The stand-out feature of the new Raymond 8510 low-level order picker is the availability of power steering.
The new Raymond 8510 low-level order picker is worth a second look for its power steering alone, as it has the potential to remove a lot of stress and strain from an operator over the length of an entire shift.
The Raymond brand is a part of the Toyota Materials Handling Australia (TMHA) group and is sold alongside Toyota-branded products as well as the Toyota-owned European materials handling giant BT lift trucks.
The American-designed and manufactured Raymond occupies a niche in the TMHA line-up that calls for an extremely tough and durable product that is still light-weight and value for money.
The Raymond 8000 series range includes ride-on pallet trucks, walkie pallet trucks and tow tugs as well as the aforementioned order picker.
Engine
Stock pickers, reach trucks and electric counterbalance fork lifts are becoming increasingly popular and so too are quick turnaround pick-and-pack roles that are handled by trucks like the Raymond 8510 order picker.
These trucks need to zip along fast enough to be efficient, yet be safe, manoeuvrable and driver-friendly at the same time.
Raymond claims its trucks are up to 6 percent more productive than their competition, putting this down to the relatively light weight of the machine and the powerful acceleration provided by its AC drive train.
Cab and Controls
The Raymond 8510 does have a couple of interesting features. For a start the fork rails and bell cranks are made of ductile iron. This is reported to give these components more flexibility yet superior strength to cast iron.
As mentioned previously, these areas are prone to impact so it’s easy to see the advantages there.
Another high impact area concerns the pivot blocks which hide under the fork rails. These block sit behind the small load bearing fork wheels and pivot up and down when raising and lowering the fork rails. The pivot blocks are also made of ductile iron and, as they’re bolted into place they’re also easily removed. Ask any fork lift mechanic to name his 10 worst jobs to do in the field and chances are cutting the pivot blocks out of a pallet truck with an oxy torch will get a mention.
Given the layout of order picker machines in general, the Raymond 8510 doesn’t look a great deal different to other competing machines on the market, although one feature does grab your eye straight away. The cover that encloses the drive engine and electronic components is made of polyurethane instead of steel. As this cover forms the snout of the machine it’s often the part that gets hit in a collision. This cover won’t dent or crack and, for the most part, will spring back into shape.
Switching on the Raymond order picker meant waiting for the 8510 to go through a short self-test before letting out a satisfactory beep. The control handle sat in the hands easily and is shared with its BT stable mates. All of the controls proved smooth and precise, the contactless sensors in the switches were also quiet without any click when engaging.
Performance
I recently had a chance to get a hands-on look at the Raymond 8510 centre-rider order picker and see what was new with the quiet American.
The truck was quite nimble, being both smooth and punchy, as I drove it around the TMHA training area; and was very comfortable to stand in.
I felt the ‘jog’ mode was a nice touch as this enables the operator to offset the steering tiller to the side of the vehicle that they are working from and walk beside it at low speed with limited steering, which saves time when order picking.
Verdict
For me the standout feature of the Raymond 8510 order picker is its use of a DC stepper motor to steer. This results in a very precise, but effortless system where a constant current is passed around a series of electromagnets inside the motor in steps. The end result is an easy to manoeuvre, and effortless truck to operate.