FORKLIFT TRUCKS
ELIMINATING FORKLIFT BRAKE PERFORMANCE INCONSISTENCY IN COLD ROOM ENVIRONMENTS
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hile cold rooms are essential for storing products in the food and beverage industry, the very conditions that allow preservation present a very real challenge to power transmission equipment. As any motorist will know, brakes can be particularly susceptible to performance drop-off in cold or moist conditions.
To ensure that forklift truck brakes can operate reliably in cold room environments, Warner Electric has developed custom brake friction material that provides consistent performance despite extreme temperature variance and the effects of moisture.
Positioned in line with the motor or between the motor and the gearbox, spring applied electromagnetic motor brakes are utilised on forklift trucks to provide service and parking braking. OEMs typically require specialised braking systems for forklifts operating in the food and beverage industry, due to the multiple application challenges of operating in cold rooms. Brakes must provide consistent performance in all conditions. However, moving in and out of cold rooms into different environments around the facility demands consistent brake performance across a wide temperature range. To present a further challenge, this variance in temperatures can cause condensation to build up on brakes, which can lead to another phenomenon: sticking. Sticking happens when moisture causes standard friction materials to bond with the counter-friction surface when the forklift is parked. Consequently, the brake and motor are locked in place, stopping the truck and causing downtime while maintenance is arranged.
With tight, contract delivery schedules for supermarkets, suppliers and other vendors to be met, having a forklift truck out of action for any period is undesirable in the food and beverage industry. To help improve uptime for end users, Warner Electric, a global manufacturer
of electromagnetic braking solutions for forklift trucks, addressed these multiple environmental challenges with a new material solution.
A leading brand of Altra Industrial Motion Corp., Warner Electric has developed proprietary friction material specifically designed for cold room and outdoor environments with high moisture levels and wide temperature differentials. Developed and tested in-house, the new material retains stable torque characteristics for static parking and high energy stopping in tough cold and wet environments. Furthermore, it is specialised to combat the sticking phenomenon.
To prove the performance of the new material, rigorous testing was carried out. A climate chamber was used to simulate the extreme temperature changes of moving in and out of the cold room. The results were then compared with cold environment tests in the field, ensuring the material would perform in the real-world. Engineers also conducted endurance testing. Both the lab and field test results confirmed that there was virtually no sticking - not even a tenth of a Nm of drag torque.
The new material is currently available on all Warner Electric PK motor brakes in different configurations depending on customer requirement. A popular selection for forklift trucks, power dense PK brakes are available with an enclosed design, ideal for applications where the brake may be exposed to moisture.
With the global cold storage market expected to be worth $212 billion by 20251, forklift operators in the sector need reliable brakes to improve uptime, so that they can capitalise on market growth and unlock new efficiencies. Now, Forklift OEMs have access to a specialised brake friction material that is proven to maximise uptime in the unique environmental conditions of food and beverage logistics.
Warner Electric
warnerelectric-direct.com/
SALES NETWORK IN SOUTHERN GERMANY
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ith Habeko GmbH & Co. KG, Clark Europe has brought a new sales partner on board for Baden-Württemberg. The experienced materials handling vehicles specialist, based in Weissach im Tal in the Rems-Murr district, is taking over the sales and service of Clark materials handling vehicles in the greater Stuttgart area.
“We are delighted to have found in Habeko a partner with sound know-how in the materials handling vehicles business who will provide competent and comprehensive support to our customers in the Stuttgart region,” says Rolf Eiten, President & CEO, Clark Europe. “With this strategic partnership, we have expanded our sales network in the south of Germany even further.” Habeko can look back on almost 40 years of company history. In 1983, Peter Hail and his wife Marlies founded Etex GmbH. The company’s core business was the trade in automotive and commercial vehicle spare parts and their export to the Near and Middle East. Due to increasingly difficult political and economic conditions in these regions, the two company founders sought new business fields in Germany. This entrepreneurial reorganisation resulted in Habeko GmbH in 1987. Initially, the focus of the new company was on the trade in wheels and castors for industrial trucks as well as for vehicles used for internal transport. In the course of time, the areas of storage and operating equipment, transport equipment, pulling aids, mini-lifts and materials handling vehicles were added as new business areas. In 2008, Dipl. Ing. (FH) Dirk Hail, son of the company founders, took over the management of the 100 per cent owner- managed family business as managing partner. Today, Habeko employs a total of ten people in administration, sales, service and spare parts. “We are also looking forward to working with Clark, a manufacturer whose name stands for robustness and solid technology in the materials handling vehicles sector,” says Dipl. Ing. (FH) Dirk Hail about the partnership with Clark Europe. “Clark products are an ideal fit for Habeko and our customer base. We see ourselves excellently positioned for the future, so we are approaching the new task and challenge with great enthusiasm.”
Clark
https://clarkmheu.com/en/
30 JUNE 2022 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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