The world is moving at a fast pace, and so is the speed of shipping products to meet customer needs and earn online customer loyalty. Furthermore, the e-commerce industry is showing some unprecedented growth trends, owing to the rising disposable income across the globe and the increasing customer demands for faster and efficient delivery. This, in turn, has led to the adoption of warehouse management solutions, which increases productivity and at the same time, reduce operational cost.
An important component of warehouse management is forklift trucks. They are used to lift and move raw materials and goods in and around the warehouse and distribution centers. Advanced technologies, such as ERP systems, RFIDs, zone control, are being incorporated in the forklift trucks to increase its efficiency. Further, sensors are also used to track movement and accidents. For instance, U.K. based ForkTrack offer sensors for fleet managers to gain depth and real-time report of forklift trucks and material handling equipment. Due to such developments, many advanced products are available for end-user with customization according to their requirement based on cost and maintenance efficiency.
Few notable technological advances in the forklift trucks are listed below:
Hangcha Group
Hangcha Group in June 2019 launched a Forklift Truck – XF Series Cushion Tire with added features and highly efficient and flexible technology, along with compact design.
Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc
Hyster launched the lithium-ion battery for its forklift series – J7.0–9.0XNL. These batteries use a 50-kW charger to get fully charged within 80 minutes. This rapid charging during regular work breaks eliminates the need for battery exchange.
KION GROUP AG
In July 2019, Kion Group AG and BMZ Holding GmbH joined forces to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for industrial trucks in the EMEA region. The joint venture operates under the name of KION Battery Systems GmbH.
Jungheinrich AG
In February at LogiMAT 2019, Jungheinrich unveiled a new series of electric counterbalanced trucks. The EFG 6 Series electric forklift truck is highly efficient, and can easily carry up to 9 tons at a load center of 900 mm. Besides, it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Clark Material Handling Company
In January 2018, Clark Material Handling Company launched a line of internal combustion lift trucks“s-series.” The s-series feature smart, robust, and safe design elements.
Modern consumers tend to be connected 24×7 to information and instant gratification with mobile devices. Online shopping has shown a boost over the decade, with widespread connectivity and faster delivery of products. High consumer expectations have provided an impetus to e-retailers in innovating their operations for timely delivery and remain competitive in the market. This provides a huge opportunity for material handling equipment such as forklift trucks to witness rapid adoption in the e-commerce industry. The escalating dependence on warehouses for its operations is substantially creating an escalated demand for warehouse automation, thereby influencing the forklift trucks market.