Konecranes has added new upgrades as part of its Lifetime Advantage program.

Two of the four new upgrades directly address safety issues. The first safety upgrade, a container checking safety system for Konecranes empty container handlers, allows drivers or service technicians to check or perform maintenance on containers while the container is gripped by the spreader, reducing the downtime needed for container repairs. The system uses mechanical locks to put the driving gears into neutral, block hydraulics and prevent the container from lowering. As an extra precaution, an indicator light on the fender flashes until the driver deactivates the system. 

The second safety upgrade is a collision warning and object recognition camera system for Konecranes reachstackers, mounted on the counterweight at the back. When an obstacle is detected in the direction the truck is moving, an alarm alerts the driver, becoming more urgent as the object gets closer. The camera provides a clear image of what is in the truck’s path on the control panel so that the driver can adjust direction to avoid the obstacle.

“Safety and productivity are our highest priorities at Konecranes, so we work hard to include enhancements for both in every Lifetime Advantage release,” says Johan Karhammer, global spare parts operations manager at Konecranes Lift Trucks. “Our latest upgrades are type-specific – for empty container handlers, reachstackers or forklifts – offering an additional level of specialised improvements so that our customers have access to the best range of options to suit their particular needs.”

The other two upgrades in this release are designed to improve productivity on all Konecranes forklifts and empty container handlers equipped with an MD4 master display. The first one is an engine shutdown software solution, while a new height indicator with an alarm goes off when a laser senses that the total height of the machine reaches a specified limit.

“The Konecranes Lifetime Advantage program is intended to support customers in their day-to-day business operations,” says Patrik Lundbäck, director and head of sales and distribution at Konecranes Lift Trucks. “The success of our upgrades is due to the cooperation of our program team and our global distributor network working together with customers to continuously add value to their container handling operations.”