IFOY AWARD 2013
The Winners are ...

Counter Balanced Trucks up to 3.5 tons: Still RX 70 Hybrid

´The IFOY Award 2013 in the "Counter Balanced Truck" category goes to the RX 70 Hybrid from Still GmbH. The world's first series-produced hybrid forklift truck sets the pace in the top? truck category.

The key factor in the decision in favour of the RX 70 Hybrid, in the production of which 95 percent of the materials used were recycled, was its higher level of innovation, which clearly set it apart from other combustion-engined trucks, particularly in terms of operating costs. This added up to an overall package of cost-effectiveness, environment-friendliness and user-friendliness that the jury members from eight countries found highly convincing. As the first diesel forklift with energy recovery system and electrical power transmission, the RX 70 Hybrid lays down a benchmark for the development of these trucks and takes the balance of ecology and economy into a new era. With the RX70 Hybrid, Still ideally caters to the requirements of cost effectiveness and sustainability and therefore also to the demand for energy-efficient trucks. This innovation generates major advantages for users.

IFOY Award - Counter Balanced Truck of the Year 2013

By using "Super Caps" (super-capacitors), Still is the first manufacturer to equip its RX70 series with a braking energy recovery system. The Super Caps provide an added energy boost, and the additional electrical energy source means that the same loading volume can be handled by smaller motors. The RX70 has a so-called serial hybrid system, in which a combustion engine drives a generator, which supplies electrical energy which is then available to power the machine. This renders numerous mechanical or hydraulic components unnecessary, and the sophisticated concept ensures that the combustion-engined RX 70 drives and feels like an electric truck.

Both energy consumption and wear are remarkably low compared to other machines handling the same loading volume. During the IFOY Test in March, the 3.5-tonner left the competition in its wake with outstanding efficiency values: energy consumption and therefore CO2 emissions under high loads were almost 30 percent lower than the average for comparable rival machines. The switchable Blue-Q energy-saving mode reduces energy consumption even further.

Alongside its performance values, the RX 70 is a low-wear machine and is therefore also a convincing choice in terms of cost effectiveness as well as low operating costs and long servicing and repair intervals.

The RX 70 meets all the customer's needs for a high-performance premium truck. The logical layout of displays and instruments and the range of equipment versions make the Forklift Truck of the Year a highly adaptable machine. Still offers a wide range of options for operation of the mast functions, from joystick or conventional lever to finger-operated or mini-lever. The electro-hydraulic mast control system reacts with maximum precision both with zero and full load, ensuring the driver can operate the machine with millimetre accuracy, and the automatic motor speed increase feature enhances loading efficiency as it means the driver doesn't need to touch the gas when lifting and lowering the forks. The vehicle operates quietly and with minimum vibration, offering the driver an ergonomically designed and comfortable workplace, and the excellent all-round visibility – particularly the sightline to the forks – makes for additional safety.

Counter Balanced Truck from 3.5 tons: DFG/TFG 540s

The IFOY Award 2013 in the Counter Balanced Truck category from 3.5 tons goes to the DFG/TFG 540 s from Jungheinrich AG. The diesel gas machine with hydrostatic drive and a load capacity of four tons reigned supreme in the category of heavy trucks.

IFOY Award - Counter Balanced Truck of the Year 2013

The key factor in the decision in favour of the Jungheinrich DFG/TFG 540 s was its clear lead over its rivals in terms of productivity and energy efficiency. Other significant benefits that emerged during the IFOY Test were the optimum handling characteristics, the ergonomic design tailored to the needs of the driver, the high-precision control system, the regenerative braking system and the five work programs. With the DFG/TFG 540 s, Jungheinrich ideally caters to the customer demand for efficiency. Where extremely high loading performance is needed, during reversing for the loading and unloading of haulage trucks for example, the strengths of the hydrostatic drive – dynamic acceleration, fast reversing and precision steering – come fully into play. This set-up has major advantages for users.

Since the launch of the DFG/TFG 5 series in 2011, Jungheinrich has also had a hydrostatic forklift in the load range of over 3.5 tons. During development, the main focus was on energy efficiency and ergonomics. The vehicle is just as easy to operate as one with a converter transmission. Modern VW engines with electronic control enable precision operation and optimum performance development with low consumption at the same time. The active driver assistant systems help to make operation of the truck even more cost-effective.

The performance characteristics can be adapted to different operational requirements thanks to the five operating programs. Thanks to the hydrostatic drive, the fast, precise and technically 100% safe change of direction make the Counter Balanced Truck of the Year 2013 a genuine sprinter. Power and agility are ideally married in this truck, which also boasts extremely low exhaust emissions thanks to its particulate matter filter, with emissions well below the EU guidelines.

The workplace is ideally tailored to suit the driver in terms of size and layout and is individually adjustable. This enhances safety and enables relaxed and concentrated work. A display is integrated into the armrest of the driver's seat showing the driver all the information he or she needs for their work, from the current speed and direction of travel of the wheels to the fuel gauge reading and selected drive program.

Warehouse Truck: Jungheinrich ETV/ETM 214/216

The IFOY Award 2013 in the "Warehouse Truck" category goes to the ETV/ETM 214/216 from Jungheinrich AG. The reach truck with load capacities of 1.4 and 1.6  tons won by a short head in the Warehouse Trucks category.

