Crown’s WT 3000 Series takes prize for robust build quality and outstanding ergonomics

Munich, May 24, 2011

When working conditions are really tough, you need exceptional forklift trucks to deal with them. The pallet trucks in Crown’s WT 3000 Series clearly belong in this class, as confirmed by an international jury’s recent decision to bestow the prestigious iF Product Design Award on the new product line. The jury based their judgment on the truck’s innovative features, functionality, ergonomics and build quality.

Every year since 1953, a jury of international experts has presented the coveted iF Product Design Award to companies with products which show true excellence in industrial design and so reflect each company’s innovatory prowess. In 2011, the jury selected their favourite entries from 1,121 participants representing 43 different countries.

The WT 3000 – a pallet truck for seriously demanding applications
Crown created the WT 3000 as a pallet truck capable of dealing with the harshest working conditions in warehouses and logistic centres. Development of the WT 3000 Series started with extensive on-site research at the toughest applications we could find. By discussing and analysing customers’ working processes in great detail, the team succeeded in isolating the key design parameters which make the truck stand out: top performance, durability and extended service intervals, combined with exceptional operator safety and comfort. Extensive, and often abusive field testing helped to ensure that the final product was capable of coping with extreme stresses in everyday use.

The WT 3000 Series includes a number of different models and configurations with load capacities up to 2,500 kg, mechanical or electronic steering, and four types of operator platform.  Crown’s FlexRide™ suspension system was developed especially for travelling over dock boards, reducing shock transfer to the operator by more than 80%. This means operators can drive over docks boards without having to slow down, substantially improving productivity, minimising stress on knees and backs and thereby reducing operator fatigue. The rear-entry fixed platform is also available with Crown’s patented weight-adjustable FlexRide system, which allows operators to adjust the suspension to their body weight for the smoothest, lowest vibration ride in the industry. Other features, such as the intelligent Active Traction system, electronic steering and speed control in turns boost productivity while ensuring the highest level of control. The robust chassis and fork assembly are built for a lifetime of hard work at full load.

Every technical and ergonomic feature in the WT 3000 Series is designed to help operators complete their tasks more efficiently by enhancing their comfort and safety even in the most demanding working conditions.

Crown WT 3000 with rear-entry platform and patented weight-adjustable FlexRide™

Crown WT 3000 model with folding platform and FlexRide™ system

Crown WT 3000 with Active Traction travelling safely over dock boards

Print-ready graphical material and product specifications are available on request.

About Crown
Crown Equipment Corporation is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electric lift trucks. Since the company first started building material handling equipment in the 1950s, Crown products have won numerous industry accolades. From the smallest hand pallet trucks through to the largest narrow-aisle turret trucks, Crown uses innovative engineering and high-quality manufacturing techniques to respond to the full range of customer needs, achieving exceptional standards of reliability and productivity.

Crown has a unique corporate structure, characterised by the highest levels of vertical integration in the industry. This enables the company to keep tight control of development, production and customer support. Up to 85 percent of the components used in Crown products are developed and manufactured by Crown in custom-built facilities. Crown is committed to offering customers superior value that reduces TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).

Crown Equipment Corporation is a family-owned business with head offices in the USA, Australia and Germany. Crown now operates a global distribution and service network with more than 70 fully-owned subsidiaries and over 300 independent dealerships.

You can find out more about Crown at www.crown.com or from:

Press contacts:
Ulla Laux, Karolin Böhm
Crown Press Office
T +49 (89) 41 95 99 66 / 84
F +49 (89) 41 95 99 12
E crown@maisberger.com