HUBTEX’s new multidirectional counterbalance forklift FluX has been very well received by customers. Demand for the industrial forklift, which specialises in transporting long and heavy loads, has far exceeded expectations. The space-saving electric multidirectional sideloader was launched on the market in autumn 2016 and combines the advantages of a frontloader with those of a sideloader. As with all HUBTEX vehicles, FluX can be fitted with numerous optional assistance systems. This includes the recent addition of remote maintenance software, which monitors the maintenance condition of equipment. This predictive maintenance solution helps to ensure maximum machine availability, keep production losses to a minimum and prepare FluX for use in the automated environment of Industry 4.0.
The electric multidirectional sideloader FluX is reliably able to master the transportation of long and heavy loads in narrow aisleways. Its permanent all-wheel steering also helps the vehicle perform particularly small turning circles in all directions, thus ensuring that the forklift is able to change between longitudinal and transversal movements without stopping. Furthermore, due to its compact frame length, FluX can be deployed as a traditional frontloader for handling pallets in transversal mode. The forklift has been designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
The sideloader is also permanently monitored in order to ensure this all-rounder is able to fulfil its various tasks at all times. The new remote maintenance software informs maintenance technicians at HUBTEX in real-time about the maintenance condition of the vehicles. HUBTEX, the manufacturer of multidirectional forklifts, thus offers clients maintenance services at just the right time and helps to minimise costly production losses. Remote maintenance is carried out via a machine-to-machine (M2M) gateway that permits an automated exchange of data between the vehicle and the Cloud of Things. Information such as the vehicle’s operating hours, the battery’s level of charge and error codes from the central vehicle control system are evaluated by the software and transferred to the cloud. By reading this data, service technicians from HUBTEX will already have the most important vehicle information at hand should the need arise, thus reducing the need to diagnose problems on-site. The integration of the remote maintenance software in all vehicles is an important step on the path towards smart machines that are connected to the entire value chain in the Internet of Things. www.hubtex.com
