Crown Equipment Corporation, one of the world’s largest material handling companies, continues to push the limits of industrial gas forklift design. This time it comes in the form of new hard and soft cabins for the Crown C-5 Series that contain a number of features to help operators gain comfort, greater visibility and improved performance while working in unpredictable environments.
The rugged design of the hard cabin, which is constructed from tubular steel, is available for the pneumatic tire model. Available as a factory-installed option, its textured, sound-absorbing surfaces reduce noise; long, bar-style door handles provide strength and leverage for easy closing; and, two-way sliding, locking windows improve an operator’s control of their working conditions. Filtered fresh air, heat and defrost controls are built into the door assembly so operators gain more floor space. This design also enables entry and exit on right side of the cabin.
The soft cabin, while available as a factory-installed option, also can be purchased as an aftermarket kit for user installation. It features an acrylic top and soft rear window and doors that can be rolled up or down as weather conditions change. The soft cabin can be ordered as a full cab, a partial cab without doors, or in modular components that can be used to create a custom solution.
Airgas, Inc. has an extensive fleet of Crown C-5 Series forklifts equipped with the new cabins. “Our operators feel the new cabin increases visibility and creates a quieter, more comfortable environment due to the near automotive-quality fit and finish that was designed specifically for the forklift,” said Shaye Powers, director of fleet maintenance, Airgas, Inc. “The fact that the cabin was designed by Crown Equipment ensures that replacement parts availability and product support are at the same high level we’ve come to expect from the company.”
The design of the Crown C-5 Series cabins is focused around the operator and considers optimum visibility in all directions, which is important in outdoor and extreme applications where pedestrians and other operators may not see or hear well. Through the large windows operators can easily view the fork tips, load and surrounding environment. With both the hard and soft cabins, forward visibility is maintained via the safety glass windshield with wiper and washer. Large acrylic roof panels provide optimum overhead visibility, especially valuable when handling loads at height.
“The Crown C-5 Series is a very versatile forklift that is used in manufacturing plants, construction sites, brick and lumber yards, and recycling centers where operators need to navigate rough terrain, unpredictable weather and heavy loads,” said Rob Chaney, marketing product manager, Crown Equipment. “The hard and soft cabins ensure that operators can work comfortably and productively throughout the entire time they’re using the forklift.”
The Crown C-5 Series features a clean-burning industrial 2.4-liter LPG engine that offers the ability to switch from economy to high productivity mode when needed, a proactive approach to engine cooling and radiator clearing via an on-demand cooling system, and design innovations that improve operator visibility, comfort and productivity. The industrial forklift is available in pneumatic and cushion tire models in capacities ranging from 4,000 pounds to 6,500 pounds.
