The lift truck industry, as a whole, is currently going through some very dynamic times when it comes to technological innovations. It is these technical innovations in lift truck design that will play an important role in assisting customers in their efforts to streamline internal processes and improve efficiencies. The most exciting innovation recently unveiled to the U.S. lift truck industry is the introduction of ac motor technology in electric lift trucks.
Although the use of ac technology in lift truck design has been widely used and accepted in the European and Asian markets for approximately 10 years now, its application in the U.S. market has been extremely limited due to the challenges in designing a low-cost, compact-sized controller that operates on the lower voltages (36 V & 48 V) the U.S. market demands. Limited, that is, until now. The engineers at Toyota Industries Corp were able to overcome these challenges by applying many of the technological innovations found in the Toyota electric and hybrid automobiles into their full line of electric lift trucks. In fact, in 2001, Toyota became the first major lift truck supplier in the United States to adopt ac drive systems, with the introduction of the 7FBCU four wheel electric lift truck. And with last year''s introduction of the 7FBEU three wheel ac electric lift truck, all Toyota electric sit-down rider lift trucks are now configured with ac controls as standard equipment.
What does this breakthrough mean for end users? First off, with the Federal EPA coming down hard with regulations limiting lift truck emissions, some customers are faced with the question either to stay with internal combustion engine (ICE) lift trucks, or make the switchover to electric. Prior to ac-powered lift trucks, many customers could not sacrifice productivity losses from traditional dc-powered lift trucks. With the advent of ac technology in lift trucks, the performance gap between ICE lift trucks and electric lift trucks closes significantly, making it easier for end users to switch to electric without sacrificing productivity.
In addition, ICE-powered lift trucks contain many moving parts (transmission clutches, motor, valves, pumps, starter, etc.), which require regular maintenance. AC motors contain no brushes to inspect or replace, lowering operating costs and lift truck downtime. The ac motors are essentially maintenance free. Combine the maintenance cost reductions, along with the EPA regulations, and performance gains, and it becomes much easier for customers to see how this technology can improve material handling processes and efficiencies within their working environment.