Focus On: Toyota 3-Wheel Electric
January 13, 2021
Focus On: Combilift Combi-CB
March 14, 2021
Welcome back to our "Focus On" series. Today we'll be talking about another great piece of equipment, the Toyota Stand-up Rider electric forklift series. Above you can see a picture of the 8BNCU, and you can read what Toyota has to say about it here.
One of the most widely used of these is the 8BNCU20 with a base capacity of 4000 lbs. This is the upper end of the capacity for the Stand-up Rider series, and is one of six truck styles available, powered by 36V electrical systems and divided by weight class.
Stand-up, stand out!
One of the phrases you hear a lot in the warehousing world is "dock to stock." Usually referring to being able to take product right from the truck to where it will be kept, the rise of the Stand-Up Rider has made this kind of operation much easier to organize for warehouse managers everywhere. Once broken into two separate activities, pallet trucks (electric or sweat powered) would pull product off the truck and stage them somewhere nearby for pickup and stocking by full size forklifts. More staff, more trucks, more work, and more overhead.
Stand-up Rider dimensions.
The Toyota Production System loves finding processes like this, because they provide many possibilities to optimize the work. In this case that optimization comes in the form of eliminating an entire unloading step and replacing two pieces of equipment with one better suited for the work.
Instead of needing pallet trucks (and batteries, and people, and maintenance) to pull stuff off trucks and then space for staging, the Stand-up Rider can go and get inventory from the truck itself (unless the truck is tight for load in the first place of course). If you're adding to a fleet this means that you can suddenly use those pallet trucks for low level picking operations (or anything else you can think of), but if you're just starting it means you can get a multifunction truck that can best serve your needs right out of the gate.
Like we talked about last time on Focus On, that basic right angle stack distance is super important to warehousing; so it should come as no surprise that a dedicated warehousing forklift has an even smaller aisle requirement than the 3-Wheel electric. Maxing out at 73.5" (187cm) the basic right angle stack for even the largest of these units is 14" (36cm) smaller than a traditional 4 wheel electric forklift. If you're comparing it to a traditional IC forklift the difference is even greater!
8BNCU FSV Mast.
No low hanging fruit here
One of the best things about the Stand-up Rider is just how compact a footprint it has on the warehouse floor. Tighter turns are just the start for these compact workhorses, as they take everything to love about the 3-Wheel electric and magnify it. A smaller turn radius makes them even more maneuverable, doubly important as you'll probably be sending them into trailers at the dock. They lift more than the 3-Wheel Electric does at height, topping out at 277" (704 cm) and 2450lbs (1110 kg) base capacity for a QFV Full Free-Lift mast on an 8BNCU20 with a 21.25" battery compartment (Aka "The Big One").Not everything is about size
You don't just need height and weight capacity to decide on a truck (and we wouldn't ask you to either!). Maybe there's a lower door or pass-through you need to fit in, or drive-in racking in use. You need the right unit for the right job, and Toyota's three mast sizes (FV, FSV, QFV) mean that you can get the combination of capacity, height, and free-lift that best suit the needs of your business. Ranging from the FV mast's 128" (325 cm) max height with 59" free-lift (without the LBR) all the way to the QFV's 277" (704 cm) max lift with 70" (179 cm) of free-lift, somewhere there's the right combination for you. One of the QFV masts has an even shorter collapsed height than the shortest FV mast, despite having nearly a 50% increase in max lift height. Staring at columns of numbers makes you a little cross-eyed after a while, which is why our CSS reps are here to help you navigate the options.What's under the hood?
