Anti-static Technology for Forklifts Tyres

White paper by Material Handling Product Line team, Camso.

Non-marking tires are a requirement for about 30% of forklift applications, especially in warehousing, paper mills and chemicals & food processing plants. The build-up of static electricity, common to this type of tire, creates a significant hazard for personnel safety and facility downtime. Any solution to the static problem must also balance challenges in the tire’s thermal properties, wear resistance and production costs.  Camso engineering combined new ideas in rubber compounds, performance design and manufacturing processes to develop a patented technology and to offer the first complete range of non-marking anti-static tires that prevents the safety hazards of static electricity build-up.

The hazard associated with static build-up in non-marking tires has long been a thorn in the side of operators and managers in material handling facilities. Non-marking tires are the preferred choice in most indoor applications, and the indoor segment has been growing considerably for the past 20 years. Connected closely to the growing use of non-marking tires, the static charges on a forklift can be strong enough – as much as 50,000 V – to cause severe injury to personnel. Operators often take pains when they dismount to ensure that they break off contact with their truck before they set foot on the floor.

The issue becomes more pronounced as applications become more intense. High-intensity indoor operations are another growing trend with larger equipment, heavier loads, longer runs and frequent, high-speed maneuvering with little idle time. Shocks to operators are just part of the dangers of static build-up. Equipment and facilities are also vulnerable, and plants handling fumes, chemicals, electronic components, paper and textile have to be particularly cautious.