Avoid grinding and save cash

This Linde innovation looks like it could change the way warehouse managers regard floor tolerances for use with reach trucks. The Active Stability Control (ASC) assistance system is designed to allow fast and safe driving in the high bays over uneven surfaces.

In narrow aisles when lifting heights up to 18 metres, bumps in the millimetre range can trigger dangerous fluctuations in the vehicle. ASC is said to even out bumps in the ground between the left and right lanes of up to ten millimetres with sufficient safety distances.

This could save a lot of money in floor grinding and floor repair. ASC means that the floor structure is constantly being scanned through an intelligent interaction of mechanical and electronic sensors.

If the system detects surface irregularities across the aisle, the load wheels immediately compensate for this and prevent the vehicle from swaying sideways. Thus, the truck is kept permanently in a safe and stable condition.

With ASC, maximum speeds of up to 14 km/h and lifting heights of up to 18 metres are possible not only on perfectly smooth floors, as prescribed by the corresponding VDMA standard. Ground unevenness between the left and right lanes of up to ten millimetres can be compensated for with sufficient safety distances.

This means that floor quality according to the lower requirements specified by DIN 18202 (Table3, line 3) is sufficient, as lateral swaying is compensated for directly as it occurs. The worker can therefore drive quickly and safely. The solution will be made available in the UK this year.