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CARGO HANDLING
WorldCargo
news
during the design and engineering. The ties that was later used as the base ma- The first Hoist ECH machine will be delivered
company’s engineering manager Bob chine for Neptune series marina trucks.
to Fastlane Transportation in California
Miller said that one of the key issues was Hoist initially intended to base the
stability - machines have generally been new ECH on the P-series as well, but Hoist has invested around US$5M in
getting lower, but there is plenty of vari- during the design process took a strate- automated CNC technology that allows
ation in width and some manufacturers gic decision to develop more modular one operator to run two machines simul-
use a shorter wheelbase on 4-6 high ma- platform made up of separate sub assem- taneously and greater standardisation will
chines compared with 7-8 high designs. blies that are bolted together. enable components to be machined in
Miller said that drivers in particular Although most machines for the batches and stocked for future produc-
thought “the wider the better,” and Hoist North American market will be delivered tion and spares, which significantly low-
has gone for a single 180in (4.5M) wheel- fully (or almost mostly) erect, export ers unit cost.
base across the range, a 157.5in wide machines will be shipped in containers. Hoist will still deliver its legacy prod-
(3.937m) drive axle for 4,5 and 6-high Two machines can be shipped in five 40ft ucts for the steel and other industries as
models and 175in for the 7- and 8- high containers and a machine can be bolted required, but these industries are much
machines. The exact height and position together in a day. more exposed to market fluctuations than
of the high-mount cab can be custom- Flaska has decided that the future for container handling and replacement in-
ised if required. Hoist is in higher volume series produc- tervals are significantly longer. One cus-
tion, and the company will re-engineer tomer recently returned a 50-year old
Inside out the P-series along the same modular ba- Elwell Parker machine for a rebuild rather
Hoist, like Linde-HTD before it, has sis as the ECH machine. than purchase a new machine! a74
opted for an “inside out” mast design
where the inner mast is rigid and the outer
sections telescope. Miller says facing the
inner uprights outwards provides supe-
rior lateral strength and makes it easier to
brace the mast sections from “front to
back,” reducing torsional stress at the same
time as improving the driver’s field of view.
Running the chains behind the mast fur-
ther reduces obstruction.
Another notable difference is inside
the cab where Hoist has gone for a
“dashless design.” Various owners and
operators told Hoist they wanted a cab
with nothing in front of the operator to
be broken, or adapted into a cup holder.
The main machine controls are integrated
into the operator’s armrest and the com-
mon gauges are displayed on a digital
MD3 screen that, along with the climate
controls is mounted at the driver’s side.
This enabled Hoist to take the glass right
down to the floor, increasing visibility.
RemoteTech
Hoist has been using CANbus technol-
ogy since 2000 and its vehicle manage-
ment and RemoteTech systems are based
on CANbus electronics. Every Hoist
machine has a main logic controller that
connects sensors for filters, engine, trans-
mission, hydraulics, overload, impact and
a range of other parameters.
The logic controller also manages op-
erating parameters such as speed, hoist
speed, gear lock-out, overload points and
transmission shift points. These can be set
at the machine to match the operating
environment by a certified technician, ef-
fectively giving the operator what Flaska
calls “a custom truck with no custom parts.”
Whereas previously a technician
needed to connect a laptop to the ma-
chine for troubleshooting, this can now
be done at the MD3 screen in the cab.
With Hoist’s optional RemoteTech sys-
tem the main logic controller can be
accessed from Hoist’s factory via a cellu-
lar link (using an antenna on top of the
cab). Hoist receives messages directly from
the machine and can then notify custom-
ers of problems by email or SMS.
RemoteTech also makes field trouble-
The power of innovation.
shooting easier and can minimise the need
to call a Hoist technician to the site.
Also of note is a hydraulic multi-gauge
The visionary Reachstacker from Linde.
that gives main pump, steer pump, load
sense, lifting cylinder, brake accumulator
and brake cylinder pressure from the one With its outstanding agility, superb precision and smooth control the Reachstacker from Linde
source, enabling pressures to be tested
embodies all the finest qualities of refined power.
without opening any hydraulic circuits.
The software behind RemoteTech
was developed in-house and operators can
leverage its database as a fleet manage-
Much more than just the sum of its parts, here is Man and machine in harmonious action. The fully
ment system, providing information on
integrated, versatile and responsive control and operating system is a visionary concept designed to
operating hours, fuel consumption and
make life easier. Combine this with Linde’s truly global service, spares and technical back-up and you
driver behaviour. Individual drivers can
can understand why we are world leaders.
be tracked with key codes and some Hoist
customers are setting operational param-
eters by driver, limiting speeds for inex-
perienced operators, for example.
The visionary Reachstacker from Linde: the next generation of working solutions delivering
Change of direction
greater productivity and efficiency.
The ECH machine represents not only a
new market for Hoist, but a change in its
manufacturing strategy. Flaska began with
Forklift Exchange in Chicago in 1980 and
moved into manufacturing as Hoist
Liftruck when he bought Silent Hoist &
Crane in 1994, followed later by Elwell
Parker, Schreck and Autolift.
Linde Heavy Truck Division Ltd
Hoist’s origins gave it a diversified
Linde Industrial Park, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 4LA, GB
portfolio serving many niche markets, but
Phone +44 (0) 1443 624200, Fax +44 (0) 1443 624302
E-mail info.forklifts@linde-htd.com, www.linde-htd.com
Linde Material Handling
the company needed to standardise to
achieve scale and grow. Launching the P-
Series gave Hoist a “standard” pneumatic
lift truck in 22,000 to 100,000lb capaci-
February 2009 41
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