The Cat® NPP16-20N2 pedestrian power pallet has been recognized by the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA) in UK with the Ergonomics Award of Excellence 2013.

Launched in 1995 to encourage and reward examples of excellence throughout the fork lift truck industry, the FLTA Award, a bronze statuette called “Archie”, has a truly international appeal for materials handling professionals and manufacturers of Europe and the Far East.

In this 19th edition of the FLTA Awards, the new range of power pallet trucks Cat NPP16-20N2(R)(E) has been acknowledged by a large amount of voters as the best in its class. “This Award is very valuable to us because it’s a prize coming from the industry. From people that know our products well” says Bengt Carlioth, vice-president Marketing of Cat® Lift Trucks.

Representing Cat Lift Trucks at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, where the Awards Gala was held, was Peter Woodhouse, Sales Manager at Impact Handling, exclusive dealer of Cat materials handling equipment in UK. He received the Archie on Ergonomics in hands of Emma Crosby, showbiz-celebrity in UK, and Derek Anderson of PowerCell Industrial Battery Engineers.

Winners on Ergonomics 
According to the FLTA, “operator comfort drives safety and productivity. The new series of pedestrian power pallet trucks from Cat Lift Trucks offers a market-leading lift height of 135 mm plus an extra 600 mm ergolift – ensuring operators avoid the risk of strain injuries because they don’t need to bend down”.

The award in Ergonomics owes much also to the manoeuvrability of the Cat NPP16-20N2(R)(E). This is a result of the combination of a compact design with a very user-friendly tiller arm which turns several degrees further than those of most of its competitors.

Uniquely, when the operator moves into a situation where space is particularly tight, or where a particularly fragile load is to be handled, the performance mode can be instantly altered using a simple two-way switch. Choosing this safety/economy mode also reduces energy consumption by up to 20%. When appropriate, the truck can be switched back to full performance mode.

All controls are easy to reach and use in standard form, but there is also the option of large hydraulic levers which ensure precise lifting and lowering even if the operator is wearing gloves.

A shock-resistant, oil-filled transmission soaks up bumps that would damage traditional power pallets used in harsh applications.

Moreover, the work can continue outdoors, and in all weather, thanks to effective protection of the chassis and electrical components against rain, splashing water, dirt and dust.

The new NPP16/18/20N2(R)(E) models are completely fresh trucks designed with a careful blend of power and performance to give end users the best possible productivity at the lowest possible whole-life cost. Easy access to critical truck components allows for fast fault diagnosis and speedy maintenance, squeezing downtime to a minimum.

The new Power Pallet Trucks are just part of a wide array of top quality materials handling solutions offered by Cat Lift Trucks via an extensive worldwide network of dealers. The range comprises electric, LPG and diesel-powered counterbalanced trucks and a host of warehouse handling solutions including power pallet trucks, stackers, low and high level order pickers, standard and four-way reach trucks and tow trucks.