 The Crown RM 6000 series |
In technology advances, Crown Equipment Corp is introducing a narrow-aisle reach truck with a MonoLift mast and a remote-advance system for order picking.
In releasing the Crown RM 6000 series into the market, Crown says the forklift is the industry's first pantograph model with a single mast and capability to reach 505 inches (12.6 m).
The QuickPick remote-advance system allows an order selector wearing a wireless transceiver glove to move the truck without returning to the operator's compartment.
Crown Equipment provided product previews of the RM 6000 and the QuickPick system during the International Foodservice Distributors Association conference held on 25-27 October in Tampa, Florida and aimed for early February market launches.
Last week's inclement weather in the mid-west, however, required Crown to make a quick change in plans. Crown management was disappointed at the need to cancel an in-person media event at its facility in New Bremen but expressed appreciation to those participating in a 4 February online event.
James Moran, Crown senior vice president, describes the new products as allowing the company's customers to "achieve competitive advantage, reduce costs and improve operator productivity."
RM 6000 narrow-aisle reach truck The rigid design of the Crown RM 6000 series MonoLift mast is rooted in a boxed-in cross-section construction that Crown developed originally for its turret trucks. Traditionally, reach trucks have dual upright masts.
Crown conducted more than 50,000 hours of field testing on the new equipment. In a RM 6000 case study, Crown reports a large grocery operation running reach trucks for a total of 4,000 hours per year saved USD2,085 per truck from the regenerative lowering and labour savings from fewer battery changes.
With forks capable of rising 153 feet (3.8 m) per minute, "the RM 6000 changes everything at a time when our customers are looking to maximize existing space" in high-density warehouses and distribution centres, says Maria Schwieterman, a Crown marketing product manager. "Warehouse managers can gain 15% more pallet positions simply by filling open slots at the top of racks. And, it's all achieved by a reach truck that delivers exceptional visibility, controllability and performance."
Crown's RR 5700 with dual upright masts will remain in the market. Moran says the RM 6000 is most suitable "in areas where warehouse space is most expensive" including "anybody wanting to go higher in the same footprint or a smaller footprint".
Crown has calculated the new reach truck's lift heights and capacities may enable a customer to save about USD2.6 million in constructing a 250,000-sqft (22,222-sqm) freezer warehouse up ― and not out.
Crown touts improved visibility, in part because the mast is offset to the left of the operator and narrows the higher it goes. A reshaped reach carriage creates a larger window at eye level giving the operator a better view of fork tips and load.
The RM 6000 has Crown's OnTrac anti-slip traction control system, standard AC motors and electronic steering along with the regenerative brakes and lowering system.
In 1998, Crown says it was the first forklift manufacturer to unveil the sit-lean-stand design for operator positioning for reach trucks.
QuickPick remote advance system The QuickPick system |
The wireless transceiver module on the QuickPick system snaps into a holder on the back of the glove and periodically transmits and receives radio-frequency (RF) signals from an RF tower located on the truck. Signals relating to the QuickPick remote advance system operate independently of warehouse networks.
The operator presses a button on the glove to remotely advance the truck to the next pick location. The order picker can remain in optimum position for the picking function.
Currently, the technology is available on Crown PC 4500 series centre-control rider pallet trucks.
Task-automating technologies can simplify workflow and improve the picking process, says Rod Squires, a Crown marketing product manager. Crown field studies indicate the technology can help reduce the number of steps order selectors take on and off the platform by up to 70% and reduce the number of steps in the picking process.
"Low-level order picking is a fast-paced, physically demanding job where operator fatigue has a significant impact on productivity," Squires notes. "It's also an area that has experienced limited advancements in the way order picking is performed through the years."
Crown characterises the QuickPick remote advance as the first system of its kind.
For advancing the truck, a customer has a choice between the transceiver glove or a transceiver trigger. Both are wireless remotes.
Lasers can detect obstacles in the path of the truck and, as needed, automatically apply brakes. The lasers detect proximity to racks and enable the system to utilise Crown's Access 1 2 3 comprehensive system control to initiate minor corrections to the travel path.