Toyota expands line of IC forklifts

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 12/1/2000

Bidding for bigger shares of the U.S. market for internal combustion lift trucks, Toyota recently rolled out new large capacity models in its 7-Series line. The forklifts are 8,000 to 15,500 lb. capacity cushion-tire trucks and 8,000 to 17,500 lb. pneumatic-tire trucks. Included are models filling gaps in the manufacturer's prior line. All 7-Series lift trucks will be equipped with Toyota's proprietary safety system to reduce risks of tipovers, which are the leading cause of forklift fatalities.

Toyota already holds nearly a 25% share of the U.S. market for cushion-tire forklifts and a 17% share for pneumatics, said Dr. Shankar Basu, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Industrial Equipment (TIE), in briefing business press editors at the company's Columbus, Ind. plant.

The heavy-duty lift trucks are for demanding jobs in industries such as pulp and paper, metal fabrication, and construction. Toyota also collaborated with Cascade Corp., a lift truck attachment maker, to design a paper roll handler for its forklifts.

"The paper industry is one of the roughest applications for a forklift," says John Koenig, TIE vice president of product development, marketing, and training. The Toyota paper roll handler, he adds, "marks the first time a forklift manufacturer and an attachment manufacturer have worked closely to tackle an issue plaguing the paper industry for years."

Problems such as overheating of the forklift, clamp damage to rolls, and low fuel economy are addressed with a hosing/valve combination unique to Toyota. It ensures that the clamp correctly receives specified pressures and hydraulic flows for proper operation.