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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

Crown Equipment unveils "Smart-Grab" Fork auto-alignment for FC 4500 series. Aug 19, 2026. Crown Equipment Corporation has introduced the "Smart-Grab" automated fork alignment system for its FC 4500 series heavy-duty electric forklifts. In distribution centers, drivers often misalign forks when entering pallets, causing pallet damage or unstable loads. Traditional side-shift requires the operator to manually "feel" the alignment. The Smart-Grab system mounts a "3D Depth Camera" on the fork carriage. As the operator approaches a pallet, the camera scans the pallet stringer gaps. The engineering innovation is the "Active Side-Shift Logic." The system calculates the exact lateral offset between the forks and the pallet pockets. It then automatically commands the proportional side-shift solenoid to move the forks into perfect alignment, within a 5mm tolerance. Crucially, the system features a "Load Center Optimization" module. As the forks enter the pallet, load cells on the fork heels measure the weight distribution. If the load is heavier on one side (asymmetric load), the system automatically adjusts the mast tilt to ensure the center of gravity is directly over the drive axle before lifting. This prevents the forklift from becoming dynamically unstable when the load is raised. This automation reduces pallet damage by 40% and increases picking/put-away cycle speed by 15%. No Information