Crown Equipment Corp. last week introduced the ProximityAssist System, which integrates lidar to aid in the operation of material handling equipment.
“The ProximityAssist System can be a valuable tool for reinforcing operator training and increasing awareness,” stated Jared Green, director of global sales for automation and emerging technology at Crown Equipment.
“It is important to note that this type of detection and alert system does not eliminate the responsibility of operators and pedestrians to be aware of each other and maintain a safe working environment,” he noted. “Operators must be fully trained and capable of operating the lift truck safely with or without the assist feature.”
Crown applies material handling experience
For 80 years, Crown Equipment said it has used vertically integrated processes to design, manufacture, and distribute material handling systems to improve customers’ productivity and operating efficiency. The New Bremen, Ohio-based company produces a broad range of forklifts, batteries, and chargers, as well as automation and fleet management technologies. It also offers warehouse products and design services.
When Crown’s ProximityAssist System detects an object in a vehicle’s expected path of travel, it automatically slows the forklift. The operator maintains complete control of the forklift to respond to the object in its path.
Lift trucks equipped with Crown’s InfoLink 7-in. touch display or the Gena operating system’s 7-in. touch screen will also provide visual and audible alerts when an object is detected.
ProximityAssist integrates directly with Crown forklifts
Crown said it tailored the ProximityAssist System for the specific forklift models on which it is used. Each configuration is designed to detect objects such as racking, pallet loads, boxes, and other objects.
The integration uses inputs from the forklift’s steering to automatically adjust the sensor’s field of view to properly align with the expected path of the forklift more consistently than other technologies on the market. Crown said this dynamic field of view makes instantaneous adjustments based on the direction and the speed of the forklift to focus on objects in this travel path.
The company mounted the ProximityAssist System’s sensors in a rugged steel housing to protect them from potential damage. They are located low to detect obstructions near ground level.
Crown claimed that its design, engineering, and onboarding process distinguishes ProximityAssist from other operator-assist systems. This allows it to generate reliable performance to increase user acceptance and build operator confidence.
The ProximityAssist System is currently available with new Crown reach trucks, order pickers, and stand-up counterbalance lift trucks. It is also available as a retrofit solution for these lift trucks as well as Crown’s turret trucks, tow tractors, and select rider pallet trucks.
