Upward in a downturn
December 1st 2008

Toyota says the new BT Reflex reach truck range shifts 12 per cent more pallets per hour than its predecessor, and uses 15 per cent less energy. With retailers looking to cut costs as the high street slows – and all sectors driving out inefficiencies – the company says the downturn isn't necessarily a bad time to launch new technology. Brendan Coyne reports

Reach truck product manager, Mark Ogden, says there is no single 'all singing, all dancing' feature in the new 1.4 – 2.5t Reflex range, more a case of the continuous improvement, or kaizen, upon which Toyota built its reputation: 'kai' means change, 'zen' means good.

"The previous generation was a very good truck," says Ogden. "We still command a strong reach truck market share, some 26 per cent according to BITA statistics, so it was very successful. But we've made hundreds of small improvements to deliver a truck that best fits market requirements." To define market requirements, Toyota surveyed "hundreds" of European customers, and according to Ogden, their key buying criteria are safety, productivity, driveability and durability. He says given that the kaizen-driven Toyota Production System (TPS) would automatically cover durability, the challenge was to develop the truck around the top three customer requirements. According to Ogden, the truck was then redesigned from the bottom up in order to fulfill all three.

Safety "We spent a lot of time on visibility because visibility leads to safety,"says Ogden. "We already had a very safe truck but we've enhanced it by lowering panels to the front and side – the edges of the cab as they surround the driver actually sit quite low in relation to his body. Also the front of the dash slopes away from the driver so he can view the fork tips." The re-design of the chassis was facilitated by moving electrical components from beneath the driver's right arm to create the lower profile, and these components are now tucked under the foot well, but, according to Toyota, without reducing leg room.

Alongside the inclusion of rear view cutout, the overhead cab has also been redesigned to increase visibility, and minimise blindspots. "You can't achieve 360 degrees panoramic view but initial tests suggest we're around 320 degrees," claims Ogden.

As with most modern trucks, the cab is fully adjustable – with steering wheel, console and seat separately so. But a genuinely different feature is the Reflex's tilting cab, available with the Reflex Driveability+ package. According to Ogden it's both a safety and a driveability boost.

Driveability Ogden says getting drivers onside is paramount to success, reflected in its ubiquitous inclusion in pan European customer requirements. He says the tilting cab is a major factor in delivering driver satisfaction. "We had the tilting cab on the previous generation, but it is genuinely unique. This truck is fast, with rapid acceleration and breaking, and lifts higher (to 12.5m). We are able to get a tonne to 12m," says Ogden. "When you're up at these heights – indeed anything above 6m – you need good visibility and the driver to be comfortable. The tilting cab means they no longer have to strain their neck to see what they are doing. It's not a gimmick, but a factual USP that enhances not only driveability but safety and productivity – because if you can see your forktips at height, it's quicker, safer and more comfortable."

Productivity and energy savings Ogden says the 'bottom up' nature of the redesign extends to the motors and gears to improve productivity. "We started with the wheel, gearbox and gear chain etc., and added a bigger wheel and gearbox but with the same size motor," he says. "By employing more advanced electronic controllers we've been able to reduce the energy consumption of the motor." He says a concept called transitional lifting control means the forks don't slow down under free lift, delivering seamless lifting and lowering without vibration and noise. The result is improved lifting and lowering speeds, which contribute significantly to improved productivity.

According to Ogden, the truck is 12 per cent more productive than the previous reach truck range in terms of pallets moved per hour, and uses 15 per cent less energy per pallet. "That's a massive saving," says Ogden.

Retail The bulk of volume sales, he says, will naturally be retail distribution. The range has been tested with two major retail distributors in the UK over the last two years, where according to Ogden, the mettle of warehouse trucks is tested. Repeatedly.

"If it survives the test of time in the UK, it will weather whatever mainland Europe can throw at it. Its been proven in the most intensive UK and European operations. But although the retail market is where the volumes lie, there is something for everybody, we haven't forgotten the other sectors or the smaller customers." Does he think that the retail market will be keen to invest when the high street is feeling the lasting effects of the credit crunch? Does Toyota think it wise to launch a new truck during what looks to be an inevitable recession? Ogden's answer is yes to both.

"Retailers, like everybody else, still have to drive down their costs per pallet and all eyes are on the supply chain. We don't see the market diminishing over the planned period because people will always need the basics such as food, clothes and household goods," says Ogden. "Both Toyota and its customers take a longer term view and there is never a question of holding back better products. That is not Toyota's nature," he says. "We're bringing good news to the market at a time when, in terms of financial climate, everybody seems to have bad news."

Sustainability For another declining climate, ie the planet's, Ogden has more good news for the market, some 6 billion customers: the Reflex range, like the Tonero, is 99 per cent reclaimable at end of life. Is that driven by the retail market's desire to show good corporate citizenship? "Businesses across the board want to improve their environmental credentials, and the public facing businesses especially so," says Ogden. "Toyota is up there with them – and always has been. [99 per cent reclaimability] is a practice we started with the Tonero and will continue on the new range of electric counterbalances next year.

Much like the car industry, where Toyota is driving advances with vehicles such as the Prius, bringing our approach to the materials handling industry is a natural progression."

Plus packages and options First launched on the Tonero, the new generation Reflex line (and the forthcoming electric counterbalance range) will continue the 'plus package' approach. Reflex Safety+, Reflex Productivity+ and Reflex Driveability+ are all available to specifiers. Ogden claims Safety+ is the highest selling package on the Tonero, followed by Productivity+, and expects the Reflex to mirror those preferences: "The safety package will be the main seller because it is a top priority within the big retail fleets," he says.

But why not roll all the elements into one 'über' truck? "It's a case of adding just what the customer needs and what will provide a payback," says Ogden. "All the elements are not applicable to every application.

Although it is primarily aimed at the retail market, which will require similar features, there are smaller volume users that will also require the flexibility to tailor their truck to their operation. And we can provide this." In terms of options available with any of the plus packages, Ogden, who spent 10 years in BT's technical department prior to becoming reach truck product manager, says the 90° forktilt and self centring sideshift at the touch of a button will be most popular.

"Those two little details will, I think, make the biggest impact. In the short infancy of the truck, three major retail chains are interested in those two options because they can see the business benefits." For further details on the new Reflex range, either visit www.toyotaforklifts.co.uk, call the number below, or use the free HSS reader enquiry service.

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