 
The new Still Fingertip control for electrical and hydraulic functions in forklift trucks
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Still GmbH in Hamburg is presenting for the first time a new Fingertip hydraulic control for forklift trucks at the BAUMA gathering in Munich, the world's largest professional trade fair for the construction machine industry. This development has been redesigned and further improved as a result. The appearance of the new Fingertip solution, which can be ordered as an alternative to the usual controls, has been modified for use with the RX models from Still.
Expenditure of energy greatly reduced
The hydraulic levers for sensitive operation are located in a cavity at the end of the adjustable armrest, which means that they are in a somewhat lowered position. The finger and hand muscles are thus subjected to less work-related strain. Still has also made it possible to adjust the armrest to the length of the driver's arm. The entire arrangement is firmly fixed to the driver's seat for this reason and can be adjusted lengthways by up to eight centimetres and up to ten centimetres in height. The short levers with rubber-coated grips are used for switching all of the standard hydraulic functions, i.e. hoisting and lowering, tilting, sideshifting and adjusting the forks. An additional button is provided for a fifth hydraulic function, which is intended for the operation of additional attachment. The direction control switch is integrated for quick and easy actuation with thumb or index finger, as is the easily accessible function button for switching the flasher on to the left or to the right. A horn button and an emergency stop button are additional safety elements.
Even small movements that seem insignificant in themselves can lead to signs of wearing when they are part of frequently repeated work procedures That is why it is so important that the design of the man-machine interfaces be as ergonomic as possible. The same holds true for the control equipment of a forklift truck.
The Fingertip control from Still integrates considerably more functions than the alternatives offered by the competition. The amount of force that must be applied to exercise the different functions is a great deal less than that required with conventional mechanical elements. The driver can be relaxed and concentrated when performing his work, which not only increases the performance volume, but also contributes to the safety of both the individual and the equipment.
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