Investment pays dividends
September 1st 2007 Having ploughed substantial sums into both new product design and the
redevelopment of its production facilities within the past 18 months, Germanowned
forklift truck manufacturer Jungheinrich expects to record its highest
ever order intake during 2007
Perhaps the most significant
development from the company is
its new range of IC engine-powered
counterbalanced machines featuring a
hydrostatic drive.
In simple terms, hydrostat trucks offer
high levels of operator comfort and are
suited to intensive materials handling
operations, whereas converter trucks are
at home in applications where the work
schedule is less punishing. With the
launch of its new hydrostatic range
Jungheinrich has become one of the very
few companies that produce both types.
"A hydrostatic truck is the ideal product
for applications where a lot of 'shuttling'
work is involved – such as lorry loading and
unloading within and around a busy
warehouse or factory environment," says Dr
Tobias Harzer, head of product
management and product marketing for
counterbalance trucks at Jungheinrich. "It
also scores highly over converter trucks in
applications where ramp work is involved or
where fast and frequent changes of
direction are required. With a hydrostat
machine acceleration is fast and direct while
changes in direction are sleek and smooth."
Jungheinrich's new hydrostatic drive
model – the VFG 425-435s – is capable of
lifting loads weighing up to 3500 kg up to
heights of 7.5 metres and is available in
both LPG (TFG) and diesel (DFG) versions.
The truck's motor is supplied by
Volkswagen and has been designed to offer
low noise levels and emissions, while fuel
consumption is also particularly low, as Dr
Harzer explains: "Our test cycles have
shown that over the course of 2000 hours of
typical operation our new hydrostatic truck
will save some 2500 euros in fuel costs in
comparison with a standard conventional
converter counterbalance truck. If you are
running a large fleet it is easy to see how the
overall savings can be extremely significant."
In addition, because hydrostatic drive
technology has only a few mechanical
components, the trucks are easier to
service and are low maintenance.
Furthermore, the VFG 425-435 series
provide a high degree of safety. For example,
thanks to the special design of the
counterweight and its high mounted safety
steering axle, the truck has a low centre of
gravity and, as a result, excellent stability is
assured without the need for an additional
electronic stability program. This principle has
already been used in IC engine driven trucks
developed by Jungheinrich since 2004.
Other safety features include high
operator forward visibility, which means
that during pallet pick-up and put-away the
operator has a virtually unobstructed view.
Visibility to the rear has also improved due
to the low top edge of the counterweight.
Pallet truck
Jungheinrich has unveiled a new powered
pallet truck. Available from this Autumn,
the ERE 225 has a fixed stand-on platform
and is equipped with 3-phase AC
technology as standard. The new model
was developed for fast and efficient lorry
loading and unloading and for transporting
large loads over longer distances. It can
achieve top speeds up to 12.5 km/h (with
load up to 9.5 km/h) and can transport
loads weighing up to 2,500 kg.
"There is an obvious trend towards fixed
stand-on platforms," comments Oliver
Hiekel, Product Manager for pedestrian
trucks at Jungheinrich. "Warehouses and
distribution centres the world over are
getting bigger so pickers have further to
travel so they need trucks that can handle
the longer distances. This means travelling
at speed but, of course, safely," he adds.
The truck's steering can be operated
from both sides to provide the operator
with a comfortable and safe sideways or
forward-facing standing position, while the
high backrest with integrated handle
provides additional protection.
The ERE also features 'ShockProtect' - a
patented system that protects the stand-on
platform against impact. 'ShockProtect
reduces the strain on the operator's spine
and lessens the impact on the truck's
technical components during the course of
its shift. Safety is further enhanced by
Jungheinrich's Curve Control system
which automatically adjusts the truck's
speed as it enters a corner depending on
the steering angle.
The new ERE 225 is also equipped with
electric steering as standard to ensure
precise and effortless steering of the truck
which ensures fatigue-free and ergonomic
operation over the entire shift.
The truck's SpeedControl system further
enhances safe and, importantly, energyefficient
operation. Thanks to the
SpeedControl device the speed stipulated
on the travel switch is maintained even
when the truck is going up or down a
slope. Furthermore, the ERE 225 brakes
automatically if the starts begins to roll
when standing on a ramp or incline and
regenerative braking channels energy
back into the battery when the truck is
slowing down.
A screwless one-piece motor cover and
removable side panelling allow easy
access to all components to ensurethat
routine maintenance can be carried
quickly and efficiently.
To ensure that the company is able to
meet the rapidly increasing global demand
for its range counterbalanced and
warehouse trucks, Jungheinrich has injected
some 40 million euros into its factories in
Moosburg, which is close to Munich, and
Norderstedt, located just outside the busy
industrial port city of Hamburg.
The upgrade to the Norderstedt facility
was completed in August of this year and
the plant now boasts what is considered to
be the biggest reach truck production line
in the world. A modern and ultra-efficient
flow line has replaced the previous cellbased
manufacturing techniques to ensure
that the high standards of engineering
efficiency are combined with the fastest
turnaround times. In fact, despite the
worldwide upsurge in demand for its reach
trucks, Jungheinrich's delivery times from
the receipt of an order can be kept as low
as six weeks. More articles from Chemstore Engineering: | 
