oil doesn't have to be disposed of as often,” says Van Hook.
Further, expect to see more LED lights replacing standard bulbs on trucks. Brighter, cooler, and futuristic-looking, they're also more durable and last considerably longer than traditional bulbs with filaments that are susceptible to damage and burnout from excessive vibrations.
However, as anxieties about unstable fuel costs prompt attendees to consider a switch from combustion engine to battery powered trucks, it would be wise to prepare for a bit of sticker shock, advises Jim Shephard, president of Shephard's Industrial Training Systems Inc.
“Ultimately, it's a lot cheaper to run an electric truck than it is to run a combustion engine truck; and it's cleaner, which makes it ideal for a logistics or manufacturing operation,” explains Shephard. “But it's not cheaper on the initial cost because you have to pay all your fuel costs up front when you buy the battery, the charger, and install a charging station.”
Operator Comfort and Safety Improves
Logistics and warehouse professionals combing the ProMat floor will also see the latest enhancements for operator comfort and safety. With an eye toward cutting both injuries and the ergonomic strain of hours spent behind the wheel, new features include increased visibility through open masts, more comfortable seats, and adjustable steering.
“Manufacturers are also making it easier for people to get in and out of the truck as they're picking orders and doing inventory since slips, trips, and falls are the number one cause of injury in the country,” notes Shephard.
Further, integrated safety devices ensure that operators use the equipment appropriately. Van Hook points to “operator presence sensing devices” as a key new feature. “These devices ensure that the operator is in the proper operating position when they run the units. The controls can't be operated otherwise,” he explains. “If you leave the seat of the truck and you accidentally left the truck in gear it knows not to move anymore, or it cuts the hydraulics so the mast will not tilt up, down, backward or forward.”
In that vein, more alarms and warning devices have been integrated into trucks, firing off when a handbrake is not set, or a seatbelt isn't buckled. More OEMs are offering optional bright orange or green seatbelts on their vehicles, making it easier for supervisors to visually confirm that a driver is strapped in, even at a distance in a dark facility.
Training Gets Needed Attention
Attendees will also see more pockets on the trucks designed for storage of the operation manuals. As the vehicles themselves become more complex with more functions and systems, it's a good idea to keep the manual with the truck so operators can look up information at any time.
Relying on the operation manual alone to guide lift truck operators through the use of a new vehicle is unwise, however. Training on all those new whizz-bang features is critical to maximizing the return on your lift truck investment.
However, there tends to be a disconnect between the people who buy the equipment and the people who use the equipment, observes Shephard. “Not only is it important to select the vehicle that best fits your situation, you need to make sure that your personnel knows how to use whatever bells and whistles are on your new truck. That's the only way to maximize your investment,” he says. “Because you can spend $3,000 to $5,000 on upgrades and enhancements, and then three to five years down the road discover that they've never been cycled.”
Van Hook agrees. “As the lift trucks become more complex, it does become a training issue. Don't rely only on the generic, basic training programs that most OEMs offer—make sure that you train for both site- and product-specific use,” he says, noting that it's critical to train on lift truck attachment use too—all of which are OSHA required.
“So as attendees examine at all the new features on lift trucks at ProMat, they should be considering how those enhancements will affect their ongoing training programs,” concludes Van Hook.
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