As suggested by Toyota, these new forklift will allow longer operation times between charges with its improved energy efficiency. Toyota further suggests that these new range of forklifts will also offers improved safety and environmental performance, reduced operator fatigue and increased durability.

The new forklifts will be available in 5 models, ranging from 1.5 to 3 tonne rated capacity at 500mm load centres with a choice of masts, hydraulic controls and attachments. They have a number of accessories available to go with 8FB forklifts including a cold storage pack for operating at temperature as low as minus 45 degrees.

Imrproved energy efficiency is one of the major features in these new forklifts. These forklifts are equipped with a new AC power system with more efficient motors and controllers. The lifts will also have improved layout of equipment and as quoted by Toyota ‘all-new pedal-stroke detection regenerative break system’. The pedal-stroke regenerative breaking will improve the efficiency of energy recovery. This will help increase the power efficiency by approximately 5%.

By comparing the 8 series with its equivalent 7FB series Toyota suggests that the automatic turn-speed control is the biggest advantage offered in 8FB series forklifts. The new system combines lift-height and load-weight-sensing along with turn-speed control automatically limiting the forklift’s speed when turning – according to the state of the vehicle.

TMHA’s national product manager for Toyota electric forklifts, Jim Lobow,suggest that the new Toyota 8FBN series will suit a wider range of end users and even challenge some engine truck applications.

Herewith we have listed some of the solutions that can help increase safety and reduce equipment damage and wear from operator errors.

Forklift Speed Management

• Speed Limit Signs – implement clearly visible speed signs to constantly remind forklift operators about the speed limit specified for each section of your plant.
• Install a speedometer. Most forklifts do not come fitted with a speedometer and therefore it’s difficult for operators to effectively restrict the speed of their lift.
• Electronic speed limiters are the most effective way of ensuring speed limits are obeyed; they ensure that drivers operate at correct speeds.
• Divide your warehouse in zones and create optimum speed limits in different zoned areas such as racking warehouse, pedestrian crossing & outside speed

Visibility

• Blind corners are a common problem around car parks, factories and offices; using safety mirrors is a cost effective way of increasing visibility and driver awareness.
• High visibility vests should be enforced in all areas that require pedestrians to move close to or around forklifts.
• High Visibility paint & stickers can be used to increase the visibility of forklifts and other moving equipment
• Highlight danger areas by colour coding areas that are likely to be accident prone; such as blind spots; turns; loading and unloading areas & racking areas.
• Providing adequate lighting is essential to ensure efficient productivity of workers; a dull or dark lighted warehouse can lead to fatigue & accidents.

Most of these suggestions are cost-effective and can help you avoid heavy costs and downtimes.

Ikea labels this move as a smarter transportation system that also offers cost savings. They are estimating to save around $193 million a year by replacing wood with cardboard.Herewith we have compiled a list of pros and cons associated with cardboard pallets.

Advantages and disadvantages of Cardboard Pallets.

Cardboard pallets can carry up to 750kg and as such they seem like a suitable solution to carry Ikea’s lighter products such as pillows, cushions etc.

Cardboard pallets are light weight and do not include risk of injuries by nails or splinter. It is easier to manually move an empty pallet when it weighs less than 10kg. This makes cardboard pallets a safer and a user friendly choice. Furthermore, if it is lightweight and easier to handle it reduces the shipping costs. They can also be easily constructed to specific custom sizes to reduce wastage, transportation and storage space; saving a huge amount in freight costs.

The lightweight user friendly cardboard pallets are also cheaper to buy means less initial capital outlay. Another key advantage is that due to the ‘single use’ nature of cardboard pallets each pallet will be cleaner and more hygienic, removing the requirement for maintenance and cleaning of each pallet, as is the case when using plastic pallets.

However, there are also drawbacks. Some of the key qualities of the cardboard pallets can also be considered as its drawbacks. Wood and Plastic pallets are stronger and can carryup to 1,600kg ensuring safe handling of heavy loads. They also reduce the likelihood of product damage as they are more operator friendly due to their ridged structure.

Another issue to be considered when looking at cardboard pallets is the additional special-purpose forklift attachment you will need in order to correctly handle cardboard pallets with minimal difficulty and damage. As cardboard pallets are not as stable as other materials they have a tendency to sag with heavier loads placed on them which can interfere when unloading products if regular forks are used.

It will be interesting to see how Ikeas strategy works out for them in the long run.

Free Lift:

Free list refers to the height at which forks can be raised without increasing mast height

Extended Height:

Extended height means the height to the top of a mast when mast is fully extended

Lowered Height:

This term refers to the height of forklift mast when it is lowered.

