Lift trucks: Crown wins industrial design award

Crown Equipment Corporation, one of the world’s leading forklift manufacturers, announced today that it has been ranked again by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) as one of the world’s best industrial designers. Selected by IDEA and presented by Co. Design and Fast Company, Crown was honored with a 2011 Gold International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) for the Crown WT 3000 Series of pallet trucks.

Crown has won more IDEAs in the Commercial and Industrial Equipment category in the last 11 years than any other company. This is the sixth consecutive and nineteenth overall IDEA award for Crown.

The Crown WT 3000 Series of pallet trucks, which is available in Europe, is designed to accommodate intense pallet truck conditions and high throughput demands. The Crown WT 3000 Series combines robust engineering, durability, performance and operator comfort, and is loaded with innovative features such as the Crown Access 1 2 3, AC technology, and e-GEN braking system to lower operating costs and improve energy efficiency. The FlexRide suspension system provides riding comfort during trailer loading and transport, and the optional weight-adjustable FlexRide platform reduces impact shock to the driver.

Davin Stowell, IDSA’s 2011 IDEA Jury Chair and chief executive officer of Smart Design, an international design company, said, “Like magic. Just when you thought Crown had already done everything that could be done in pallet trucks, they created this cost-efficient modular system that can transform into a multitude of different configurations depending on the customer’s needs — all with breakthrough features for safety and rider comfort. Just like pulling a rabbit out of a hat!”

According to Clive Roux, IDSA’s CEO, “The IDEA program is considered by many as the ‘Oscars’ of design competitions because the judging process is rigorous and judged by the experts in their field.”

The IDSA IDEA program receives thousands of product submissions each year but only a few are honored with an IDEA award. With entrants from countries as far-reaching as Japan, Croatia, Brazil and New Zealand and a continuing upward trend in international participation, the IDEA program highlights the best in design from around the world.

Since the 1960s, Crown has earned more than 50 design awards. In the past decade alone, IDSA recognized Crown with an IDEA for these products:

   * 2010 Gold IDEA: Crown ESR 5000 Series narrow-aisle reach trucks
   * 2009 Gold IDEA: Crown GPC 3000 Series Order Picker
   * 2008 Gold IDEA: Crown RC 5500 Series Stand-Up Counterbalanced Lift Truck
   * 2007 Gold IDEA: Crown ST/SX/WF 3000 Stacker Series
   * 2006 Silver IDEA: Crown TSP 6000 Series Turret Stockpicker
   * 2004 Silver IDEA: Crown PE 4000 Series Rider Pallet Truck
   * 2003 Gold IDEA: Crown FC 4000 Series Sit-down Counterbalanced Lift Truck
   * 2000 Gold IDEA: Crown WP 2000 Series Walkie Pallet Truck and Crown SC 4000 3-Wheel Counterbalanced Truck

Crown ESR 5000 Reach Truck earns international design accolade
Strong product strategy, user research and practical design solutions, created a very accessible and effective vehicle.