Cascade-KOOI Reachforks^® provide improved versatility with automatically adjustable fork lengths. With Reachforks, you are equipped to easily manage different pallet sizes or handle multiple pallets at once. They even provide the capacity for double-deep racking, improving workflow and use of space in warehousing.

Increase the efficiency of your lift truck by using Cascade-KOOI Hydraulic Reachforks® or Hydraulic Fork Extensions. With Telescopic Forks, trailers can be loaded and unloaded from one side for increased efficiency. Usage of warehouse space can be improved by taking advantage of double-deep racking and utilizing Reachforks®. Hydraulic Fork Extensions are designed to handle different pallets (GMA/Block pallets) from either the long or short side of the pallet. Simply adjust the fork length to your long pallet or multiple pallet depth and pick the load.

Features

• Synchronized fork movement is ensured by the Reachfork® equalizer system, eliminating the need for a separate flow divider.
• Unique design outer sleeve includes an integrated wear plate.
• A reinforced heel design reduces deflection.
• Specially designed wiper ring protects internal hydraulic components.
• ISO ITA Class II, III, or IV mounting as standard for quick installation.

Options

• Available in a variety of standard lengths and strokes with custom lengths available on special order.
• Pin type, Drop Shank, and Custom mountings available.
• Slim model ReachForks® available for easy entry on the shorter side pockets of some pallets.
• Pallet Stops to prevent outer fork from protruding past the pallet entry.
• Fork Positioner Shank Lugs and Rolling Hose Kits to easily integrate into a Fork Positioner.
• Load Backrest to support load when moving forward.
• Extra wear strips under forks to improve fork life.
• Stainless steel components to minimize electrical ignition hazards.

https://youtu.be/wcJMxkegxA0  

Electric forklifts can be beneficial in many different work indoor applications (and now even outdoors with Toyota’s 80-Volt Electric Pneumatic Forklift). Using electric forklifts in your warehouse is one of the most common uses of these machines and for good reason. Electric warehouse forklifts can reduce fuel costs and be charged at intervals that can maximize efficiency across shifts. Take a look at some of the following benefits electric forklifts could have in your warehouse space.

Electric Warehouse Forklift Benefits: Less Noise

You may not think about it, but having a quieter forklift may impact you or your operator’s ability to operate safely and effectively in certain applications. In smaller, confined spaces, with multiple forklifts running, it could get pretty loud. With electric forklifts, it lowers the noise level, allowing for easier communication, and less fatigue from your operators. Really, the only noise that electric forklifts have is the horn. In certain warehouses, this can make it easier for operators and pedestrians to hear forklift horns, co-workers, or other important workplace sounds.

Electric Warehouse Forklift Benefits: Lower Emissions

When you are using a gas or LPG burning forklift, you are producing emissions that could be harmful to your associates and products if not properly addressed. Electric forklifts do not generate any CO emissions. This helps keep your employees healthy and lower the impact of emissions in your warehouse.

Certain products can also be harmed by emissions including food items, other perishables, and various consumer products. Toyota electric forklifts come in a wide variety of lifting capacities to fit many different applications. Also, fewer emissions are great for the environment!

If you are using a gas or LPG forklift in your warehouse instead of electrics, we understand there are many reasons that might have influenced that decision, and Toyota is the U.S. leader in internal combustion forklifts. However, make sure you are using proper ventilation techniques if you’re using one in your warehouse.

Electric Warehouse Forklift Benefits: A Wide Range of Options

Because your warehouse needs to maximize space, it could be hard to fit a full-sized forklift down your narrow aisles. An electric warehouse forklift can help solve that issue. At Toyota, we have many different electric forklifts to fit your needs. Maybe you need to squeeze in those narrow aisles? The 3-wheel electric would be perfect. It has a tighter turn radius than most forklifts but still has the capacity to lift up to 4,000 lbs. Maybe your warehouse stacks pallets behind each other. This is where reach trucks work great. Being able to place pallets in front of each other makes sure you are maximizing your warehouse space and racking. No matter what type of warehouse blueprint you have, Toyota Material Handling has an electric forklift to fit your needs!

Electric Warehouse Forklift Benefits: Operating Cost

When it comes to the operating cost of forklifts, electric forklifts can usually be lower than that of internal combustion models. While IC models run on gas, electric forklifts run on, well, electricity! You may need to set up a charging station in your warehouse, but the cost of electricity can be significantly lower than that of fuel.

While IC models are still the most popular in the market, electric forklifts are increasing in popularity. So remember, if you are looking to increase productivity and ROI in your warehouse, take a look at all of the different electric forklift options from Toyota.

