Helping to support safety initiatives in broader range of demanding material handling environments

Hyster Company announced two major updates to its operator assist solutions for forklifts, designed to help operators maintain equipment stability and best practices for safe operation. Hyster Reaction™, the company’s operator assist solution, is now available on 59 lift truck models. This selection includes a wide range of electric counterbalanced forklifts with load capacities up to 12,000 pounds designed for the most demanding indoor applications. Not only that, Advanced Dynamic Stability (ADS), one of the foundational technologies in Hyster Reaction, is now available as a standalone option, giving operations the utmost choice to equip their fleets with the technology that best matches their needs.

ADS continuously monitors forklift and load status, and automatically applies interventions in response to compromised stability. Previously, ADS was available only when packaged with other technologies as part of Hyster Reaction solutions. The standalone availability provides a more affordable, accessible option for applications that may not warrant investment in the detection technology or infrastructure required for other Hyster Reaction technologies. Since launch, customer deployments of Hyster Reaction technology have accumulated 14 million hours of run time in the field.

The full Hyster Reaction suite includes ADS on its own or packaged with one or more technologies, including object detection, proximity detection and real-time location sensing. Hyster Reaction keeps the operator in ultimate control of the lift truck, but depending on the package selected automatically applies interventions in response to compromised stability, obstacles detected in the path of travel or close, and even based on rules specified for certain areas of the facility. Those performance interventions, such as a reduction to travel speed or a smoothing of fork lift or tilt movement, are carefully measured to avoid abrupt shifts or jerks that can upset stability. The changes remain noticeable enough for operators to feel, and the system also communicates the cause through a display screen, providing an additional layer of feedback to help reinforce proper operation established during training.

“This month we recognize the 11th annual observance of National Forklift Safety Day, which helps underscore the critical importance of forklift operator training and best practices. As our industry continues to evolve, advanced technology is now capable of complementing those critical, foundational elements of forklift safety,” says Darrell Hinnant, Commercial Director, Emerging Technologies, Hyster. “Tools like ADS and Hyster Reaction are designed according to forklift operator best practices and can help reinforce what operators learned in training with real-time performance interventions on the shop floor.”