Lift Height:

The term lift height refers to the height to which the top of the fork is raised when mast is fully extended.

Common Mast Types

There are three types of common masts: 1. Duplex, 2. Triplex and; 3. Quad. All masts have one outer section and one or more inner sections.

Duplex mast consists of 2 sections with a fix outer mast that does not move and an inner mast that moves up and down to provide elevation to the forks

Triplex mast has 3 sections with one outer and two inner sections. The 2 inner sections raise from outside to in as mast elevates higher. With three sections in place, this mast provides a shorter lowered height which makes it a best option where a frequent use through doorways is required.

The quad mast consists of 4 sections with one outer and 3 inner sections. The 3 moving inner sections raise from outside to in. Quad masts have even shorter lowered height then triplex mast which makes it a best option for very low height restriction areas such as container doors.

Forklift Dimensions

It is important that a forklift operator is familiar with the length, height and width of the forklift to ensure that forklift can safely fit and move within the available space.

Overall Forklift Height:

Overall forklift height is measured from the ground to the height point on a forklift. This can be top of the mast or top of the overhead guard. It is important that, as a forklift operator, you know your forklift’s overall height to make sure it fits through factory doorways and other areas with lower height.

Overall length:

Overall forklift length is calculated from the front end of the forks to the back end of your forklift. This basic but very important information can help you avoid unpleasant accidents when moving your forklift within confined spaces.

Overall width:

forklift width measurements can be taken on either side of the machines body from a variety of positions including the axles, fork carriage and tyres. These can give you slightly different measurements. You should consider the widest measure for your reference.

In today’s workplaces, you can find forklifts powered by a number of fuel sources including gasoline, diesel, electrical battery, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid propane gas (LPG). There is also advancement in terms of the hybrid forklift trucks with first hybrid forklift developed by Mitsubishi that runs on diesel and a lithium ion battery.

In this article, we will discuss the 7 forklift classifications based on the fuel option and the use of the forklift.

1 - Electric Motor Rider Trucks

These forklifts can be fitted with either cushion orpneumatic tyres. The cushion tyres are best suitable for  indoor use on smooth floors while pneumatic tyres perform better  in dry outdoor applications. These forklifts are powered by industrial batteries and use transistor motor controllers to control hoist functions. These forklifts are used in various industries from warehouse to loading docks. With Zero emissions, these forklifts are the best option where air quality factors need to be considered.

2 - Electric Motor Narrow Aisle Trucks

These Electric Motor Rider trucks are specifically design to suit narrow aisle setups. These forklifts are used to maximize the use of storage space. These forklifts are designed to minimize the space occupied by the truck and to improve speed and overall efficiency.

3 - Electric Motor Hand or Hand-Rider Trucks

These forklifts are hand controlled where its operator is in front of the forklift truck and controls the truck through a steering wheel. All controls are mounted on the top of the steering wheel which is moved side to side to steer the truck. These forklifts are also powered by a battery but with the smaller capacity unit.

4 - Internal Combustion Engine Trucks - Cushion Tyres

These trucks can be powered by LPG, Gasoline, Diesel and CNG fuel systems. With cushion tyres, these forklifts are best suitable for indoor use on smooth dry floors. Forklifts with cushion tyres are lower to the ground than pneumatic tired forklift truck which allows them to work more efficiently in low clearance areas.

5 - Internal Combustion Engine Trucks - Pneumatic Tyres

Internal Combustion Engine forklift trucks can be powered by LPG, Gasoline, Diesel and CNG fuel systems. Most commonly seen in warehouses, these trucks with pneumatic tyres can be used indoor or outdoors. Because of the large capacity range available, these trucks can be found handling small single pallet loads to 40 foot containers.

6 - Electric and Internal Combustion Engine Tractors

These vehicles are very versatile with its usage application in variety of industries. They can be equipped with either battery powered electric motors for indoor useor internal combustion engines for outdoor use.

7 - Rough Terrain Forklift Trucks

Rough terrain forklifts are fitted with large flotation type tyres for outdoor use on difficult surfaces. They are often used at construction sites to transport and lift building materials to various locations. They are also commonly used in lumber yards and auto recyclers.

In October 2011, the TMHA‘s industrial tyre changer won the WorkCoverNSW’s  SafeWork Award for "best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue" from a field of 37 nominees overall and 11 finalists in its category. This specifically designed lifter is purpose-built to suite forklifts, skid-steer loaders and towing tractors and allows tosafely  lift the wheel to the required height and easily rotate it to align the rim and wheel studs.  The tyre changer is praised by judges for its intelligent mechanism and ease of use.

