Focus On: Toyota Reach Trucks
May 10, 2021
Focus On: Toyota Core Electric Forklift
July 12, 2021
Welcome to our June installment of "Focus On," where we work to give you some of the details on our favored brands of forklift. Today for our sixth installment of the year we're talking about the Crown RM/RMD 6000 series of forklifts. These trucks are a slightly different take on the reach truck and deserve their own entry for a couple of reasons. First of all they look a little different, with just a single mast section located more or less centrally at the front of the lift truck. For those of us used to looking at forklifts, not being able to look through the mast is a little strange, but Crown's Mono-Lift mast actually occupies less space than a traditional parallel channel mast would for the same height and weight capacity; that space is simply all located in the same area instead of spread into two uprights. Secondly the design of the Mono-Lift mast means the RM/RMD 6000 can lift 63" (1.6m) higher than its cousins in the RR/RD 5700 series. Depending on what you're storing, that could be another entire level of vertical racking. Topping out at 505" (12.8m) with the sit-down version, this means the RM/RMD 6000 can reach places few other trucks can. Crown has plenty more to say about it here.
Crown's RM/RMD 6000 forklifts
Take a load off
One of the easiest things you can do to take care of your people is to keep the ergonomics of the work and machines in mind when you're deciding on what to put in your warehouse. Crown has always been a leader in this field, and the RM/RMD 6000 is no exception. Pictured to the right you'll see the RM 6000S (the S is for "sit-down"). Sharing the bright orange entry bar safety switch with the other stand-up units in Crown's line of trucks it helps make sure your operator's feet stay safely inside the truck during operation. Similar in function but separate in position the dual pedal floorboard and elevated footrest are also tied to operator presence sensors to ensure the truck is operated safely. Speaking of the operator's compartment: the RM/RMD 6000 comes standard with both a thick, heavy duty floor pad, but also with a full suspension floorboard to absorb the bulk of any knocks before they reach your driver. Adjustable armrest and steer handles means your operator can get everything just right to stay comfy, and the S model adds sitting to the list of options as well. Keeping everything at your operator's fingertips are Crown's Multi-task Control Handle and Access123 module. Add to that an integrated Work Assist Tube to keep accessories handy (Infolink systems, screens, bins, etc...) and the operator compartment is pretty packed with features to keep your people comfortable as they work. An added bonus is that this is all done while keeping wide open sight lines from your operator to their loads. Something else that is actually a little hard to see in the picture is that there's a transparent polycarbonate mast guard on each side of the mast to keep things from tumbling back into the operator compartment. At 3/8" (9.5mm) thick it is pretty hefty on its own, but there's also an option for a metal mesh upgrade if you'd feel better with some metal between product and your drivers. Because extra safety options on a forklift are always a good thing.
RM6000S compartment
Get down Mr. President!
Topping out at 400" (10m) the RM/RMD 6000 is still dealing with product way up in the air (let alone the 505" (12.8m) of the RM 6000S). Putting it up there isn't a huge deal; after all the entire point of a forklift is to lift. Getting it down again is a different issue. Lowering occupies about 25% of the average lift truck's cycle time, so anything that can cut that down will mean increased efficiency for your lift trucks. Crown invented the Xpress Lower option for exactly this reason. Safely and automatically adjusting lower speeds based on mast height to take you from the typical 110fpm (559mm/s) lower rate to an average of 205fpm (1041mm/s). It actually tops out at 240fpm (1219mm/s), but that's at the upper end of the lift range, so the average is a better number to work with. Adding to that Crown also built in Regenerative Lowering to recapture about 12% of battery power as the mast is lowered, so for every ten lifts you get an extra you wouldn't have managed before. Everyone loves "free" right?Why's there a post on my forklift?
We've already talked about how different the mast on the RM/RMD 6000 looks. To the right your can see the top of one of these things (normally it has a solid steel plate on the top; the picture just has a fancy cut-away view). It looks pretty familiar from this angle right? Pairs of uprights, set together, on either side of a central yoke for chains, cables, and hoses. "All" Crown did was take away all the extra space, pack it into a space 14"x14" (35cm x 35cm) square, and mount it a little off center on the forklift. Oh, and fit a jumbo sized lift cylinder in there too. There was a lot of engineering that went into that feat. While wonderfully clear, the tech drawings look like a 3-D version of Tetris. It is just as well that Crown's masts are legendarily tough, because getting to some of the components inside the mast requires it to be almost entirely disassembled. Planned Maintenance is important like for all lift trucks and can mean the difference between replacing some mast shims and having to spend a couple of days pulling it apart to replace damaged thrust rollers. All that engineering and steel go together to produce some truly impressive lift stats. The RM 6025 has lift heights ranging from 192" to 400" (4.8m to 10.1m), taking a base capacity of 4500lb (2000kg) all the way. The RMD 6025 with its double reach slims that down a little with the same height, lifting a base capacity of 3200lb (1450kg). The RM 6095S doubles down, taking that same 4500lb (2000kg) weight from 192" to 341" (4.8m to 8.6m) or the monster mast with 366" to 505" (9.3m to 12.8m). You will need to check doors on that mast though; even collapsed it is 160" (4m) tall! The RMD 6095S Like the RMD before it, this model takes 3200lb (1450kg) to the same height ranges as the RM 6095S.
RM 6000 Mast top
Options, options, options everywhere!
Simply put there are a lot of options on the RM/RMD 6000 series trucks. Xpress Lower: we talked about above, but especially for the taller masts can saves hours a week for the average truck. Rack Height Select, Tilt Position Assist, Cameras, and Lasers: to help put product where it belongs. Battery setup options: for lithium-ion and Thin Plate Pure Lead style options in addition to the regular lead acid. Fuel Cell Ready: more power options for going green! Freezer conditioning and ThermoAssist packages: keep your people warm and your machine protected. LED Lights: to make sure the power goes to the machine and not the bright parts. There's plenty more options for these trucks ranging from hard components (like heavy duty skirts) to software (like Infolink ready), but that's why we always suggest you talk to our CSS reps to make sure you get the options that will help you the most.So that's our piece on the Crown RM/RMD 6000 series of reach trucks. Setting new standards for material handling efficiency, these trucks put Crown's expertise in your warehouse. To see what they say about these trucks you can, as always, Click Here to check out their website.
For a more personalized idea of what the RM/RMD 6000 could do for you, you can Get In Contact with one of our CSS Team Members to learn more about this machine and about your options for putting the MonoLift mast to work for you.
