Modular Unit Frame for Industrial Truck Fleet Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of industrial truck fleets is hindered by high manufacturing efforts due to the need for diverse components and tools, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
An identical unit frame design for horizontal orderers, tractors, and counterweight forklifts allows for modular production, where components can be easily screwed on using screw connections, enabling the creation of various chassis variants and reducing tool costs and documentation efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If diverse components and tools are used for different industrial truck types, then the functional requirements of each truck type are met, but the manufacturing effort and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal unit frame design that serves as the base structure for multiple industrial truck types including horizontal order pickers, tractors, and counterbalance forklifts. This single frame design allows different load parts and rear parts to be attached through standardized fastening flanges, eliminating the need for separate frame designs for each truck type while maintaining functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The industrial truck is divided into modular components: a common unit frame, interchangeable load parts, and configurable rear parts. The fastening flanges provide standardized attachment points that allow these segments to be assembled in different configurations to create various truck types, reducing manufacturing complexity through modular assembly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If diverse components are used for different industrial truck types, then specific functional requirements are met, but tool costs and documentation efforts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized fastening flanges serve multiple functions across different truck types, allowing the same tooling and assembly processes to be used for manufacturing horizontal order pickers, tractors, and counterbalance forklifts. This universality reduces tool costs and simplifies documentation requirements while maintaining the ability to produce diverse truck configurations.
3Device complexity
If standardized unit frame with screw connections is used, then manufacturing costs and assembly effort are reduced, but the ability to produce different chassis variants must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The unit frame incorporates fastening flanges at specific locations that enable different chassis configurations. By strategically placing these flanges, the same standardized frame can produce various chassis types including three-point chassis with central drive wheel, four-point chassis with side drive wheel and support roller, and five-point chassis with additional support rollers or counterweights, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enabling chassis variant diversity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fleet of industrial trucks (1) comprising at least one horizontal order picker (HK, HK1-HK4) having a drive part (A) and a load part (L) equipped with load rollers (3) by which the horizontal order picker (HK, HK1-HK4) stands on a roadway, and at least one tractor (SP) having a drive part (A) and a rear part (HT) equipped with a trailer coupling device (91) and/or a loading platform (92), which is equipped with chassis rollers (4) by which the tractor (SP) stands on a roadway, and/or a counterbalance forklift (GG) having a drive part (A), a load part (L) and a rear part (HT) equipped with chassis rollers (4) by which the counterbalance forklift (GG) stands on a roadway.The drive part (A) of the at least one horizontal order picker (HK, HK1-H4), the at least one tractor (SP) and/or the counterbalance forklift (GG) each has an identical unit frame (2), wherein the unit frame (2) is designed such that at least one component of the load part (L) of the at least one horizontal order picker (HK, HK1-HK4), at least one component of the rear part (HT) of the at least one tractor (SP) or at least one component of the load part (L) and at least one component of the rear part (HT) of the counterbalance forklift (GG) can be screwed onto the unit frame (2) by means of screw connections.