Lift trucks - Jungheinrich
December 1st 2003

Charlotte Stonestreet met with Jungheinrich to look at the companys latest product developments Even in todays fast moving materials handling industry it is pretty unusual for a company to announce not one but five new products in the same time frame. However, when you realise that the company is Jungheinrich and that it ploughs five to six per cent of its annual turnover directly into research and development, perhaps this is not so surprising particularly as that annual turnover, in 2002, was 1478m Euros! Reach truck pioneer At the forefront of handling innovation from the start, it was in the 1950s that Dr Friedrich Jungheinrich first came up with the idea of a lift truck with a retractable mast, inventing what was in effect the first reach truck. It seems appropriate, therefore, that the company should mark its 50th anniversary with the launch of its latest generation Series 2 reach trucks. The first Series 2 trucks to be introduced are 48V units with 1400k and 1600kg capacities. The ETV version has a standard width of 1270mm, while the smaller ETM version is 1170mm wide. Both units offer high speed, 360 steering and advanced ergonomics. Regenerative deceleration means that up to 20% of the energy is fed back into the battery, enabling the trucks to work up to two shifts on a single battery charge. As a result, in many cases charging stations and expensive battery changes can be dispensed with. Drive, steer and lift motors are based on three-phase AC technology, making the trucks fast and durable with low maintenance requirements. In fact, with a travel speed of 14km/hr, Jungheinrich claims the ETM/ETV is faster than any competitive model on the market. The AC drive also offers high torque, even at lower speeds, to give high cycle performance. This means the truck does not have to come to a halt, which is typical of other reach trucks. Lift speeds have been increased by up to 26%. The 360 steering on the Series 2 trucks means that changes can be made in travel direction without the need to stop, resulting in considerable time savings. Although this feature is not unique to the Series 2, Jungheinrich is the only manufacturer to offer 360 and 180 steering modes on each truck, with a push button change over between the two options. The 180 steering is particularly useful for longer travel distances, and its inclusion allows the driver to tailor the steering to each particular job. Requiring 60% less energy than hydraulic steering, the electrical steering is virtually silent. Further more, the absence of a steering column means there is more legroom in the cab. A comprehensive display uses clear symbols to keep the driver informed of which steering mode the truck is in, along with battery discharge and energy reclamation levels. Driver comfort Its all very well having a high performance truck, but if the driver is uncomfortable and suffering from fatigue, efficiency will be adversely effected. To help combat this, Jungheinrich has put a lot of effort into getting optimum ergonomics on the Series 2 trucks. Long grab handles and a step panel lowered to 520mm ensure easy entry and access to the comfortable seat that has five different settings. The seat can be adjusted to accommodate drivers weighing between 50 and 130kg and absorbs 50% of all vibrations. All hydraulic functions are easily operated with one hand via the Multi-Pilot control lever which has been lowered to enable the driver to rest his arm on the armrest during operations. The armrest can be adjusted horizontally, with the Multi-Pilot automatically moving with it so the two are always synchronised. Another notable feature of the Multi-Pilot is the accuracy of the proportional valve control that gives pinpoint control of the forks without any over-run. The steering wheel can also be adjusted horizontally and vertically and has been repositioned to the left of the cab in a more natural arm position. This also provides a clear line of vision to the driver display, or TFT colour screen in the case of the optional on-board computer. High levels of all-round visibility are achieved with a redesigned load guard over the cab, the lowered bonnet and panorama lifting frame with optimised hose positioning. The cab also incorporates convenient storage areas that include a pen tray, a compartment for A4 documents, a can/bottle holder and a glove compartment for personal belongings. Stable mast profiles for the two stage (ZT) and three stages (DZ) mast versions and rigid transverse bars offer increased robustness and safety. For the end user, this means more operating cycles per shift thanks to higher speeds and increased residual loading capacities. On the Series 2, the forks can be tilted independently of the mast, saving energy and minimising vibration in the lifting frame. A system to position the sideshift and forks in the centre of, or vertically to the load at the touch of a button available as an optional extra dispenses with time-consuming multiple approaches to the pallet to get the correct position. Another option is height pre-selection where the required pallet position can be approached