Crown Equipment debuts ProximityAssist lidar-based pedestrian detection and auto-deceleration for RC and SC series lift trucks. Sep 20, 2026. Crown Equipment Corporation has launched the "ProximityAssist" system for its RC sit-down counterbalance and SC sit-down electric forklifts, targeting the persistent challenge of pedestrian-forklift collisions in busy warehouses. In traditional operations, the operator is solely responsible for visually scanning the travel path and braking when a worker steps into the aisle. However, blind corners, tall racking, and high pedestrian traffic create collision hotspots, and the operator's reaction time-often 0.75 seconds from visual detection to brake application-is frequently too slow to prevent a collision at the truck's 13-kilometer-per-hour travel speed. The ProximityAssist system integrates a "Dual-Layer LiDAR Sensor" on the front and rear of the truck chassis. The engineering innovation is the "Dynamic Exclusion-Zone Sizing." The LiDAR emits two simultaneous scanning layers: a long-range layer (8 meters) that detects approaching pedestrians and a short-range layer (2 meters) that provides a precise brake-triggering envelope. Unlike simpler ultrasonic or infrared sensors that falsely trigger on racking uprights and stacked inventory, the LiDAR's 360-degree point-cloud data is processed by an AI classifier that distinguishes between a human leg pattern (vertical linear object moving) and a stationary rack post (vertical linear object static). When the long-range layer detects a pedestrian entering the travel path, the ECU progressively engages the regenerative brake, decelerating the truck from full speed to 50 percent within 1.5 seconds. If the pedestrian continues into the short-range exclusion zone, the system applies full service braking and cuts the traction motor, bringing the truck to a complete stop without operator input. The system also features "Intersection Slowdown" logic: when the LiDAR detects an approaching cross-aisle at a blind intersection, the truck automatically reduces speed to 3 km/h until the operator visually confirms the cross-aisle is clear. This active pedestrian protection reduces pedestrian-struck incidents by 90 percent without the false-trigger nuisance that causes operators to disable traditional proximity alarm systems.

Crown Equipment debuts "EmPulse" Acoustic Emission sensing for C5 series IC forklifts. Sep 11, 2026. Crown Equipment Corporation has introduced the "EmPulse" engine condition monitoring system for its C5 series internal combustion forklifts. In heavy-duty manufacturing and lumber yards, forklift engines operate continuously under severe load cycles. Traditional engine condition monitoring relies on periodic oil sampling, which only detects metal wear particles after significant component degradation has already occurred. By the time oil analysis flags high iron content, the cylinder walls are often deeply scored. The EmPulse system mounts "Piezoelectric Acoustic Emission Sensors" directly to the engine block cylinder banks and the cylinder head. The engineering breakthrough is the "Cyclic Pressure Wave Analysis." As each cylinder fires, the combustion pressure wave generates a distinct acoustic signature that travels through the cast iron block. The ECU learns the baseline acoustic profile of a healthy cylinder during the first 50 hours of operation. If a single cylinder begins to lose compression due to a stuck or worn injector valve, a leaking valve seat, or early piston ring wear, the combustion pressure wave for that specific cylinder becomes attenuated (softer and longer duration). The EmPulse algorithm detects this acoustic deviation in real-time and flags the specific cylinder fault before the engine misfires or the oil analysis shows metal. Furthermore, the system features "Fuel Knock Acoustic Filtering." It can distinguish between the normal combustion knock of heavy diesel fuel and the metallic ping of a failing crankshaft bearing by analyzing the frequency spectrum of the acoustic emission. This early warning system allows maintenance managers to schedule injector or valve replacements during planned downtime, reducing catastrophic engine failures by 60% and eliminating the labor cost of sending oil samples to remote laboratories. No Information

Crown Equipment debuts "Ai-Fork" Vision-Guided pallet entry for RR5700 reach trucks. Aug 31, 2026. Crown Equipment Corporation has introduced the "Ai-Fork" vision guidance system for its RR5700 series reach trucks. In high-density warehouses, pallets are often stored with only 50mm of clearance between them. Operators must rely on muscle memory and small mirrors to align the forks with the pallet pockets, a process that takes several seconds of careful maneuvering. Misalignment results in the fork tips hitting the pallet stringers, splintering the wood or damaging the racking beams. The Ai-Fork system uses a "Stereo Vision Camera" mounted on the carriage, aimed directly at the fork tips. The engineering innovation is the "Pallet Pocket AI Recognition Model." The system is trained to identify the dark openings of wood and plastic pallet pockets, regardless of lighting conditions or pallet color. When the operator drives the reach truck into the aisle, the camera detects the target pallet pockets up to 2 meters away. As the operator pushes the "Enter" joystick forward, the system takes over the micro-positioning. It uses the "Proportional Side-Shift and Tilt Valves" to automatically align the fork tips perfectly with the pocket centers. If the forks are 30mm too high, the system automatically lowers the mast; if they are 15mm to the left, it side-shifts the carriage. The forks glide into the pallet smoothly without any physical contact with the wood. This automated entry system reduces pallet repair costs by 40% and decreases the time taken to pick a pallet from 8 seconds to 2.5 seconds, significantly boosting warehouse throughput. No Information