Crown Equipment has introduced the "Entry-Bar" Assist system for its RM 6000 series reach trucks. In narrow-aisle warehouses (aisles less than 10 feet wide), forklift operators must navigate the truck into the rack bay with millimeter precision. A slight steering error can cause the fork tips to scrape against the rack uprights, damaging the structural integrity of the racking and destroying the pallet.
The Entry-Bar system uses two ultrasonic sensors mounted on the fork carriage. These sensors measure the distance to the rack uprights on both the left and right sides. When the truck enters the rack aisle, the system creates a "Virtual Rail." If the sensors detect that the truck is drifting closer than 15 cm to a rack upright, the system triggers a "Auto-Straightening" command on the rear steer axle motor, gently nudging the truck back to center.
Crucially, the system features "End-of-Aisle Speed Limiting." When the truck is deep inside the racking system (where clearances are tightest), the system automatically limits the maximum travel speed to 2 km/h. This gives the operator more reaction time. If the operator attempts to turn the forks while the truck is still inside the rack slot (which would cause the pallet to crush the rack), the system detects the proximity of the rack beam and temporarily disables the sideshift function. This active safety layer prevents expensive structural accidents and allows new operators to work confidently in complex, high-bay environments immediately.
