Hyster shows its commitment to excellence

Date: 11/6/2012

Hyster reveals evidence to illustrate that its forklifts can deliver on the promise of low cost of operation, energy efficiency and productivity at its “Promise to Proof” press event in Northern Ireland.

“It is a fact that Hyster is a  leading forklift brand,” says Ian Melhuish, VP Marketing NMHG. “We can prove we are better, not through theoretical tests, but in real-life tough operations.”

In April, Hyster Europe invited press and members of its EMEA distribution network to the NMHG factory inNorthern Irelandfor an event called “Promise to Proof”.  The event was designed to provide examples and facts about the latest Hyster products in real life applications.

Journalists were invited to inspect a range of trucks, tour the production line, examine quality procedures and interview key personnel.  Presentations and demonstrations provided a deeper understanding of the Hyster business process with significant detail about the product design, manufacturing and quality processes and how Hyster and its distribution partners connect with forklift users to provide application specific solutions.

“From concept to launch, every new Hyster materials handling product follows a carefully structured development process,” Melhuish says, explaining that extensive customer research feeds into the design objectives, together with new available technologies that could enhance the product design.

At world-class test facilities in theNetherlands,Italy,Northern Ireland,UK, and theUS, components and Hyster prototypes undergo test cycles equivalent to years of continuous truck operation in extreme conditions.  Journalists were able to see some of these tests undertaken at the factory inNorthern Ireland.

“Thorough testing and life-cycle simulation verify the dependability of the truck design which includes field testing in tough operations before being released to market.” He adds “Customers can be confident of the performance and dependability of Hyster trucks in the most demanding applications.”

Hyster tests, analyses and refines elements such as engine efficiency, fuel consumption, noise and vibration, all weather performance, stability, safety, productivity, hydraulic and transmission performance, axles, tyres, cooling, cab design, mast lean and deflection, software and much more.

Once launched and in the manufacturing process, Hyster trucks and their components are tested at each stage of the production process to ensure accuracy is maintained.  It is this attention to quality that helped the factory inNorthern Irelandto achieve the prestigious Northern Ireland Quality Award in 2011.

“Quality products help lower the cost of ownership through improved durability” emphasised Melhuish. “In the last two years Hyster has brought a significant number of energy efficient products to market right across the range.”

In the recent months, theNorthern Irelandfactory began shipping the 2.0-5.5 tonne capacity Fortens forklifts with the new ECO-eLo “fuel efficiency” mode engaged, making it one of the most fuel efficient internal combustion (IC) forklifts available on the market.  Hyster energy saving technologies, such as load sensing hydraulics, help achieve fuel savings of up to 20% contributing to an even lower cost of operation from this popular product. 

Hyster also recently launched its entire big truck range over 16 tonne lift capacity with new Cummins Tier 4i / Stage IIIB engines.  Additional features such as RPM management, throttle response, shift point selection, hibernate idle, empty seat engine shutdown, cooling on demand and matched hydraulics help achieve fuel savings of up to 15% on the high capacity forklifts, empty container handlers and reachstackers.

“If, for example, this provides a comparative fuel saving of 3 litres per hour, a truck used for 3,000 hours a year can save 9,000 litres per year, per machine,” he says. “This is the equivalent of a fuel tanker every three years.”

It’s not only IC trucks where Hyster has excelled in energy efficiency and reducing the cost of operation, the new JXN(T) Series of electric counterbalance trucks deliver the best balance of energy consumption and performance. They provide exactly the right amount of power required for individual operations ensuring maximum productivity for the minimum amount of energy consumed.

Hyster warehouse products have also seen significant developments including the low level order picker, which is proven to achieve excellent operator pick rates with superb ‘man to goods’ proximity, saving valuable time. Hyster Reach trucks are now 8% faster with no change between laden and unladen speeds and the Hyster VNA remains one of the quickest VNA transits in the industry.

At the event, product demonstrations on the Hyster test track proved that the Hyster claims are true regarding energy efficiency, productivity and low cost of operation.

“We have proved that these are not theoretical claims, only if the wind is blowing in the right direction down a hill,” he says. “We can deliver these promises in the most demanding 24 hour applications.”

In support of the product in the field, Hyster has carefully selected a worldwide network of local distribution partners, based on the strength of their customer support capability and outstanding service ethic to provide expert consultancy and responsive local service and parts supply. Hyster is continually developing and training this experienced network to ensure the delivery of an excellent standard of service in all regions. 

Established in the 1920s, Hyster has spent 80 years continuously developing a global reputation for manufacturing and supporting durable materials handling equipment.  For more information, visit http://www.hyster.eu.