Written By: Lucas Collom, Toyota Material Handling, USA

As the push for sustainable business practices continues to grow stronger, more and more warehouses are adopting “green” initiatives. Toyota has been practicing sustainable business practices, led by the guiding rules of the Toyota Production System, and continues to improve our impact on the environment. Practices such as Just-In-Time and Jidoka have helped Toyota Forklifts’ manufacturing site achieve a zero-landfill facility status.

With benefits ranging from positive environmental impacts to substantial cost savings, making changes in your facility is worth your while. Here are a few of the ways you can bring green warehousing practices to your own facility:

Sustainable Warehouse Management: Recycle

Recycling, by definition, means reusing material. This might mean converting waste into material that is usable or finding a new purpose so they can be used again. However, when it comes to manufacturing, recycling is about more than just throwing plastic cups and used paper into their respectively labeled bins. It is about making recycling initiatives part of the core of your manufacturing process.

Start off small. Send your used packaging material to a recycling center. Take metal shavings from the welding department and recycle them as scrap metal. Dispose of batteries and chemicals in ways that are environmentally sound, including working with a battery recycler to dispose of worn forklift batteries.

Sustainable Warehouse Equipment: Use Green-Manufactured Products

The efficiency and reliability of your equipment has a tremendous impact on your warehouse processes. Choosing electric products can increase your uptime due to their lower maintenance requirements. They also cut fuel exhausts – and fuel costs! Toyota offers a full line of electric products – everything from pallet jacks to THDs – to keep your facility running smoothly.

Aside from forklifts, you can also opt for eco-friendly conveyor systems that cut energy use and maintenance while maintaining a productive workflow.

Sustainable Warehouse Sensibility: Check Your Lighting

Do the lights always need to be on in every part of your facility? Probably not. Install an energy management system that knows which lights need to be on, and when. Additionally, swap out those old bulbs for energy-efficient LED fixtures to boost energy efficiency and save on electricity costs.

There are many ways to bring sustainable practices to your facility. Monitor your efforts and find ways to continuously improve. The gradual implementation of a variety of these techniques over time can transform your facility into green warehouse.

Original Post: Anastasia Sistevaris, Communications Copywriter, Toyota Material Handling, USA

BYD’s new forklift charger sets a high bar for the industry. Thanks to the device, BYD forklifts can be fully powered using a 110V charger that requires no extra wiring and can be connected to a standard wall plug.

BYD forklifts can fully charge in under 90 minutes and can run 10 hours per day, seven days a week. The reliable batteries in BYD forklifts require zero maintenance and come with a 10 year warranty.

This year has brought new challenges and problems to overcome for people and businesses around the world. Keeping your people safe has always been a priority, but today that means more than it has in the past. Columbia wants to help you keep your surfaces clean and sanitized to limit the spread of Covid-19 and other contaminates. 

 

We have developed custom Sanitization Units like this Journeyman and Stockchaser to aid you in the fight against Covid-19. The tank will feed to both a handheld sprayer as well as three mounted nozzles on the rear of the vehicle that will spray behind vehicle as it moves. The Journeyman can function on a large campus to sanitize door handles on multiple buildings. The Stockchaser could be used on the interior of a warehouse or concourse to sanitize the many surfaces that your staff and customers interact with on a daily basis.

These vehicles fit your needs to both transport your large campuses as well as maneuver in tighter areas and through aisles and doorways.

 

 

 

One of the main reasons that Toyota has gained the reputation for having the highest quality forklift in the industry is that the buying a Toyota forklift means you’re also getting a Toyota engine. Years of engineering Toyota’s world-renowned 4Y engine and all of our other engines means our internal combustion forklifts are unmatched.

How does a Toyota Forklift Engine Work?

Every Toyota IC forklift engine has the same basic functionality. Toyota Certified Technicians are trained in this process so they can more easily understand the exact point of need when maintenance is required. Here’s an inside look about how an IC forklift engine works.

An ignition battery and gear-driven starter forces the engine to “crank over,” starting the internal combustion process. The carburetor mixes a combustible, liquid fuel with air and injects it into the cylinders through a valve. Within the cylinder, the piston is attached to a rod, which in turn is attached to the crankshaft.

Mechanical energy is produced when the spark plug introduces a spark to the compressed fuel/air mixture, igniting the explosion. The explosion drives the piston and rod down in the cylinder. Because of the way the crankshaft is designed, it will convert the downward energy of the piston and rod to the mechanical energy (RPMs).

A series of these cylinders are connected to the crankshaft in the block. The block contains other mechanisms, like the cam shaft, which uses the RPMs to open and close the valves in precise timing sequence. This mechanical energy also drives the alternator or generator (found mounted to the engine and driven by a belt) which supplies current to the forklift’s electrical components. Additionally, the electricity produced in this way is used to drive the power steering and lift/tilt hydraulic pumps.

