Fork Truck Safety Systems
The safety measures taken to protect a company’s employees, equipment, and materials are the foundation for creating a productive, dependable, and fully functioning workplace. Fork truck accidents not only jeopardize the health and wellness of the people in proximity but also compromise productivity and output. Luckily, ELOKON has a wide variety of cutting-edge safety systems in our solution portfolio, all of which can be used in tandem or individually to suit your specific needs.
This article will walk you through ELOKON’s vast safety system solution portfolio, explain the advanced technology behind these systems as well as their wide range of benefits, and explain how we can streamline the safety and productivity measures of your warehouse or other material handling job site.
ELOprotect: VNA Pedestrian Safety System
Warehouse aisles are understandably narrow to maximize product storage, but these space-saving efforts can make it difficult for pedestrians to navigate around heavy moving machinery safely. Our ELOprotect fork truck safety device system does not use cameras, which can be unreliable, but supremely accurate laser scanners that are installed in the load or drive side of the truck and can detect pedestrians, vehicles, and other obstacles.
How Does it Work?
The ELOprotect fork truck safety feature automatically turns on when the truck enters a narrow aisle. If the scanners sense a person or other obstacle in its range, visual and auditory signals are activated, and the vehicle is brought to a slow and controlled stop. When the dangerous situation has been resolved, the fork truck driver can reset the system with a push of a button, which both records the incident and lets the driver resume normal operation. Even when the vehicle is idle, the ELOprotect safety feature is still active, monitoring both directions of travel to keep tabs on any approaching pedestrians. These features allow for two fork trucks to operate in a single aisle at one time and handle material more efficiently.
ELOprotectPRO
For even better protection, ELOKON has an elevated version of ELOprotect called ELOprotectPRO. While the original ELOprotect safety system can detect people and obstacles up to seven meters, ELOprotectPRO’s advanced lasers can detect up to nine meters or 30 feet. The upgraded scanner is designed to be dust-resistant, making it the optimal choice for active job sites or warehouses with a lot of debris in the air. Having detection for an extra two meters allows the machinery to be operated at a greater speed, which increases productivity without compromising safety.
ELOshield: Proximity Protection System
While ELOprotect is specifically designed to safely navigate narrow aisles, ELOshield is an OEM-independent detection system that helps prevent collisions. The mobile version can be installed as a fork truck safety feature or affixed to robots, cobots, automated guided vehicles, forklifts, or other types of industrial vehicles. A stationary version can be placed at common accident-prone areas, such as high-traffic intersections and the ends of aisles. The ELOshield safety feature is highly customizable, allowing the user to adjust the shape and size of the “warning” and “protection” zones. The shapes can be circular, square, rectangular, or even made into an asymmetric polygon to provide 360-degree protection. Its detection range can reach up to 80 feet, and its ultra-wideband sensors can not only detect multiple pedestrians in an area but even sense them through building materials. When the system encounters an obstacle of any kind, a variety of customizable sensory alarms are triggered. Installation is simple, as the ELOshield can attach to any make, model, or year of forklift.
The ELOshield system has four variations:
- ELOshieldGO- Protection for pedestrians from trucks
- ELOshieldDRIVE- Collision warning system between trucks
- ELOshieldZONE- Monitoring of a fixed high-traffic area
- ELOshieldSPEED- Speed control of trucks in high-production areas
ELOspeed: In/Outdoor Speed Control
A key aspect of fork truck safety features is speed control. Different environments require the machinery to be operated at different speeds. Generally, fork trucks may be used at their top speeds outdoors and should be used at more moderate speeds indoors. Just moving between indoor and outdoor spaces alone poses collision and personnel safety risks because of this speed discrepancy. Our ELOspeed safety system takes the guesswork out of proper speed management with a special radar that detects what is directly above the forklift. If the radar detects a ceiling, it will slow the machinery down to a predetermined speed limit that can be customized to suit your working environment. If the radar detects the sky above the forklift, it removes the speed limits and lets the machine run at maximum capacity. The system has eight pre-programmed detection settings with various reaction times to prevent false alarms if your workplace has multiple buildings on site. Like most ELOKON safety systems, ELOspeed can be attached to any truck, and the radar has a detection distance of up to 80 feet.