Training up to more flexible logistics

Clark Material Handling International has launched a tugger train system that addresses the specific requirements of industrial customers – ensuring material transport over longer distances can be organised efficiently, safely and extremely flexibly.

The Clark tugger train is available as an all-in-one solution. It consists of the Clark CTX40-70 towing tractor with a towing capacity of 4 or 7 t and the CTR01 and CTR02 trailers. “The CTR01 trailer, designed as a single U-frame, is built for customers who mainly have to transport Euro pallets,” explains Rolf Eiten, president and CEO of Clark Europe. “It can accommodate a mobile trolley on which Euro pallets (1 200 x 800 mm) with a maximum load capacity of 1 200 kg can be transported.”

The CTR02 Double U-Frame trailer can accommodate both Euro pallets and other types of pallets commonly used in industry. Via a sliding inner carrier, the operator can flexibly choose between a trolley measuring 1 600 x 1 000 mm with a load capacity of up to 1 600 kg or two trolleys for transporting Euro pallets with a load weight of 800 kg each.

“The Clark trailers allow ergonomic loading from both sides up to a total height of 1 400 mm per trolley,” Eiten points out. “No matter from which side, the operator can push the smooth-running trolleys into the lifting system of the frame without much effort, which then automatically locks into place. Another advantage is that the operator can walk through the frame to get to the other side of the trailer.”

The trailer’s electric lift system requires little maintenance and has a lift height of 60 mm. A latching mechanism ensures that the trolleys are securely fixed in the frame. An immobiliser prevents the tugger train from starting up when the lift is lowered.

“For coupling and uncoupling the trailers, a coupling with remote release is available in addition to the standard trailer coupling without remote release. This has the advantage that the tractors can automatically couple and uncouple additional trailers. The towing tractor can, for example, after delivering materials to the destination, uncouple the trailers and automatically couple empty trailers waiting there for the next ‘milk-run’. The tugger train can thus be flexibly integrated into other production processes.”

The Clark trailers are designed to be very slim and robust. “This makes the tugger train extremely compact and the operator has a good overview. However, its perfect directional stability is particularly noteworthy. This is guaranteed by the electrically steered wheels in the rear axle module: One trailer follows the other exactly in one lane both on a straight track and when cornering. As a result, the tugger train requires a small traffic area and can be used safely even in the tightest of spaces.”

The CTR01 only requires an aisle width of 2 000 mm for a 90° curve (with corner chamfer of 2 x 45° / 500 mm and without encountering traffic). For the CTR02, the minimum aisle width required for a 90° curve under the same conditions is 2 500 mm. The aisle width for a 180° curve (U-turn) is 4 500 mm for the CTR01 and 5 500 mm for the CTR02.

“The heart of the modular tugger train system is the autonomous electric steering system,” says Eiten. “The advantage is that not only is it maintenance free, but it uses sensor information measured directly at the axle. Mechanical, hydraulic or electric steering information is not routed via the trailers and therefore does not have to be taken into account in the design of the load modules. The modular system allows free configurability with virtually no design restrictions. This means that individual customer requirements can be taken into account. The customer can easily exchange trailers via a standardised interface. This has the advantage that different trailers can also be combined to form a tugger train.”