Variable driver's and operator's station

Problems

High-rack order pickers are designed both for moving entire pallets in shelves at heights of up to several metres and for raising the operator to the height required in order for manual handling tasks to be performed. The pickers are also to be able to move the goods retrieved to or from a staging area or transport them directly to their destination. These tasks place high demands upon the driver's platform on the equipment. Travel in different directions must also be possible without difficulty, and the driver must be free to move on the platform during manual order picking (refer also to EN 1005-4 with regard to body postures).

Stress category

Location of control actuators
Visibility conditions
Motional range
Postures and movements

Solution

On Crown high-rack order pickers, the driver's control station can be adjusted to the needs of the individual operator and to the task in hand. The driver's seat and its controls can be swivelled through 110°, enabling pallet handling to be viewed easily on both sides of the machine (see also EN ISO 3691-3:2010, Section 4.3.3; for visibility on industrial trucks, see prEN 16842-1:2015). For reversing of the machine, the seat can be rotated to up to 90° to the direction of travel, thereby avoiding strong twisting of the spine during driving. For the purpose of manual order picking, the driver's seat can be folded in and the armrest housing the controls raised. This creates freedom of movement and converts the driver's seat to a full standing platform, thereby facilitating frequent alternation between operation of the machine and handling tasks.

Principle of operation

Adjustability of control elements for adaptation to the work situation

Standards

• EN ISO 3691-3: Industrial trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 3: Additional requirements for trucks with elevating operator position and trucks specifically designed to travel with elevated loads
• EN 1005-4: Safety of machinery - Human physical performance - Part 4: Evaluation of working postures and movements in relation to machinery
• prEN 16842-1: Powered industrial trucks - Visibility - Test method for verification - Part 1: General requirements