The height of productivity
October 1st 2006

Building on its reputation for highly reliable forklifts, Mitsubishi's new RBN series reach truck offers smooth, precise handling, rapid service access, high residual capacity and a low centre of gravity in a radical re-design

In what is hailed as a radical re-design on Mitsubishi's new RBN series reach truck, curves have been abandoned in favour of a squarer, more purposeful look.

The new look is combined with enhanced levels driver friendliness. The step height is low and a grab handle in just the right place ensures really easy entry. Once inside the spacious operating compartment, comfort and security are prime considerations with a suspension seat that allows the driving position to be adjusted to the height and weight of the driver.

The steering wheel – adjustable for column length as well as angle – is mounted in a soft-touch console that folds conveniently aside (to make access even easier). Importantly, though, the truck remembers the selected position and returns to it when the console is swung back into place. Fingertip controls make precise operation of hydraulic functions effortless.

Enhanced visibility Visibility to the mast tip is claimed to be exceptional. This achieved through the use of 'hot extrusion' technology, which has enabled designers to enclose the truck's hydraulic cylinders within the profile of the mast's first stage. This removes a potential obstruction and makes the mast much stronger and much stiffer. The new mast design is also unusually light enabling a higher payload to be lifted to greater heights – 40% more than a conventional truck, claims Mitsubishi.

The fork carriage has been re-designed to accommodate the side-shift cylinder inside the carriage itself, while hoses have also been re-routed to give the clearest views. Stepless staging and jolt-free reaching mean that the mast moves up and down or in and out smoothly and swiftly.

Positioned to be seen easily, the generous display provides key information: battery status, travel speed, drive wheel angle, hours worked and time, plus an optional lift height indicator and preselector.

The steering wheel is angled slightly to the left, offering the most ergonomic arrangement as the left hand falls naturally into that position.

The RBN series is fitted with powerful, AC powered hydraulic and drive motors, to ensure high torque for performance that is smooth, fast and precise. The series also features Mitsubishi's state-of-the-art electronic controller. According to manufacturer, this provides more control over performance, more information via an informative and conveniently located display, more comfort through a fully damped mast, and more control via the automatic speed reduction system, which constantly monitors the lift height and steering angle to prevent hazardous manoeuvres at high speed. It also aids the service engineer to help keep unplanned downtime to a minimum.

Progressive steering The RBN's unlimited 360 degree electric steering is progressive, so the handling is always predictable: less sensitive when the truck is moving at high speed – so a sharp movement of the wheel isn't reflected in a violent turn of the truck; light yet precise at slow speeds – so manoeuvring proves effortless even in really tight spaces.

Because a truck is only productive when it's at work, the designers of the RBN have taken a three-pronged approach to maximising productivity and minimising downtime.

The first of these involves a robust approach to engineering which sees some components maintenance free and others actively protected against damage and wear through damping mechanisms etc. A good example is the slider strips on the truck's side shift. These normally need regular greasing, but on the RBN the steel strips have graphite embedded in them, which acts like a lubricant, so no greasing is necessary.

The second line of attack has been to make everything easily accessible. The battery, for example, can be inspected, topped up and even charged without being removed from the truck.

Finally, there's the clever electronics. On start-up – using a PIN code that's unique to each driver – the RBN automatically runs a diagnostic programme and the display gives a clear warning of any problems before they can cause any damage.

Similarly, a fault history folder keeps an electronic record that speeds up maintenance and identifies even intermittent faults.

With 10 models in the range, Mitsubishi claims that the choice for anyone who testdrives the RBN will no longer be 'which manufacturer?'… but simply be a case of 'what capacity?'!

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