Lifting With Electricity Wed, 08/09/2006 - 9:57am  AC drive
technology takes on internal combustion power  ‘AC motors offer
several advantages including high performance, reduced
maintenance and improved energy consumption.’ Jan Lorenz is an
engineer with Jungheinrich Lift Truck Corp., 5701 Eastport
Blvd., Richmond, VA 23231. Additional information is available
at www.jungheinrich-us.com or by calling 888-333-2644.  By Jan
Lorenz  With electric forklifts, there is less vibration
transferred from the engine through the seat, floorboard and
steering wheel. For years the workhorse for material handling of
heavy loads has been the forklift with an internal combustion
power plant. Its noise, emissions and performance were accepted
as necessary evils. The rising use of electric-powered
forklifts, however, is a significant trend in the forklift
industry, and the availability of 80-volt trucks with 5,000- to
6,000-pound capacities has opened up application possibilities.
Two decades ago, the ratio of forklift sales