Safety first with new TCM truck

The FB/FTB trucks have operator checks built-in. Typically, forklifts have required a separate ancillary and software to carry out this functionality, but the TCM trucks have it as standard. This means an operator cannot use the truck without going through a proper safety check beforehand.

The trucks also offer greater safety with higher performance. They have a handling and travel system that means the elements of safety such as lifting, tilting and travelling are automatically balanced by load, lift height and tilt angle, which allows the operator more scope to focus on performance.

They also come with dynamic cornering control, that keeps the truck stable and smooth in the tightest and sharpest operating routes and it automatically engages a parking brake should the truck stop on a ramp. In all, there are 16 safety features that come as standard on the new truck. This includes an overload alarm and a safe operation indicator.

The Pro-vision concept gives the operator the best, clearest and clutter-free visibility to-date. A new mast design and low simple display panel open up the front perspective and reduce blindspots. Improved cab design which includes a bar type overhead guard and thin bar rear pillar provide 360-panoramic viability.

From an operator perspective, this truck starts with a wide, flat and low-level entry and foot space for large safety footwear. The control panel has a comfort-control arm a natural grip-shape design for operator stability and soft finger control. The control arm-rest and seating configuration has adjustable configurations to suit everyone. The driving experience is intuitive and interactive.

The trucks are said to offer the lowest energy consumption within class achieving a measured 4.2kWh/h energy consumption, which TCM say could make a significant cost saving over similar trucks. It also has the benefit of being configured for different battery options, so should an opportunity to switch be advantageous, the change-over is easy.

They new trucks were unveiled at a European dealer conference in Worcestershire and the new features went down well with the dealers present.

Malcolm Mitchell, MD,  Amvar Forklift Trucks explains: “The driver interface with its ability to impose mandatory daily checks is a good tool, because it is very popular among potential users. The vision panels can make a big difference to improve safety by helping the operator to see the load and forks more easily. I also like the ability to change batteries very quickly and easily. These are all improvements on previous models.”

The FB/FTB is exclusively available through TCM’s national dealer network.

TCM dealership director Graham Jones says that there is already tremendous interest in the new truck.

“We have studied carefully what the market wants and what our own customers have been telling us. Our design and engineering team has focused on the core features, those that focus heavily on safety, practically bring benefits to operators and increase the efficiency of the truck,” he says.

View from Europe

Bengt Kristiansson, VP sales & marketing at Unicarriers also spoke at the conference and outlined how last year’s acquisition of Unicarriers (owner of the TCM brand) by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will impact the UK and Europe.

“We are in the post-merger integration stage and we are now part of a group which combined is the third largest forklift supplier in world,” he says.

“The TCM brand will remain and we will focus on cross supply of products from other brands in the group to fill gaps in the range, as well as co-operating on new product development.”

Further products

TCM has, or will, launch a range of other products, mostly models assimilated from other brands within the MHI group. These include the PAL series powered pallet truck, with a central drive wheel and tiller arm, which will be available alongside the current model – the PTL.

It also includes the RTH160 reach truck, which is smaller than previous models, but retains a high lift capacity (to 10.8m).

In September, the FHB-F1 80 volt eclectic counterbalance truck will launch, adding to its electric counterbalance range.