We've talked about lift heights and weights, but what makes these machines actually go? Providing extra weight for the machine is a 36V industrial battery, the specs of which depend on which size/capacity of truck it needs to power). Minimum weights here range from 1980-2593 lbs. (898-1176 kg). This is something important to keep in mind, as these are all electric lift trucks, and batteries along with their upkeep are an important part of maintenance for these trucks. If you already use this kind of equipment, are your batteries being taken care of (and your investment protected) the way they should be? Because we do battery maintenance too! Since all of that power needs to go somewhere the Stand-up Rider boasts a total of four different motors! Vertically mounted, independent left and right AC powered drive motors provide super-efficient motive power, plus a separate lift pump motor and another motor for steering and auxiliary functions. This also means that lift power is kept independent of movement, so motion remains consistent even when raising or lowering a load. This lets you you can approach or leave a rack with confidence and without having to guess at how much power is being robbed from one system to feed the other. The Stand-up Rider also looks after your people too. Padded back and arm rests help maintain operator comfort, and maybe most important for dock to stock operations, a shock-dampened isolated operator compartment floor helps save your drivers the bumps and fatigue that comes from cruising in and out of trailers all day. Built with a slight slope and 7/8" (2.2cm) foam rubber floor pad, the low step height also helps with picking operations for when the unit is in use in low-rack order fulfillment jobs.
8BNCU truck in use.
That low step height and open access to the operator compartment are also key safety features as well. In a traditional forklift the operator (should) be strapped in and protected by the overhead guard in case something nasty happens. On stand up units there isn't really a place for a seat belt, and unlike a stock picker you can't really just tether to it either.
So that open compartment? Unlike a traditional forklift where an operator would have to scrabble out of a seat and somehow try to make it clear of the machine while it is tipping over, the open compartment and low step make it really easy for an operator to just step off and away from the machine. Building on that human reflex of just stepping back, that instinctive act in the face of danger can keep your people safe. This is especially important considering that tip-overs account for 25% of forklift fatalities.
You might have some questions about your operator's driving afterwards, but with cornering speed controls, mast and load stability systems, and accurate load limits the machine itself is as safe as Toyota (the world leader in forklift safety) can make them.
See the light, listen for the beepbeepbeep
Toyota lift trucks come with a lot of things standard. The 8BNCU comes with programmable performance parameters, 10 amp power hookup for an onboard terminal, and integrated cup holder, clipboard, and amenity tray. Cornering speed controls held maintain stability through turns, and dual electric disc brakes with regenerative braking help both save power and keep the unit stopping where you need it. Self diagnostics with instructional messages help operators troubleshoot basic problems, and fault code memory ensures that trained technicians can quickly find the source of common problems. That isn't the full list of course. For that see what Toyota says. A few of the select options we think are especially useful: Mast options (FV, FSV, QFV) - to help you put things exactly where you need them. Integral side shift - because sometimes that pallet needs to be a couple inches "that way." Hydraulic quick disconnects (single and dual) - can help a single machine be more versatile with varied attachments. Travel alarms, strobes, and LED lighting both unit and mast mounted - seeing where you're working is important after all. Operator PIN code entry activation - to ensure that only those authorized to do so can drive your lift trucks. Alternative overhead guard heights - Short doors or drive in racking can make a typical unit hard to fit. Battery compartment sizes - Do you need more power or more counterweight? Different batteries might do the trick. Tire material and hardness options - you don't want the hardest tire, just the best one for your work. Cold storage conditioning - freezers are brutal on machinery, so protect your investment. UL-approved EE rating - do your work areas class as Division 2 hazardous? You literally need an EE rated truck. Reverse steering - Some operations can be made easier if your truck steers differently than the standard. Not all of these options are available for every unit, and some of them are restricted to certain sizes/weights of unit (for example, the 21.25" battery compartment is only available on the 8BNCU20). Some options just don't work well together after all, and Toyota works hard to maintain its delivery of a world class material handling machine, no matter what form it takes.So there we go: a bit of a breakdown for the Toyota Stand-up Rider lift trucks, one of the stand out warehouse trucks available on the market. Like always if you want to know more you can always Click Here to see what Toyota says about their product.
Better yet you can Get In Contact with one of our CSS Team Members to learn more about this machine and about your options for outfitting your business with proven dependability and success from Toyota.
Better yet you can Get In Contact with one of our CSS Team Members to learn more about this machine and about your options for outfitting your business with proven dependability and success from Toyota.
