Martin Jones of Narrow Aisle runs through the key features of articulated forklift design to consider when selecting a truck.
To be competitive, profitable and successful, a modern logistics operation needs to be consistently efficient and reliable, which requires getting the most from the available storage space in a warehouse or distribution centre.
These operations commonly need to move pallets efficiently between unloading areas, marshalling zones, storage locations and dispatch operations. Sometimes, loading and unloading take place outside in the yard. Traditionally, such operations have required multiple types of material handling equipment, each designed for specific tasks. Modern, highly versatile articulated forklifts, however, have been developed to offer genuine indoor and outdoor capability.
Inside the warehouse, space is at a premium, leading many operators to adopt very narrow aisle (VNA) storage systems to increase pallet density and ‘maximise the cube’. However, achieving productivity in these environments depends heavily on a forklift truck’s dimensions: the more compact the truck, the more effectively it can manoeuvre within restricted spaces.
When a truck is articulated, it does not need the space that a reach or counterbalance truck would require to turn into a pallet position. This means that aisle widths can be reduced and more racking bays introduced within the available storage space.
These key characteristics of the articulated truck concept, which is an innovation in itself, have won many converts among 3PLs, retailers and manufacturers alike. However, its considerable success has not halted its development, and there have been many recent advances to enhance its capabilities. So, what are the important features to consider when assessing articulated forklift design?
1. Manoeuvrability in narrow aisles
The natural environment for an articulated forklift truck is a narrow aisle where manoeuvrability really matters. Being designed as a front-wheel-drive articulated forklift allows 220-degree Over-Rotation to be incorporated into all Flexi® models, with the 15VN achieving 230 degrees. This is one of the defining features of advanced articulated forklift design for warehouse operators. It allows trucks to turn safely in an extremely tight environment, reducing the need for multiple corrective manoeuvres and giving the operator complete control of the load. This improves efficiency during pallet storage and retrieval.
By being able to work in narrow aisles, an articulated truck such as the Flexi® allows logistics operations to increase pallet storage capacity by between 30 and 50 per cent, enabling a business to get the most from its storage cube. It is also well suited to working in narrow aisles alongside order-picking staff during a pick cycle without creating a health and safety issue. Traditional warehouse products, such as guided VNA machines and man-up Combis, require the storage cube to be free of pedestrians and other truck traffic at all times.
2. Protection against racking damage
Working in narrow aisles places a forklift truck closer to racking, damage to which remains one of the most common and costly warehouse issues. Even minor impacts can compromise structural integrity, create safety risks and generate expensive repair costs.
Conventional articulated trucks often swing outward when turning in an aisle, increasing the likelihood of impact and potential racking damage. A bespoke curved chassis design, known as TrueRadius®, allows a Flexi to follow the exact curvature of the chassis during articulation, significantly reducing this risk. The design maintains a consistent profile throughout the turn, allowing operators to concentrate fully on handling loads and improving both speed and safety. Efficiency is crucial in logistics operations, but safety is paramount.
3. Precise load control
When operating in very narrow aisles and lifting up to 15,000 mm, it is vital to have complete control over the load. Exceptionally smooth and precise operation without the risk of hydraulic interference requires innovative articulated forklift design.
Flexi achieves this through independent drive, lift and steer motors. The independent motor system is controlled digitally to ensure productive and safe performance throughout the working day, allowing operators to manoeuvre effortlessly in tight warehouse environments while maintaining full control over loads. The power-steering motor provides precise steering with no ‘kickback’.
By eliminating reliance on shared hydraulic functions, the truck delivers consistent power distribution, reducing wear and tear on components and improving long-term reliability. By reducing stress on shared components and ensuring balanced power distribution and wear, independent motor systems can also minimise maintenance requirements over the life of the truck.
4. Maximum operator visibility
Maximum visibility is critical to the safe and accurate operation of lift trucks. Poor visibility can slow down operations, increase operator fatigue and elevate the risk of accidents involving personnel, products or warehouse infrastructure.
Flexi is designed with a Twin-Post Hi-Vis Operator’s Overhead Guard, which provides clear upward visibility of the forks and load when stacking. The truck also has an advanced Clear View Hi-Vis Mast, with mast brace sections designed not to impede the operator’s eyeline, as well as a sloped nose cone. A short chassis length ensures the operator is as close to the load as possible.
These features combine to provide excellent visibility, reducing blind spots and enhancing safety and accuracy. Operators can handle loads with greater precision and confidence, helping to keep personnel, infrastructure and products safe. This is especially important in high-density racking environments where maximising throughput is critical.
With its ergonomic design elements and enhanced visibility features, Flexi® provides a safer, more efficient and more comfortable experience for operators, ultimately boosting productivity in demanding warehouse operations.
5. Efficient battery changing
A battery charging system should ensure that electric-powered articulated forklift trucks can operate at optimum efficiency around the clock if required. An advantage of Flexi’s articulated forklift design is that the battery can be removed simply and safely at a low level from the rear using a hand pallet truck or another forklift.
No chains or slings are required during battery changeover operations. A lithium-ion option is also available to suit applications where operators want to avoid battery changing.
6. Stability and indoor-outdoor performance
A front pivot axle design, as used on the Flexi®, improves stability and ride comfort when operating on external surfaces, loading yards and uneven ground. This essential feature of an articulated truck provides operators with greater confidence and control, particularly during intensive, high-volume operations.
Front-wheel drive gives the operator complete control over the load and allows Over-Rotation of the articulated steering. This enables the operator to turn in an extremely tight environment and correct any errors in their movements within the aisle.
Flexi Narrow Aisle® is a pioneer of front-wheel-drive technology that, combined with an indoor-outdoor wheel and tyre configuration, provides traction in a range of conditions. This design feature gives the truck the versatility to collect pallets directly from marshalling, unloading and loading areas without requiring additional material handling equipment.
This capability eliminates reliance on multiple trucks for different tasks, reducing operational complexity and improving overall efficiency while offering a true one-truck, ‘Road-to-Rack™’ solution.
With the continual evolution and advancement of articulated trucks such as the Flexi® from Narrow Aisle, users can benefit from increased picking efficiency, additional warehouse storage space, reduced double handling and a smaller truck fleet. One truck can load and unload vehicles as well as stack pallets in narrow aisles, resulting in potential operating cost savings of up to 50 per cent.
Many of the innovations discussed in this article are demonstrated in the Flexi Feature Focus video series on YouTube.
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