That safety is enjoying increasing attention was visible at CeMAT. This international trade fair in Hanover showed various innovations that enhance safety around forklift trucks on the shop floor. Five appealing examples in words and pictures.
1. Virtual forklift training
Forklift training without a forklift? It is possible with FL-Simulators' forklift simulator in combination with the virtual reality glasses Oculus Rift. With these glasses on their heads, forklift drivers can follow a course in a virtual, three-dimensional environment, avoiding pedestrians and other forklifts. The simulator itself includes a steering wheel, pedals and dashboard, so that drivers actually get the idea of driving around on a real forklift truck. With FL-Simulations' software, it is possible to train on specific, common situations tailored to the drivers' real-life situations.
2. Better visibility for the load
With large loads on the fork, a mistake is easily made. A high or wide pallet largely obscures visibility, making it difficult to manoeuvre and can lead to unsafe situations. A camera in the mast offers a solution, and fortunately these cameras are getting better and better. Dutch company Orlaco has now developed a camera with a light sensitivity of 0.05 lux. This means an even better and sharper image. Moreover, the quality of the image on the monitor adjusts at lightning speed if a truck suddenly moves from light into darkness or vice versa. A special coating prevents reflections of light in the image. The days when you had to have a well-practised eye to read the image are definitely over.
3. Camera warns of pedestrians
It has been said before: collisions with pedestrians top the list of forklift accidents. At CeMAT, Jungheinrich showed a truck with a camera to change this. The camera closely monitors the area behind the truck. The built-in vision software is capable of detecting people and immediately alerts the driver if someone walks behind the truck. The latter can therefore immediately apply the brakes and avoid a collision. The truck in question also has a sensor in the roof that registers when the machine is moving from outside to inside. The driving speed is then automatically adjusted.
Not entirely new, but still inspiring to see: the forklift bumper from wuBump. Why fit all scaffold stands, columns and other objects with collision protection when we can fit the same shock-absorbing material to forklifts? Belgium-based Wuylens Engineering developed the bumper based on 25 years of experience in collision reconstruction. The bumper absorbs collision energy, thereby reducing the risk of equipment damage. It also increases driver safety, partly because they have to absorb fewer hard blows in a collision and are less likely to suffer whiplash. Incidentally, it is questionable whether a bumper alone on forklifts is sufficient to ensure safety on the shop floor. In practice, a combination with collision protection will give the best results.
Tom van BLOM - Material handling expert
