Why should forklift software matter to you?

How Cat^® Lift Trucks optimises user experience and more

Software makes a huge contribution to the performance, efficiency, safety and usability of today’s increasingly sophisticated lift trucks. Mark Nicholson talks to Cat^® Lift Trucks about why software engineering is so important – and how this manufacturer’s approach gives users a competitive edge.

(Executive Summary)

Eero Puolatie, based in Finland, is a Technical Project Manager in the organisation’s EAME (Europe, Africa and Middle East) operation. He manages a variety of software and electrical engineering projects relating to development of new forklift products and associated technologies.

“Forklifts have become collections of computers on wheels,” he says. “There are about ten tiny computers in each truck. Each contains software with thousands of code snippets for operation of the truck’s motors.”

Eero Puolatie

“Forklifts have become collections of computers on wheels.”

Eero notes that in both forklifts and road vehicles the amount of software is growing. In a modern car, even a side mirror has its own software-containing logic unit and motor. “The advances in electric cars have taken place very rapidly, as these comparatively complex vehicles have only been fully embraced in the last decade. By contrast, electric lift trucks have been evolving for half a century. Forklift digitalisation will continue to increase – and it’s sure to include artificial intelligence in the coming years.”

IC engine and electric forklifts

Both electric-powered and internal combustion engine (ICE) forklifts use software. For ICE trucks, complex software is needed to optimise engine operation. The engine itself is an analogue rather than a digital device. It burns fuel to convert chemical energy into mechanical energy, which is then usually converted into hydraulic energy.

By contrast, in electric forklifts the energy is already electrical (via the battery) and energy control is managed electronically. Eero Puolatie comments: “It’s hard to say whether ICE forklifts have more or less software, but there’s a significant logical difference between ICE and electric trucks.”

Enhancing safety in materials handling

Thorough testing of forklift software is essential, especially when it controls such critical functions as curve deceleration. At Cat Lift Trucks, every new piece of software is rigorously tested for electrical faults. This includes use of an HIL (hardware-in-the-loop) tester.

Onboard the truck, the software constantly monitors a range of factors and makes decisions. For instance, it will determine the optimum speed based on steering angle, load, lift height and other variables. For extra confidence, safety-critical parts of the software are run on two separate processors.

Eero explains: “In cases requiring the strictest safety, the operations of the two processors are coded by two different people. If there’s a logical error – or ‘bug’ – in one piece of code, the other processor detects it. If the processors disagree on what is the correct action, a safety function is executed to stop the machine. Compared to the analogue world of the past, ensuring safety in the case of brake failure, for example, has become much easier.”

Controlling the lift truck software

To manage lift truck software for the best possible results, Cat Lift Trucks has developed its own advanced TruckTool software. This is available to all official Cat® lift truck dealers. TruckTool diagnoses faults, gathers data for fleet management and enables programming. Customised changes to a truck’s performance and other parameters can be made – even according to the wishes and need of individual drivers.

Use of TruckTool to manage lift truck software.

Leading in forklift user experience and cooperative product development

“Our use of software engineering helps us match or exceed our competitors in terms of creating safe, reliable and productive lift trucks,” says Eero. “However, what we especially excel in is creation of the best user experience in the market. This is where we and our customers have an important competitive edge.”

In software development, as in all other aspects of the organisation’s work, communication and cooperation have been essential to progress and success. “The structure and philosophy of our organisation make it easy and convenient to share information and ideas. Our R&D staff work closely with each other across different disciplines, such as technology, mechanics, design and testing. We have many connections outside R&D as well.”

Those connections include:

Product managers: especially important at the beginning and end of projects, to make the right decisions on product features.
Purchasing department: especially toward the end of a project, with a key role in supplier cooperation.
Factory managers: enabling the ‘productisation’ and manufacturability of the products.
Supplier R&D teams: who carry out much of the component development (and the coding in most cases).
Technical support staff: who seek R&D’s help with technical challenges and, in return, feed back advice on the reality of proposed solutions in the field.
Logistics solutions department: in which most of the organisation’s software engineers are employed; with input including TruckTool development to integrate new trucks fully with the diagnostic software and the factory end-of-line tool.

In a typical day, Eero spends much of his time managing cooperation and communication between these groups. His job involves a lot of decision-making on technical details and navigating projects toward the desired end goal.

His main project currently is the development of a telematics control unit (TCU) for installation on trucks.

Could forklift engineering be the career for you?

Eero Puolatie has a Master’s degree in Automation. In 2010, he joined the forklift organisation of which Cat Lift Trucks EAME forms part. After ten years as an Electrical Engineer, he became a Technical Project Manager in 2020.

Asked what he would say to a young person considering a career in electrical or software engineering, he replies: “Moving machinery is an interesting field of work, especially in terms of career development. Most companies building such machines are mid-sized, which means you can work on a broad range of equipment rather than having a tight, limited scope. It also means you can be involved with projects from beginning to end – seeing your designs gradually coming to life.”

Put simply, user experience is the way a user feels about using a product. Click here.

SUMMARY

This article highlights the vital – but often unrecognised – role of software in forklift trucks. Modern lift trucks contain around ten tiny computers. Packed with software, they govern the movements of multiple motors which make the truck’s precise functions possible. The quality of their coding has a major influence on the truck’s performance, efficiency, safety and usability. User experience and safety aspects are explored further in the article. A cooperative approach which optimises these factors is described. The information will be of interest both to lift truck buyers and to young people considering a career in forklift engineering.

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Materials Handling