Jungheinrich UK has won a top design award for its revolutionary rotating cab EFG D30 electric counterbalance lift truck from the UK's Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA).
The award for outstanding design achievement was presented by FLTA Chairman, Paul Nichol, during a glittering awards ceremony
at the Birmingham Metropole Hotel. Accepting the award, Jungheinrich UK Managing Director, Hans-Herbert Schultz said: "Jungheinrich has a reputation for innovative design and I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the company."
The new AC powered EFG D30 electric counterbalance truck from Jungheinrich is the first to have a rotating operator's cab.
The operator has 'fly by wire' control of all the truck operations and can rotate the cab 30 degrees to the left and up to 180 degrees to the right at the press of a button.
Designed for handling heavy loads and carrying double height pallets quickly and safely over long distances, the idea for the rotating cab came from operators who suffered from back problems when driving in reverse by looking over their shoulders. Designers from Jungheinrich recognised the problem and found an award winning solution with the rotating cab truck.
Counterbalance truck design is thought by some to have lagged behind the innovations seen in warehouse trucks. Counterbalance
trucks have been seen as a 'tool' to do a job, rather than an integrated materials handling solution. Jungheinrich is committed to challenge this thinking and is investing heavily in the future design and operation of counterbalance trucks.
In addition to winning the prestigious FLTA design award, the EFG D30 rotating cab truck has also won the VDI (the Association of German Engineers) Innovation Prize for Logistics.