Hyster designs lift truck to withstand dusty environments

Forklift truck maker Hyster has launched a new model for the European market designed for the recycling industry to overcome the problem of overheated engines caused by dust and paper debris. The new truck will be on display at the RWM event in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in mid-September 2015.

“When operating standard forklift trucks in the paper industry, the radiators can easily get clogged up, causing unnecessary downtime,” says David Reeve, industry manager of counterbalance solutions at Hyster. “This is not only frustrating, it costs businesses money in lost production and can lead to other problems.”

Known as the “Cool Truck,” the new Hyster forklift includes features designed to overcome the difficult environments found in the paper supply chain, particularly paper recycling and manufacturing operations. It is based on the Hyster H4.0-5.5FT range with capacities from 4.5 to 5 metric tons.

“First of all, we had to reduce the amount of debris entering the engine compartment and getting stuck on the transmission or in the radiator,” says Reeve, adding that baling wires can also get trapped and even damage the fins on the radiator fan. “As a first line of defense, we developed a fully enclosed frame and vented hoods, side panels and radiator covers to reduce the vacuuming of debris from the floor into the engine compartment.”

The Combi Cooler radiator fan changes direction every 20 minutes, for 20 seconds, blowing out unwanted dust collected when the fan takes air in. The feature is designed to keep the truck running longer, minimize radiator cleanouts and to keep the truck cool in high ambient operating temperatures.

An optional load weight display featured on the Hyster Cool Truck is designed to make lifting heavy or awkward loads easier and to save time for the operator. “Paper bales have non-standard dimensions and weights. Frequently left outside, the bales can absorb rain water resulting in additional weight,” says Reeve. “To reassure drivers, we have built-in load weight indicators.”

Other Cool Truck package modifications include:

• a rubber guard over the drive axle;
• brake line guards and ballistic nylon covers for the tilt and steer cylinders;
• a solid belly pan under the engine compartment;
• heat-resistant protection over the turbo; and
• a high air intake with pre-cleaner.

“This truck is designed to keep going in these tough applications, increasing the reliability and dependability that end users need from their equipment,” states Reeve.

Hyster offers more than 140 models of counterbalance trucks and other warehouse and container handling equipment. Cleveland, Ohio-based Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc. employs more than 5,000 people worldwide.