RAVAS has introduced the RAVAS-SafeLoad: an aftermarket product for forklift trucks that provides both weight and stability information in a single combined display. The RAVAS-SafeLoad acts as an active load diagram: it calculates with weight, load center point and mast tilt, in order to decide whether a load is lifted safely in the current situation. When the lifting is unsafe, the RAVAS-SafeLoad cabin display alerts the driver with both audio and visual signals.
Across Europe, every year several hundred people die in forklift related accidents, many more are injured. Forklifts tipping over drop their load, damaging or toppling warehouse racking, causing serious material damage. A forklift driver is supposed to use the load diagram on his truck to judge whether a load can be lifted safely or not. In practice of course he lacks the necessary information to do so. RAVAS-SafeLoad acts as an active load diagram for forklift trucks: it assists the driver in preventing accidents, injuries and damages from tipping forklifts and breaking forks.
RAVAS-SafeLoad: load indication and lift truck stability in one display
The RAVAS-SafeLoad uses information from a hydraulic sensor and a set of sensors that measures the moment forces from load center position and mast tilt, to present stability information in the display. A led bar below the weight display goes from green (safe lifting), via yellow, to red (unsafe lifting: risk of tipping over). The led bar stability indication is enhanced by the color of the weight display (green backlight in safe situations, red backlight in unsafe situations), and by a fork in the weight display that is divided in three segments, one of them blinking to indicate the load center position on the forks.
An example: on a 2.5 Ton lift truck a load of 1.823 kg picked up close to the carriage plate might result in a weight indication of 1.820 kg in the display, against a green background, with the middle fork segment blinking for a load center point at 500-600mm, and four green LEDs lit up on the LED bar.
However, the same load picked up at the fork tips will result in the same 1.820 kg in the display, but against a red background for unsafe lifting, with the right side fork segment blinking (LCP at 800 – 1.000 mm), the red segments on the LED bar lit up, and a warning buzzer going off.
SafeLoad Manager logs lifting events
The indicator of the RAVAS-SafeLoad has a built-in data logging function. It automatically records every single lifting event over time. The data can be downloaded via Bluetooth connection, and provides information on safety and efficiency of the truck's use, for fleet management.
The RAVAS-SafeLoad is an aftermarket product that can be retro-fitted on any make and model counterbalanced forklift truck. For the RAVAS-SafeLoad a patent is pending.
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