Baumann has developed new levels for its special safety load system, called SafeLoad Assistance, to further assist operators in avoiding dangerous situations.
Using sideloaders to handle long loads is already the safest and most productive method, especially when travelling over longer distances or uneven ground. The all new system also takes into account the load centre in dynamic situations, during normal working operations. It uses sensors within the chassis to calculate the stability limit of the truck.
Specifiers can choose from levels that provide warnings to the driver through the dashboard screen, indicating how close they are to the limit.
And now, with Active and Active + can choose to inhibit functions if dangerous situations occur, in the case of Active +, to ensure very high (PL d) safety levels. With added weigh scales functionality the lifting unit can also be blocked when SafeLoad Assistance detects the lifting weight limit is exceeded.
In addition to greater levels of safety, Baumann believes that the system will help reduce operational costs by reducing maintenance and avoidable damage.
Sideloaders were originally developed for the timber industry. Since those early years, they have become increasingly important in the steel, plastics and concrete industries.
Carrying a long load with a forklift presents a number of difficulties. It is difficult to see the width of a load when moving forward with the forks lowered.
Travelling on a counterbalance forklift with the forks raised, however, is incredibly dangerous, and the main cause of tipping accidents.
Sideloaders travel forwards with the load secure at the side. Travelling long distances or through narrow doorways and aisles is simple. As a result, loads can be stored in a smaller area, improving efficiency, safety and productivity. With the number of load types and capacities increasing over the years, maintaining vigilance on operating with the machine parameters is becoming more important, and new technologies, like Baumann’s SafeLoad Assistance, are helping to ensure that operators stay within safe handling limits.
SafeLoad Assistance monitors key parameters such as load weight, lift height, and reach extension in real time, alerting the driver when conditions approach unsafe thresholds. This not only protects the machine and load but also enhances overall workplace safety and reduces the risk of accidents.
What is Active +?
Active + applies ISO 13849 levels of safety to the equipment, having been designed, calculated, and validated to meet high safety performance levels. This includes overload control with the mast in elevation and the limitation of residual capacities at height.
Essentially, when a machine is manufactured to ISO 13849, its safety-related control systems are designed and validated to ensure the machine operates safely, even in the event of predictable failures. Active + therefore provides the very high level of Performance (Categorised as “PL D”) that is required to minimise the risk of serious injury.
The system also incorporates weigh scales to provide accurate handling data and ensure capacities are not exceeded, as well as data logging to give fleet managers a record of any instances of overloading.
“This is the most important safety system ever seen on a sideloader,” says Riccardo Bove, Baumann Srl Managing Director. “Today’s operators want the reassurance that they have the right machine for the job, whilst managers can greatly reduce dangerous situations and costly damage.”
Based in Cavaion on the shores of Lake Garda, Baumann has led the sector for over 55 years and now sells its products worldwide through 106 dealers in 76 countries. The multi-award winner produces equipment up to 50 tonnes capacity and has a reputation for consistent invention and the highest level of design and productivity.