IFOY Award - Warehouse Truck of the Year 2013

The key factor in the decision in favour of the Jungheinrich ETV/ETM 214/216 was the highly cost-effective overall package.The ETV/ETM 214/216 combines energy efficiency with excellent handling and driving performance as well as a range of ergonomic features. The reach truck is highly reliable in every respect and is an extremely energy-efficient, safe and reliable machine. Its ergonomics are perfectly tailored to the driver and make for relaxed and concentrated working. Moreover, Jungheinrich has also paid attention to the details like the LED lights mounted on the fork which ensure total visibility even in dark areas at high storage heights. The heights of the various warehouse levels can also be programmed to the millimetre, greatly increasing safety of operation, and there are also no undesired mast movements at large heights. A perfect all-rounder for picking operations, and one that impressively demonstrates the advantages of reliable and high-precision driving characteristics in terms of higher productivity.

Apart from this, the innovations in the ETV 214 and ETV 216 are above all under the motor cover. The entire drive system has been completely overhauled, as have the electronics, software and control system, with the aim of further optimising performance and energy consumption. By offering different motor configurations for pump and/or drive motor, Jungheinrich allows its customers to choose between increased power and improved economy.

A further new feature is the so-called "M-Device" on the inside of the roof pillar. Clipboards, monitors and other equipment can be secured to this device without blocking the view of the driver. M stands for media. The roof and mast position ensures a good view of the load and the surrounding area. The view is 30 mm wider, and the hydraulic hoses, chains and free lift cylinder have been reconfigured, which means that the driver almost always has an unobstructed view of both fork tips and the lift arms.

Forklift Truck Solution: Crown InfoLink Fleetmanagement

The IFOY Award 2013 in the Forklift Truck Solutions category goes to Crown GmbH. Thanks to a totally new and far more efficient forklift fleet less than half the size of the previous one combined with the "InfoLink" fleet management system, materials handling specialist Crown succeeded in cutting maintenance and repair costs at UK office supplies wholesaler Spicers by 90 percent at the end of 2012.

According to the jury, the key factor in the decision was the strong focus on customer benefit as well as the practicability of the solution. It said the implementation of the "InfoLink" fleet management system in combination with a new, modern forklift fleet generated a significant economic gain for the customer – adding that Crown had impressively demonstrated the potential of practical integrated solutions in classic rental markets like the UK market, in which savings of this magnitude are rarely seen. The jury believes that the fact that both partners set a long-term business relationship above their own short-term profit made a major contribution to the success of the rationalisation project.

IFOY Award - Forklift Truck Solution of the Year 2013

Offering over 17,000 items from its product portfolio, including leading stationery brand 5Star™, and operating from eight strategically located distribution centres, Spicers is one of the UK’s largest wholesale providers of stationery and office supplies. Before the successful project was realised, Spicers still operated a high number of older trucks with visible damage and requiring high-level maintenance. To date, it has been possible to reduce the fleet by more than 50 percent based on a five-year hire contract.

Fewer trucks – improved deployment planning

"When we initially looked at the Spicers’ fleet, in many cases they had more than one truck on site to ensure availability when they had a breakdown", explains Steve Rumbelow, National Account Manager at Crown. Consequently, it was decided not only to reduce the number of trucks but also to supply key trucks with two batteries, ensuring availability across double shifts. At the same time, all trucks were fitted with the InfoLink® fleet management system, providing the client with all deployment data via a common platform and thereby ensuring optimised utilisation levels. During the coming months, Crown even expects to be able to reduce the Spicer fleet by a further 15% or so as Infolink identifies additional areas where efficiencies can permit the removal of even more trucks.
Customer benefit: improved fleet management and increased reliability
The options offered by the InfoLink fleet management system were one of the main reasons for awarding the new contract to Crown. "We can now monitor exactly what each truck is doing so we can manage our fleet better", says Bobby Arman, Operations Improvement Manager at the office supplies wholesaler. As all drivers now have personal access cards and all the relevant data is stored in InfoLink, the system can prevent a specific driver from operating a truck if he or she doesn't have the correct driving licence. The result is a significant reduction in damage to the trucks, the racking and the building itself. But even in the case of drivers who are officially authorised to drive the trucks, InfoLink allows Spicers to monitor what they are doing and ensure that their productivity is correctly managed and challenged.

InfoLink also enables Spicers to monitor utilisation of all trucks and to compare performance data at different locations. "This allows us to identify what is working or not working at each location and ensure best practice is consistent across our sites", adds Arman.

A further key argument for choosing Crown after evaluating the tendered bids was quality. "Our experience with our previous fleet was of plastic covers that get knocked and damaged very easily – which meant that they began to look worn out in their first couple of years. The Crown trucks are different – they’re manufactured to a much higher standard with lots of metal covers instead of plastic. This was a key point for us as we felt the trucks would last better and be more reliable in our busy working environment”, says Arman.

The Crown trucks have now been in operation for several months – and Spicers is more than satisfied. Which is why Bobby Arman takes an extremely positive view of this project: "It’s fact – Crown really has helped to reduce our operating costs and improve our efficiency."