19 May 2014, 00:00
“Our goal is to lead our industry in terms of products, innovations and services, and by doing so set the standard for efficiency, safety and reliability. We are confident that our investment at CeMAT 2014 will demonstrate this within our market.” stated President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling Europe Matthias Fischer at the start of CeMAT 2014. The company is presenting more new products than ever before – counterbalanced, powered pallet and reach trucks; new standards in customer service and innovations in new power solutions, automation and I_Site technology.
“CeMAT 2014 is an important event for us,” stated Hans van Leeuwen, Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales. “We have always recognised that this event is seen as one of the most important showcases in our industry, and we are taking the opportunity this year to show the world the many advances and developments that we have made over the past three years since we were last here.”
He continued: “Of course, having the chance to take one of the most high profile locations at the event has been welcomed and will significantly increase our overall impact at CeMAT, but the main story is about what we are showing – without doubt the largest number of new products in our industry and some key innovations in services and technologies. We talk to a lot of customers and conduct a lot of surveys, so we know what the market is looking for – its reliability, its safety and its efficiency. These are the goals we work to deliver.”
New counterbalanced trucks
New products from Toyota this year include new machines for both the counterbalanced and warehouse truck ranges. IC-engine counterbalanced truck launches include a new range of Toyota Tonero models with hydrostatic transmission systems, to complement the company’s existing range with torque converter systems, ‘to give a complete choice to suit differing customer needs and preferences.’ The Tonero range also includes new high-tonnage models with capacities up to 8 tonnes. New electric counterbalanced trucks include an 80-volt series in the Toyota Traigo family, with very high-energy efficiency and IC-standard performance levels.
New warehouse trucks
One of the highlights in Toyota’s new product line-up is the BT Levio P-series range – a completely new family of powered pallet trucks with driver platform. Toyota’s heritage in platform trucks extends back fifty years when the driver platform was first invented on a BT machine. The company has been leading this product segment ever since, and the latest models offer even higher performance levels, and capacities up to 2.5 tonnes, but in an extremely small unit, giving outstanding maneuverability. The new trucks have unrivalled driver adaptability, with choices of side and rear guard protection and fully adjustable controls.
Toyota is also launching a new reach truck, purpose-designed and built for basic reach truck applications. The BT Reflex B-series has simple, straightforward controls and is a perfect fit for applications with non-dedicated drivers. Lift capacities up to 1.6 tonnes, lift heights to 8.5 m, and an economical price level. The new BT Reflex B-series models will complement the existing R and E-series models, which offer high performance in more intensive operations, and feature the unique transitional lift control system, for smooth but high speed lifting and lowering.
Toyota is also showing a number of integrated automated solutions at CeMAT, including new concepts for semi-automated order picking.
Toyota Service Concept (TSC)
At CeMAT 2014 TMHE is lifting the curtain and allows a first look into the Toyota Service Concept, highlighting the unique approach that the company has been developing to improve the lifetime support for trucks and customer operations.
“Future demands for customer service levels are likely to be higher than the industry generally offers today” explains Nick Duckworth, Senior Vice President Services, Toyota Material Handling Europe.
The Toyota Service Concept has been modelled on the Toyota Production System (TPS), which has a world-renowned reputation for efficiencies in manufacturing - but adapted to support service operations. The presentations at CeMAT highlight the unique characteristics of TSC and the positive benefits for customers.
Power Solutions
The Toyota brand has a reputation for innovation in power solutions, and the story continues in the company’s latest developments in material handling, showcased at CeMAT.
Lithium Ion battery solutions are now beyond the development phase and are offered as standard options on Toyota’s powered pallet trucks and low level order pickers, giving the benefits of long working shifts and opportunity charging, as well as a long working life.
Other exhibits include the latest in fuel cell technology and the presentation of a new concept in IC engine design that is set to bring exceptional levels of fuel efficiency to the industry.
Smart trucks for added safety
The award-winning Toyota I_Site system shows its latest developments at CeMAT including safety features with a new pre-operational safety check facility and the ability to monitor truck and driver operations remotely via an app for iPhones. Toyota I_Site is built on the company’s unique technologies that allow data to be transmitted directly from trucks to a web-based platform by simply using 3G/GPRS communication technologies used in mobile phones.
This ‘smart truck’ technology takes the basic elements of I_Site that allows Toyota truck users, independently from the Toyota I_Site fleet management system, to utilise safety controls such as pre-operational checks, shock-sensing and driver authorisation controls – again controllable via the iPhone app.
Source: Toyota Material Handling