Case Study Fork Lift Trucks Emission impossible:
Crown lift truck fitted with fuel cell in application
closely with government institutions which have been supporting the development of fuel cell technology in the USA through state-aid programmes for many years. This commitment to fuel cell technology research played a part in Coca-Cola Bot- tling Co. Consolidated’s decision in favour of Crown. “As one of the first Coca-Cola bottlers to make the move to use fuel cell lift trucks, it was Important that we set the standard by partnering with a provider that has conducted significant research on
For the past few years, the company has been researching the performance and sustainability issues associated with the use of fuel cells in lift trucks, working closely with leading fuel cell manufacturers to optimise both aspects. Exhaustive testing has pro- duced valuable data about the ways forklifts must be adapted so they can be fitted with the new technology – now customers can be confident that their fuel cell-powered lift trucks meet the same high standards as conventional electrically powered lift trucks.
“Hydrogen refuelling takes approximately two to five minutes, while replacing a depleted battery can take as long as 40 minutes”
the technology and has a strong commit- ment to its customers’ sustainability ini- tiatives as well as its own,” explains Dave Brown, vice president of manufacturing at Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated. “After visiting Crown’s fuel cell research cen- tre and touring its manufacturing areas, we were confident Crown was the right choice.”
This also applies to the fuel cell-powered fleet of FC 4500 Series counterbalanced fork lift trucks that has just been delivered to Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.
GREATER EFFICIENCY
Converting a lift truck fleet to fuel cell technol- ogy does require some additional investment
www.shdlogistics.com
in warehouse infrastructure – to provide suitable storage facilities for hydrogen, for example. But this one-off capital investment can usually be offset against the benefits of introducing the new technology, such as a pos- sible increase in productivity. Fuel cells can power lift trucks with a steady, non-stop flow of energy for up to two shifts in a row. And with minimal training, lift truck drivers can easily look af- ter refuelling the trucks themselves. “Hydrogen refuelling takes approximately two to five minutes, while replacing a depleted battery can take
as long as 40 minutes,” explains Tim Quellhorst, senior vice president, Crown Equipment. “What’s more, in demanding facilities batteries may need to be changed after as little as six hours of runtime.” The company’s research into the use of fuel cells in materials handling is just one aspect of the Crown ecologic programme, which focuses on the sustainability of products, manufacturing processes and services. Together with the company’s fuel cell qualification programme, this research work serves to highlight the years of experi- ence and expertise that underlie Crown’s use of fuel cell technology. At the same time the high quality of the Crown fuel cell forklifts already in use is setting new standards in the American and European forklift markets. n
www.crown.com $20
estimated value of the global market in 2020
bn fuel cell Storage Handling Distribution July 2012 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52