Four Emerging Lift Truck Technologies to Use in Your Warehouse

TPPL and lithium-ion batteries can be simply plugged in and charge faster, without the same complex watering, equalizing and cooling requirements of lead-acid batteries. Photo courtesy of Yale Lift Truck Technologies.

As warehouses face labor, safety and productivity challenges, technology may be the key to solving them.

By: Joe Koch, Contributor

Modern warehouses face a challenging landscape, pressured to meet rising productivity targets but keep costs in check, while relying on a transient labor pool that comes with the inherent safety risk of inexperienced lift truck operators. The industry’s prodigious growth means the warehouse workforce has more than doubled in just a decade, and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows injury and illness rates for warehouse and distribution centers are higher than in private industry overall. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has taken notice and launched a three-year-long national emphasis program focused on reducing the rate of warehouse incidents resulting in injury and days away from work.¹

With warehouses facing increased regulatory attention on top of the push to boost productivity using a less experienced workforce, technology can help bridge the gap. But what technologies are out there? How mature are they? And where do they fit in warehouse operations?

TELEMETRY

Warehouse technology can range from tools offering managers visibility and data to solutions for full and partial automation. Telemetry systems are an example of technology that provides clear, actionable data to help take some of the guesswork out of managing warehouse operations.

Specifically, lift truck telemetry provides real-time monitoring of lift truck status and other information to help operations prioritize safety and productivity. For instance, telemetry systems can equip supervisors with impact detection, alerts and other data to help identify when operators need additional training and make decisions to improve fleet utilization and asset makeup. The systems can also be used to restrict truck access to only operators who have completed training for that specific model, to keep track of operator training updates and to digitize pre-shift OSHA checklists.

OPERATOR ASSIST SYSTEMS

Where there are humans, there is the risk of human error — including lift truck accidents. For inexperienced operators trying to meet demanding productivity targets, advanced operator assistance technologies can step in when operators slip up to help reinforce lift truck operating best practices and support operator awareness. This technology works by applying interventions in response to compromised stability, obstacles detected in the path of travel or in close proximity, and even based on rules specified for certain areas of the warehouse.

In practice, the detection technology can trigger trucks to automatically slow as they approach other pieces of equipment and obstacles, and real-time location sensing can enable speed limitations as trucks approach the end of an aisle, intersections or areas that are not designated for equipment traffic. Hydraulic function can also be limited to help operators lower elevated loads in a more controlled manner, to reduce the risk of product damage. The system also sends visual alerts to the operator in addition to speed reduction to inform them of the cause of the performance adjustment — a helpful tool to reinforce proper lift truck operation established during operator training.

This technology can also be tailored in the event operational requirements do not warrant investment in object detection, proximity detection or location-based functionality. If a facility evaluates forklift operations and sees the most value in targeting situations like operators taking corners too fast, pulling product from high racking or tilting the mast too quickly or too far with a load in an unfavorable position, technology can be packaged accordingly. In such cases, solutions provide performance interventions based on load and truck stability, focusing on truck acceleration, speed and mast control.

Operator assistance technology like the Yale Reliant™ suite can trigger trucks to automatically slow as they approach other pieces of equipment and obstacles. Photo courtesy of Yale Lift Truck Technologies.

AUTOMATION

Around the world, businesses are turning to automation to help augment their labor pool and reduce operating costs. Automated lift trucks are an example of a solution that warehouses can use to reliably automate a number of repetitive tasks, such as moving finished products to storage or shipping areas, accurately racking pallets and moving them away from receiving docks to make room for new arrivals, and more. Because automated lift trucks follow programmed site-specific rules such as maximum speed or minimum distance from pedestrians or objects, they can also help reduce the risk of accidents, collisions or other safety incidents.

ADVANCED POWER SOURCES

For years, warehouses have relied on lift trucks powered by lead-acid batteries, which can pose the risk of incidental contact between products and potentially dangerous acid, fumes or spills. However, the landscape of motive power options for lift trucks now includes newer electric power sources such as lithium-ion and thin plate pure lead (TPPL) batteries. Because they generate zero harmful emissions, these power sources allow operations to mitigate contamination risks and reduce their environmental footprint. They can also help operations realize other benefits, such as increased uptime, productivity and capacity.

TPPL and lithium-ion batteries can be simply plugged in and charge faster, without the same complex watering, equalizing and cooling requirements of lead-acid batteries. This frees operations from the labor and time-intensive process of changing and charging lead-acid batteries. Whereas multiple lead-acid batteries may be needed to power a truck over the course of multiple shifts, the 1-1 ratio of power source-to-truck for lithium-ion and TPPL battery packs can also allow warehouses to reclaim valuable space that might otherwise be used for lead-acid battery maintenance and storage.

ADOPTING TECHNOLOGY PURPOSEFULLY

It’s worth noting that safety-focused technologies are not meant to replace a strong operator training program. Think of them as complements — training teaches operators best practices, stability control systems and operator assist technologies help reinforce the best practices learned in training, and telemetry empowers managers to continuously audit performance.

According to this year’s MHI Industry Report, 83% of operations are preparing to adopt automation and sensors in the next five years, a testament to technology maturing beyond early adopters. If your company is among those pursuing these technologies or you need to evaluate if one is the right next step for your operation, a trusted resource is an important factor.²

Someone who is not tied to a specific technology but has experience applying a versatile lineup to meet the needs of a variety of different operations can help you understand how to best implement technology in your facility and navigate the next wave of warehouse solutions. WMHS

Joe Koch is Sales Manager – Emerging Technology, for Yale Lift Truck Technologies, which leverages over a century of material handling experience and substantial investment in innovation to bring the most advanced technology-driven lift truck solutions to market. The company offers a full line of award-winning lift trucks, including reach trucks, order pickers, turret trucks, pallet jacks and trucks, pallet stackers, tow tractors and counterbalanced forklifts, as well as powerful operator assist solutions, proven robotics and a wide range of power sources to help customers adapt to today’s demanding supply chain. www.yale.com/en-us/north-america/