From Forklift Diesel Engines to Gasoline, Toyota Has Forklift Engine Fuel Types Covered

Internal combustion engines come in four main types, each categorized by the type of fuel they burn. Deciding between them depends on your specific forklift application and operational strategy

• Forklift gasoline engines use the same fuel as an automobile.
•  Forklift Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) engines run on a gas that occurs naturally. LPG is commonly used for gas grills.
• Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engines use the same fuel supplied to homes and businesses to power stoves, furnaces and other appliances.
• Diesel engines use diesel fuel, a lower grade fuel not as refined as gasoline and therefore, not as combustible.

Each type of fuel provides different advantages that will then impact the operation of the forklift. Consider the below list that shows which forklifts can come equipped with forklift diesel engines and CNG engines and ask your locally authorized Toyota dealer about what choosing one can mean for your operation.

CNG Options:

• Core IC Cushion(up to 6,500 lb. capacity)
• Core IC Pneumatic(up to 6,500 lb. capacity)

Diesel Engine Options

• Mid IC Pneumatic (8,000-11,000 lb. capacity)
• Large IC Pneumatic (13,500-17,500 lb. capacity)

Diesel Engine Only:

• High-Capacity IC Pneumatic(22,000-125,000 lb. capacity)
  • Shorter load centers available in LP

Knowing the Difference between Forklift Engines – The Toyota 4Y Engine and More

But which engine comes in each of our forklifts? The below guide will help you understand the differences between each Toyota forklift engine. But one thing that’s consistent across every forklift engine we produce? Expert engineering.

Four forklift engines are distributed across our internal combustion line

4Y Forklift Engine
Core IC Cushion | Core IC Pneumatic

1ZS Forklift Engine
Core IC Diesel Pneumatic

1FS Forklift Engine
Large IC Cushion | Box Car Special | Paper Roll Special | Mid IC Pneumatic | Large IC Pneumatic

1KD Forklift Engine
Mid IC Diesel Pneumatic | Large IC Diesel Pneumatic

But what exactly is the difference between these forklift engines that come in each of these models? Here’s a breakdown of each to help you choose the best available option.

Toyota 4Y Engine

The Toyota 4Y Engine was introduced in 1986, and it has been one of the industry’s longest lasting, most durable forklift engines ever since. The 4Y Engine is unique in that it is the cleanest engine in the industry, and its emission standards rival the emission standards of any competitive internal combustion engine.

• The Toyota 4Y Engine is extremely efficient, which makes it tolerant of extreme temperatures. From outdoor applications in Minnesota, to paper mills in Georgia, this engine runs smoothly.
• Due to its compact design, this engine works well in Toyota’s Core Products, such as the Core IC Cushion and Core IC Pneumatic.
• It is common to find Toyota Forklifts operating with 4Y Engines that have run for more than 30,000 hours and haven’t had a major overhaul.

Here’s deeper dive into how the Toyota 4Y Engine functions:

Toyota 1FS Engine

The Toyota 1FS Engine is based off the well-known 3Z diesel engine. It’s a robust powerhouse that can handle your toughest jobs.

• The 1FS is built with special electronics that all lead to better fuel efficiency and low emissions.
• Special measures have been taken (including a smaller engine footprint to help reduce the under-hood temperature, which leads to durability and longevity.

Toyota 1ZS Diesel Engine

The Toyota 1ZS Diesel Engine powers the Toyota Core IC Diesel Pneumatic, with less displacement than the previous model for lower emissions and fuel costs.

• The 1ZS is a 3-cylinder inline engine.
• The Toyota 1ZS requires no exhaust maintenance.
• This engine is a tough 53 horsepower with 128 lbs./ft. torque.

Toyota 1KD Diesel Engine

The 1KD Diesel Engine has been developed for the Toyota Mid and Large IC Diesel Pneumatic Forklifts. The 1KD is a four-cylinder engine that helps decrease fuel consumption and emissions.

• This engine is turbo charged which provides advantages including superior power and efficiency.
• With this engine model, horsepower and torque have significantly increased while fuel consumption has significantly decreased.
• The current 1KD engine has approximately 20 fewer internal moving parts than the previous model, making it easier to maintain and own.

Takeaway Reasons to Trust Toyota Forklift Engines

Need a few quick reasons that Toyota forklift engines lead the way? Here a few quick take aways:

Contact Us for more information about any Toyota forklift engine or to request a quote

Multiple load handlers are used to double or triple a forklift's productivity level by adding a second or third pair of forks to a truck. Operators can pick up more than one load at a time and transport them side by side.  Designed for any application using pallets or containers to transport product, Cascade's Single Double Pallet Handler allows single pallet handling without protrusion outside the truck profile. Spreading the forks hydraulically allows handling of two pallets side by side. Sideshifting provides added flexibility for aligning forks or pallets in tight areas.