automatically, again at the touch of a button. A patented mast reach cushioning system for trucks with a minimum lift height of 7100mm reduces mast torsion when stacking and retrieving pallets by up to 80%. As a result positioning time is reduced and handling is safer, particularly for delicate and sensitive loads. Like Jungheinrichs counterbalance trucks, the Series 2 features CurveControl as standard. This automatically adapts the trucks travel speed in relation to the steering angle, effectively increasing safety levels while cornering. Control electronics for all drive and hydraulic functions operate on Can-Bus technology. Components communicate directly with one another, simplifying both the exchange of information and servicing time. The fully enclosed electronics unit is IP 65 protected, which in addition to an insulted socket system, allows safe long-term use, even in arduous and extreme temperature conditions. This is particularly important in the cold store environment a market that Jungheinrich is further catering for with the introduction of a new cold store cab for the ETV 214/216. Designed to provide drivers with a comfortable workplace in low temperature conditions, it features two powerful heaters positioned in the footwell and at the top of the cab. Large windows made from safe, scratch resistant coated polycarbonate provide excellent visibility, with heated windows available as an optional extra. Fresh air is supplied into the cabs interior through well positioned air ducts to give the driver a pleasant working atmosphere and prevent the windows from misting up. Counterbalance IC Always regarded as one of the leaders in electric warehouse trucks, Jungheinrich is looking to further strengthen its position in the IC counterbalance market with introductions in the four to five tonne capacity range. The DFG (diesel) and TFGH (gas) trucks are available in 4000, 4500 and 5000kg capacities with hydrostatic or hydrodynamic drive units. The hydrostatic version is particularly useful in applications where travel direction of the truck frequently changes, for example, loading/unloading cycles where dynamic acceleration, fast reversing and precision control are needed. Hydrodynamic trucks are suited to medium to long distance operation, where the auto shift twin speed transmission provides high travel speeds with optimum economy. The new trucks feature large capacity Perkins engines specially designed for the lift truck sector that generate high torque even at low speeds. The benefits of this include lower fuel consumption and noise levels, combined with high levels of reliability over a long service life. Emission levels are low and the engines comply with all current and pending EU Directives. The gas versions are fitted with a catalytic convertor as standard, although a three-way catalytic converter is available as an option, as are various particulate filter systems on the diesel trucks. Ergonomic detail In common with Jungheinrichs latest reach truck, the new counterbalance units feature an ergonomically designed cab to increase driver comfort and reduce fatigue. According to the company, this encourages the highest health and safety standards and enables drivers to concentrate fully on work routines from a comfortable, stress-free environment. This attention to ergonomic detail helps to ensure maximum handling productivity, even during the most arduous and testing shifts. Another new product from Jungheinrich the EKX narrow aisle stacker is intended to meet growing demands for a low cost man-up truck with relatively low lift heights of up to 7.5m. This unit completes the companys range of man-up stackers, which is now available in capacities of 1000, 1250 and 1500kg, with a choice of lift heights ranging from four to 14.5m. Last, but by no means least in terms of unit numbers, Jungheinrich has launched the latest version of its hand pallet truck. Replacing the AM 2000, said to be the worlds best selling hand pallet truck, the new TM22 has been designed with ergonomics and durability as key considerations. Prior to launch, Jungheinrich carried out extensive field testing at companies including Asda, Ikea and BMW. Customer response is reported to have been uniformly positive. Extreme strain testing has also been carried out at the military university in Hamburg, where there were no signs of wear after 30,000 lifts. Particular benefits of the TM22 include a handle that can be operated with either hand making it suitable for both right and left handed operators. It has also been designed so that operation is possible using one hand in the centre of the tiller. Another notable feature of the TM22 is that it comes with a quicklift pump as standard one of only a couple of ranges on the market to offer this benefit. Using the quicklift just three pumps of the tiller arm are required to clear the load of the floor, and full lift height can be achieved in five. With all its new products, Jungheinrich promises increased safety, reliability and productivity. And there are assurances that price levels will remain the same, which can only be good news for the customer.

More articles from Jungheinrich UK Ltd: