loads are elevated. Improvements in the design and placement of outriggers, counterbalance weights, and (in high-lift trucks) operator compartments are just some of the
features that have contributed to better stability.
Toyota says it has paid special attention to stability with
its unique System of Active Stability (SAS) and Active Mast
Control (AMC) technologies for sit-down counterbalanced
trucks. When the SAS detects factors that lead to potential
lateral instability, it locks a hydraulic cylinder on the rear
steer axle, changing the forklift’s stability footprint from a
triangular shape to rectangular to decrease the likelihood of
a tipover. The AMC system senses factors like load weight
and mast height that lead to longitudinal instability. If needed, it will automatically override the operator’s manual control and limit the forward tilt as well as the reverse tilt speed
to reduce the chance of spilling a load or tipping the forklift.
THE FUTURE OF FORKLIFT SAFETY
While the industry has made great strides in forklift safety in the past few years, the OEMs are confident there
are more improvements to come. Some will be inspired
by developments outside the material handling industry.
Hyundai’s Chuck Leone, for one, foresees lift truck makers
adopting more safety-enhancing technologies from the
automotive and trucking industries. As technologies like
laser-guided collision-avoidance systems are perfected and
become more common, forklift OEMs will adapt them for
material handling applications, he predicts.
Justin Byma of Raymond says he expects a surge of
interactive training tools that will help to improve forklift
safety in the future. These tools will be based on simulation
and gaming technology, and will help a new generation of
operators learn how to properly operate material handling
equipment in a virtual environment, he says.
Effective application of technology will be fundamental
to further progress on safety, forklift executives agree. For
example, Bob Hasenstab, general product manager at Kion
North America Corp., forecasts that future improvements
are likely to come from such developments as automated forklifts with object-detecting sensors, weight- and
height-sensing devices to ensure proper lifting, noise and
vibration reduction to reduce fatigue levels, and automatic
speed reduction to adjust to load weight and curves.
The kind of programmable controls and semi-auto-
TOGETHER, WE’LL SOAR.
