Rocla's Innovation Becomes an Intelligent Reach Truck

VANTAA, Finland, June 28 --

Full-service truck manufacturer Rocla has carried out its most significant product launch ever. The new Humanic product family combines a revolutionary technological innovation with top-class design to make a product that redefines the term 'ease-of-use'. In the planning stage an extensive survey was carried out to define users' needs.

Rocla's new Humanic reach trucks make use of the most significant innovation made in the industry for decades - the Integral mast. In traditional solutions the mast's lift cylinders are located in the front or outer sides of the mast profile. Rocla Integral masts have linings for lift cylinders in the mast profiles, providing considerably shorter and narrower masts than in other solutions.

The driver's cabin is now more spacious and provides the driver a better view of the working area. Integrating the cylinders into the mast profiles also means a stiffer mast construction, which in turn improves the controllability of the load.

Designed to serve the operator

The Humanic range is also a masterpiece of top design. Humanic trucks have been designed from a driver-oriented point of view, and an extensive user survey was conducted prior to the design project. "In industrial products, a designer is traditionally called in only when the engineers' finished product needs to be given a cosmetic makeover. Now, design and planning that allow for the needs of the operators have been integrated into the product development right from the beginning," says Design Manager Petteri Masalin from Rocla. "The competitiveness of industrial products can no longer be based on technical features alone. A well-functioning, total product package includes usability, operational quality, efficiency and appearance."

Intelligence is an integral part of this new truck range

Humanic trucks make use of self diagnostics and an operator settings saving function. Rocla's Abbot Inside diagnostics tool monitors the use of the vehicles. Humanic trucks' capacities are 1.4, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.5 tonnes. The lift height is up to 11,500 mm and the turning radius varies between 1,547 and 1,749 mm. The product family contains an extensive range of optional equipment that makes it possible to customise the trucks according to customer needs and work site requirements. Changeable design covers allow the appearance of the truck to be customised by fitting them with customer brands.

Reach trucks are the flagship products of warehouse lift truck companies. They account for some 30 per cent of the European warehouse truck market in value. "The launch of the Humanic range is Rocla's most significant product launch ever. They are user-friendly, based on a major technological innovation, an extensive user survey and top design. Our Humanic trucks can well be called intelligent trucks," says Markus Alholm, President, Rocla Solutions and Services.

For more information: Markus Alholm, President, Rocla Solutions and Services, Rocla Oyj, markus.alholm@rocla.com, tel. +358-20-778-1449; Petteri Masalin, Design Manager, Rocla Oyj, petteri.masalin@rocla.com, tel. +358-20-778-1319