Heli, one of the world's largest forklift manufacturers, has launched the "Load-Assist" active fork tip alignment system for its CPD30 series 3-ton electric counterbalance forklifts, targeting high-throughput warehousing where operators perform hundreds of pallet entries and exits per shift. Traditional pallet entry requires the operator to visually align the two forks with the pallet's entry slots while simultaneously adjusting the fork spread distance to match the pallet's pocket geometry. Even experienced operators spend 5 to 10 seconds per pallet on this alignment-and misalignment results in pallet damage, rack strikes, and lost productivity.
The Load-Assist system integrates a "Mast-Mounted Stereo Vision Camera Pair" positioned just above the fork carriage. The engineering breakthrough is the "Pallet Pocket Recognition." The stereo camera pair builds a real-time 3D point cloud of the pallet's front face. An onboard AI classifier-trained on thousands of images of standardized pallet types (EUR-pallets, GMA pallets, and CP pallets)-identifies the pallet's entry pocket positions and dimensions within 300 milliseconds.
Based on the detected pocket geometry, the ECU commands the "Automatic Fork Spreader"-an electronically controlled hydraulic cylinder mounted on the fork carriage that adjusts the distance between the two forks. The system automatically adjusts the fork spread to match the pallet's pocket spacing, typically 680 millimeters for EUR-pallets. Simultaneously, the system projects a laser "fork-entry guide" onto the pallet's front face, indicating the exact entry path. When the operator drives forward, the system confirms correct entry with a green in-cab indicator before allowing the lift command to engage. This automated fork alignment reduces pallet entry time by 60 percent, virtually eliminates pallet rack strikes from misaligned forks, and reduces operator fatigue during repetitive high-cycle pallet handling.
