Design and simulation of eco-friendly smartphone controlled forklift

Abstract

The recent revolution in industrial technology increased the demand for unmanned forklifts that can be operated remotely. Unmanned forklifts eliminate the effort needed to train a highly qualified operator and reduce the accident rate due to driver fatigue. Currently, the operation of forklifts depends on either hydraulic systems or gasoline which has a negative impact on the environment. The increased awareness of the environmental threats urged the manufacturers to replace conventional forklifts with electrical ones. Unmanned electrical forklifts have a high cost that is considered a burden for developing countries, especially when being used in small warehouses. Thus, this paper presents an innovative approach for designing a semi-automated eco-friendly forklift suitable for small warehouses operated using a smartphone application. The forklift is designed to lift a maximum load of 200 N using a ball screw feed mechanism, characterized by its light weight and its ability to withstand corrosion. The structural stability of the forklift has been investigated using SolidWorks simulation. The designed model has been imported to MATLAB Simulink to estimate the suitable battery size required for forklifts' operation in addition to calculating the total energy consumed during one complete work cycle. It is found that only 6.7 % of the energy is dissipated which promotes the energy-saving capabilities of the designed forklift.