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Published: Monday, May 1, 2006

Warehouse wonder
Intermec's Forklift of the Future prototype is loaded with the company's technology

By Eric Fetters, Herald Writer

EVERETT - Dreamers of past ages envisioned what cars, jets and spacecraft of the future might look like. Few, if any, imagined what the 21st century would mean for the lowly forklift. But designers at Everett's Intermec Inc. have thought about it, creating what they unhumbly call the Forklift of the Future.

With a flashy paint job and high-tech devices, it looks cool. Behind the looks, the forklift sports an onboard computer, wireless data transmission capabilities, automatic laser bar code scanners and radio frequency-identification readers.

Right now, it's a prototype forklift - not unlike the supercool concept cars shown off at auto shows. It's an attention-getting way to demonstrate how Intermec's products can improve warehouse and inventory management. But a wired machine like this might one day be offered for sale. Intermec and its partners are talking with the forklift industry's major manufacturers. "They're not just talking to us or interested in it because it looks neat, but because they see the competitive advantage," said John Bandringa, Intermec's director of corporate design and team leader on the forklift project.

While it doesn't always get much attention, efficient inventory and warehouse management isn't a small concern for many businesses. Wal-Mart, an early adopter of radio-frequency identification tags, can credit some of its success, and untold millions in savings, to having one of the most sophisticated inventory management systems in the retail industry. Providing the data collection products related to inventory management also has been lucrative to Intermec, which earned $65 million on sales of $875 million last year.

Intermec's designers usually deal with products no bigger than handheld computers and bar-code scanners. The Forklift of the Future project gave them a chance to dream big. "I've done other projects, but this is the most exciting," Bandringa said. While inventory and data collection technology is becoming well established in many warehouses, it's usually added on to forklifts as an afterthought. The Forklift of the Future design team's goal was to integrate the technology in ways that customers wanted.

To do that, Intermec sent its designers out of the office, Bandringa said. "It's really important to listen to the voice of the customer. We didn't just listen to the warehouse manager, we listened to the information technology manager, the forklift driver ... all of whom had different perspectives," he said.

After extensively surveying customers, Bandringa's team created hundreds of concepts, designs and foam models. In addition to figuring out what data collection devices to add to the forklift, the team focused on making all the technology as durable as possible. "Anything that you put on the forklift has to be at least equal to or more durable than the forklift itself," he said.

The Intermec team put much thought, for example, into cable managers - coverings to both organize and protect the crucial wires connecting the forklift's on-board computer, control grip and radio frequency-identification equipment. It turns out cables are prone to wear out fast in the not-so-delicate warehouse environment. The computer itself, an Intermec CV-60, is covered in magnesium.

The placement of the onboard Intermec computer in the steering column also came after considerable thought, Bandringa said. Most of the time, forklift computers hang down from the machine's roof, which can be harder for the driver to see.

The 10,000-pound electric Forklift of the Future also is outfitted with location-tracking technology that can direct a driver to the right warehouse aisle when delivering or retrieving an item. A video camera can help a driver see when placing pallets on high shelves. Plus, it's all designed for the driver's comfort. From the placement of the computer and control grip to the forklift's adjustable seat, it's relatively luxurious. Intermec's partners on the project, who provided parts or equipment, included Cascade Corp., which makes lifts, Cisco and RedPrairie.

So far, Intermec has been showing off the prototype at industry trade shows, where interest has been high. Bandringa doesn't deny the feature-filled forklift was a fun diversion from more everyday design tasks. "Personally, this is the most integrated and complex system I've worked on ... but this is also the most exciting," he said.

The result also gets good reviews from at least one forklift operator. "It's a lot smoother, quieter and has a lot more functions than the old equipment," said Jeff Harrington, who works in Intermec's warehouse near the Boeing Co. plant, where the new prototype has resided in recent weeks. "It's definitely very cool."