Crown's new C-5

Crown Equipment Corporation announced the availability of its first company-manufactured internal combustion (IC) forklift with the release of the Crown C-5 Series. The new forklift combines the company's core expertise in material handling with the agriculturally tested endurance of John Deere's S250 engine.

The engine was jointly developed for the C-5 with John Deere Power Systems. It allows for engine cooling and radiator clearing via an on-demand cooling system.

"Our customers came to us with internal combustion forklift issues related to engine performance, overheating, operator comfort and maintenance," says Crown president Jim Dicke III. "We saw an opportunity to help our customers move beyond the existing limitations of IC truck performance."

Crown's research and development included analysis of maintenance work performed on thousands of IC trucks. Crown's work with John Deere produced a 2.4-liter industrial engine for the C-5 that features a cast iron head and larger, more robust components designed to prevent overheating and warping. This will extend the forklift's lifespan to twice that of existing IC trucks, according to Crown.

The C-5's horsepower and low-end torque contribute to performance during acceleration, incline-loaded travel, and carrying or pushing heavy loads.

"People generally don't drive their cars for eight to 16 hours a day, six days a week," says Crown product manager Andy Smith. "In fact, running an automotive engine in a forklift for just 2,500 hours is the equivalent of driving 100,000 miles (16,090Km) at 40 miles per hour (64.4Km/h) in a car. An automotive engine just isn't built to withstand the demands of many material handling environments."

That's why Crown decided not to go with an automotive engine, and instead opted for one that has been tested in agricultural and construction settings noted for dirt, debris and longer run times. Crown addressed the overheating challenge with a dual open-core radiator with separate cooling systems for the engine and transmission. This is a standard feature on the C-5.

An optional On-Demand Cooling (ODC) system automatically clears itself of debris and provides precise cooling to manage heat in intense and dirty environments. Each time a user starts the C-5, the ODC system's radiator-clearing feature reverses the fan direction to dislodge any debris. This reduces the frequency of radiator cleanings, which reduces maintenance costs and increases uptime, according to Smith.

In addition, the ODC system adjusts its fan speed based on engine temperature, and the strategic placement of the fan improves cooling efficiency by pulling air evenly through the radiator rather than pushing the air out.

Another challenge facing IC lift truck users has been the high cost of frequent service and maintenance issues. Crown projects that in its first 2,000 hours of operation, the C-5 will average just 79 routine maintenance tasks. This is expected to result in reduced downtime and lowered out-of-pocket maintenance costs.