As discussed in Toyota’s news release, they decided to design the new tyre changer after a colleague at their workshop was injured while lifting a wheel and tyre for repair. Their entire workshop team contributed to designing and developing the industrial tyre changer. The innovative forklift tyre changer development work began in 2009.

The tyre changer design, developed under the Toyota "kaizen" value of continuous improvement, has already evolved through six versions in last 12 months.

Forklift Tyre Tips

When replacing a forklift tyre, consider the working conditions of your forklift and the frequency of its use. If the forklift is going to be used indoors, you may choose polyurethane tires as they are suitable for indoor working conditions.

If your forklift is going to be used in rough and damaging areas then you will need thicker tyres such as pneumatic. The solid rubber tyres can be used for both indoor and outdoor use of forklifts but only on smoother surfaces.

Being a concept design award, it is based on many criteria such as design, safety, technology and ideas. Doosan has done great on many of these criteria for its futuristic forklift concept including concept design, vision, ideas and technology. However, ZentrumNordrheinWestfalen in Essen, the organisation that presented the award suggests that they are most impressed with the energy efficiency and environmentally friendly design of the new Doosan concept forklift.

The creator of the futuristic forklift concept, Doosan Institute of Technology Industrial Design Centre suggests that it is more than just a concept and most possibly it will be manufactured within the next 10 years.

The forklift will be built with new materials that are not being used in traditional forklifts and will have tons of intelligent features and user friendly techniques. Most importantly, the futuristic forklift truck will be simple to use, powerful and best in performance.

It is suggested that many of the ‘cool’ features may be seen built-in to their current production line even before the complete new concept hits the market. In own words of Doo-yearn Jo, CTO of the Doosan Institute of Technology,   “Various elements of the design could be seen on our forklifts within 5-10 years,all our concept vehicles serve a number of purposes. There is the very practical purpose of allowing us to consider the future possibilities of our designs in a way that is not linked to current production methods or models.”

As per the trend analysis by Logistics Training Council (LTC), forklift driver job prospects in 2012-13 in Logistics and warehousing industry are good. Forklift drivers can expect this industry to present them with moderate employment growth in 2012-13. Forklift drivers have a high proportion of full-time jobs with around 93% and for those working full-time average weekly working hours are 39.8 percent.

Is there no equipment that can be replaced with forklift attachments? You can still benefit by increased efficiency that a forklift attachments can offer. Forklift attachments enable your traditional forklift to become a more productive material handling device. If your forklift operator can complete your two day tasks in a day, there is your answer to achieving the increased efficiency.

However, remember that all forklift attachments you use need to comply with OH & S requirements. So forklift jibs, spreader beams, forklift cages and everything else that attaches to a forklift need to comply with the OH & S requirement and Australian standards.

Also, make sure your forklift operator is trained by a registered RTO to use the attachments you require. It can be risky to operate some attachments without proper training.

1. Material Fabrication
2. Plastic Injection Molding
3. Retail Warehousing

Forklift Operators in Metal Fabrication Industry

Businesses that deal in heavy materials need to move metal to and from fabrication shops. The material is moved with large CNS machines or trucks. As such, these businesses often have requirement for qualified forklift operators to load and unload the metal.

Also, Metal shops that fabricate raw material or manufacture parts use forklifts to load and unload the metal. These jobs require extreme precaution by forklift operator as the heavy metals can cause serious injury and/or damage to the machine and surrounding properties if handled improperly.

The materials are extremely heavy and as such forklifts are almost ‘a must’ for these loads.

Forklift Operator in Plastic Injection Molding Industry

For plastic injection molding industry, it is all about plastic as the name suggests. The plastic comes in large bins from its suppliers and like many other loads they are set on pallets for transportation. The pallets are stored vertically to save floor space. When plastic is needed for molding, it is the forklift operator’s job to get the right bin from the storage space and set them high above the funnel from where row plastic is injected for processing.

When plastic is processed, it is set on pallet and handed over to the forklift operator to either store in dispatch area or directly load them to the trucks to ship them out.

Forklift Operator’s role in Retail Warehousing

Large companies like Safeway and Coles store that have large inventory in their warehouses need forklift operators to load and unload their stock.

Forklift operator is responsible to safely store all the inward goods sent from suppliers. Such warehouses are very large and have a very sophisticated storage system. The forklift operator needs to move each pallet to the right section.

Similarly, when required, the stock is transported to their retail stores. The forklift operator is handed with various delivery dockets throughout the day to pick the correct pallets and load them to the tuck.

As such, large retail warehouse work can be very busy throughout the day and requires enormous amount of accuracy due to the high volume and quantity of the goods loaded and unloaded daily.

This was another article in ‘forklift driver – career perspective’ series from Go Workplace Training. We hope it was useful for you.