September 2022
Yale Series N: redefining excellence in warehouse & logistics, automotive, and food industries
The Yale Series N has the potential to be game-changing for customers with its configurable features, allowing them to redefine the way they operate with a bespoke lift truck to meet the unique demands of their applications.
“Customers in warehouse and logistics, automotive and food industries can elevate their success by integrating the Series N into their applications,” explained Phil Mean, Product Strategy Manager at Yale Europe Materials Handling. “Our dealers and sales team know how to get to the root of an application’s individual needs and define a precise lift truck specification that gives our customers exactly what they require. The configurability of the range sets a new level of excellence in lift truck solutions – so we thought we could outline what a Series N in each industry may look like.”
Warehouse & Logistics
Warehouse and logistics operators are often required to regularly get on and off the truck during their normal operational tasks. The Series N has a number of features to help the operator get quickly and safely off the truck.
The step position offers excellent ingress and egress, which combined with the overhead guard position minimizes twist as the operator climbs into the cab, reducing the flex in an operator’s back and torso. A large step is one of three points of contact, alongside a convenient handle for the left hand and the seat’s flip-up armrest to provide the operator a secure way of getting into the truck.
As the cornerstone of the supply chain, warehousing and logistics operations are likely to require trucks that work in both indoor and outdoor environments. The addition of high-output LED lights on a Series N provides superior illumination in dark conditions. Where trucks are used in outdoor areas, the cab can be configured for various climates. Features such as heaters or air conditioning can be specified.
When frequently placing loads on racks in warehouses, visibility to the load, forks, racking and stored loads is key for the operator. The Series N has a wide mast window, helping the operator to see the load every time they lift. It can also be fitted with a fork laser line, helping to reduce operator guesswork during high lifting.
Automotive Industry
Automotive customers have similar demands to those of warehouse and logistics operations, with some key additional challenges.
An industry-wide drive for efficiency in logistics has led to the use of more lightweight and returnable packaging – and with it, an increased risk of damage to the packaging from the forklift. The Series N offers some excellent options to reduce this risk, allowing packages to be handled carefully.
This includes a new hydraulic system, which offers improved sensitivity and fine control. Together with industry-leading drive systems, the truck enables operators to consistently and accurately place loads.
Food Industry
In the food industry, it is common practice for customers to have light but bulky loads, which can limit forward visibility, therefore increasing the need for more reverse driving. To facilitate manoeuvring in reverse, users can benefit from a rear drive handle with horn option. The handle is conveniently located on the rear overhead guard leg and helps to reduce strain on the operator’s back when driving in reverse. The addition of the horn button allows an operator to use the horn function without having to remove their hand from the steering wheel. While operators should keep an eye in the direction of travel, a reverse camera option can support visibility behind the truck, especially when manoeuvring and first moving away.
Tall loads are often block stacked, which bring its own operational issues. They can be less secure on the forks due to the high centre of gravity, especially when stacked on top of each other. The Series N has a number of features to help, from a simple load back rest to the Dynamic Stability System, where truck performance is limited during high lift situations.
“There are even more features and options offered by our Series N range that can add value to customers’ operations. This is an incredibly exciting product, engineered to help raise the levels of efficiency and productivity for our customers and their employees. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about the range to get in touch with our team today and find out how the Series N can help them set their own standard,” concluded Phil.
