Safety, unburdening drivers and process automation are becoming increasingly important in the logistics industry. For this reason, ZF has developed an Innovation Forklift serving these trends and enabling highly automated driving functions.
ZF has equipped the ground-breaking innovation vehicle with a range of intelligent systems: it is fitted with an array of cameras and radar sensors to create a surround-view system capable of person and object recognition. The signals are processed by ZF ProAI, a high-performance electronic system capable of deep learning. ZF steering and gearbox systems like the electromechanical steering ZF eSTEER EPS 3 and the drive system ZF eTRAC enable automated process flows in warehouse logistics.
Automated driving naturally requires an exceptional level of safety. That was also factored into the development of the test vehicle. Thanks to built-in ZF cameras, the Innovation Forklift is capable of surround view, pedestrian and object recognition. It allows the vehicle to come to an immediate halt should pedestrians suddenly appear or to bypass static objects.
Thus, the ZF Innovation Forklift is a perfect example of how ZF enables vehicles to see, think and act.
The electric lift truck consistently follows the path trodden in the car industry a few years ago: substitution of hydraulic steering by energy-efficient electrical steering systems.As it is the case with automotive applications, steering based purely on electromechanical power is finding its way into ever larger vehicles and higher performance classes.
Thanks to power-on-demand feature, the electromechanical steering ZF eSTEER EPS4 ZF for front-drive counterbalance forklifts operates highly economic in the driving cycle. Premium, high-quality and long-lasting components obviate the need for maintenance across the product's life cycle. The newly developed steer-by-wire system functions without hydraulics, meaning that leaks and associated environmental hazards are prevented.
The EPS 4 takes its position amongst the present product innovations from ZF and represents an important milestone in energy conservation for the future.
Further technical information on EPS 4:
The ZF eTRAC brand offers electrically powered systems for forklifts with a lifting capacity of up to 3.5 tons. The components of such technology are perfectly co-ordinated and include: traction motor, brake, wheel, connector frames, steering motor and steering sensor – basically everything that you need to drive, steer and brake a forklift.