Features:

• superior visibility through and over the frame for damage free handling at all stacking heights
• all steel frame
• bolt-on interchangeable forks 
• Dual class II and III mountings
• Adjustable fork set spread for ability to handle different types of pallets
• Full-length, fully enclosed wrap around UHMW plastic bearings
• RapidSync option for ultra fast equal fork movement 

View the Multiple Load Handler brochure HERE

Every business owner wants to increase productivity. Here are six easy ways to get more from your forklift.

1. Request a service inspection be conducted regularly. See if a maintenance plan is right for you or help train and back up your in-house technicians.
2. Leave promptly and don’t idle. Don’t start the engine until you’re ready to go to avoid wasting fuel and turn off the engine if it looks like you could be waiting for more than a minute.
3. Don’t make sudden changes in speed. Maintain a steady pace, drive smoothly and accelerate gently. It will save fuel and reduce maintenance costs.
4. Train your drivers. Good training not only helps improve safety, but also trains your operators to approach a load correctly to avoid unnecessary maneuvering and make them more efficient.
5. Keep up-to-date with maintenance. This is extremely important to keep your forklift fuel efficient and running well.
6. Buy the right tires and check them often. If your forklift has pneumatic tires, make sure they are inflated correctly. Under-inflated tires increase fuel consumption and wear more quickly. If your application is primarily indoors on concrete, cushion tires are a better bet.

Cascade manufactures a variety of products that enable the conventional forklift to become a more versatile and efficient material handling tool. Cascade offers a full line of products that enable a lift truck to pull, push, clamp, lift, sideshift and rotate practically any load imaginable.

Cascade designed the 20G Ag Rotator specifically for seasonal use in agriculture

Features:

• 180 degree rotation to quickly dump or invert a load and immediately return to the pick-up position.
• Compact build doesn't decrease the net capacity of lift trucks, so your customers handle more without needing to invest in a larger truck.
• High visibility through the bin hold-down gives drivers excellent line of sight for reliable, accurate operation
• Hydraulically operated bin retainer designed to securely clamp on top of the bin and hold it in place while rotating. 
• Good torque performance ensures smooth, positive rotation of the load.
• Designed for handling plastic, wooden and metal bins used in the agricultural market.

Options:

• Multiple fork lengths
• Rotator may be ordered with or without a bin hold-down

View the 20G Ag Rotator with Bin Hold Down Spec Sheet HERE

Operator preferences govern purchasing decisions now more than ever. This extends beyond just the forklift itself and into the options that allow it to be custom tailored to fit operator and application needs. Different types of seats, pedals, grips, and armrests all play a key role in keeping operators satisfied, happy, and productive.

While some operators are perfectly content with using the same bells and whistles they’ve grown accustomed to over the years, there are many new technologies to make their lives easier. One such example is the controls used to handle their daily tasks.

For years, cowl-mounted levers have been the most popular method for manipulating all hydraulic functions, and for good reason. It’s what most forklifts are built with, so it’s likely what you’ve been using ever since you started driving one. That level of familiarity allows you to be productive and efficient, but it also may make you resistant to trying something new that could push your comfort and productivity to new heights.

One such solution is joystick controls. Toyota’s optional EZ Control Joystick offers a revolutionary approach to material handling by housing all hydraulic controls inside a single handle. Lift, tilt, and all auxiliary functions such as side shift and fork positioning can be controlled within the palm of your hand.

The horn button and forward/reverse gear shift are also located on the handle for added convenience. And the armrest has fore and aft, vertical, and tilt adjustments to optimize comfort and productivity.

Finding a location to store small items like pens, tape, and small tools for quick access can be challenging. The EZ Control Joystick comes complete with a storage compartment with two USB charging ports to allow operators to conveniently store objects and charge portable electronic devices.

In material handling, precise handling of loads is key to reducing product damage and maintaining productivity. The EZ Control Joystick utilizes an ISO style joystick design that is found in construction and agricultural equipment, which require the simultaneous use of a wide variety of functions. As proven in these high-profile applications, the joystick’s durability and performance can help reduce downtime and power you to new levels of success.

Ultimately, which type of control devices you use comes down to what works best for your application and operator preference. If you feel like joystick controls may benefit your operation, contact us today for a demo or to learn more about the technologies that are available to empower your operators and your business.

Original Post: Trinton Castetter, Product Marketing Specialist, Toyota Material Handling