Hyster Europe Looks to Boost Driver Environment in Heavy Loads Market

Hyster Europe is focusing on enhancing the operator environment according to the application, including in the wood, metal, construction, ports and paper industries.

“When handling expensive, awkward and heavy loads, the driver environment matters more than ever,” says Chris van de Werdt from Hyster Europe. “Every lift truck brand claims its products are ergonomic, but you have to ask, ‘under what conditions?’ Intelligent Hyster® lift truck design focuses on the driver environment in all applications, but this proves particularly important for efficiency and driver comfort in extreme and demanding operating conditions.”

Wood handling
Throughout the wood supply chain, lift truck drivers may have to drive in reverse due to tall loads obscuring forward visibility. These operations can be very uncomfortable if the design of the driver environment doesn’t account for it.

The shape of the rear of the truck, including the position of the exhaust stack, can affect visibility, while the seat needs to minimise body rotation to accommodate reversing. The Hyster® H13XM-6 is a typical lift truck used in the wood industry and addresses these challenges. With a clever rear design and the option of a swivel seat that turns 15/30 degrees, it aims to provide maximum comfort for the driver when driving in reverse. Depending on the application needs, Hyster Europe can also fit lift trucks with full rotating seats and drivers can be further assisted by camera systems.
In addition, TouchPoint™ mini-lever controls help reduce awkward shoulder and arm postures by locating the hydraulic functions directly at the driver’s finger tips. This maintains driver comfort and helps the driver to focus on reversing.

Construction materials handling
The Hyster® H8-16XM range was recently updated with a completely new mast and carriage giving fast attachment exchange as well as optimum visibility of the forks, the attachment, and the load. With enhanced visibility, handling and transportation is simple and comfortable for the operator.