IFOY Audit
Finalists undergo the three-stage IFOY Audit as part of the IFOY Audit, which takes place during the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS. This consists of the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, the IFOY Test and the jury test.
TRÔNE Electric Memory Seat
TRÔNE Seating BV
The TRÔNE fork-lift truck seat is an ergonomic memory seat that is automatically adjusted to the personal sitting position of every driver by up to five motors.
The software that serves this function can be expanded with useful functionalities that can link the use of the seat (driving time, service, vibration load), driver (use, presence, alertness, driving behavior), communication and tracing to existing company registration systems.
Product name and company
TRÔNE Electric Memory Seat – TRÔNE Seating BV
Description
This ergonomic and modern designed seat has been developed on the basis of the essential requirements for working on a forklift truck. The chair has a low back for easy turning/looking back, sturdy modular side wings for good lateral support and a lumbar support. In addition, the seat has powerful motors that control the most important setting functions using the memory function:
- front and rear adjustment of the entire seat
- height and low adjustment of the back of the chair
- back adjustment forwards and backwards – infinitely variable
- seat adjustment forwards and backwards – infinitely variable
- tilt adjustment seat, adjustment range -5 /+10 °
- lumbar support
The height adjustment of the seat is adjusted by means of the automatic low air suspension.
The seat settings of the driver are stored on an information carrier with the aid of an expert. The driver uses this ‘key’ to set the seat. During use, he can manually adjust the seat using the existing button box.
The software that provides the basic seat settings can be expanded with interesting functions that monitor the driving behavior, use, duration, tracing, vibration and service requirements of the seat/truck.
The seat is made of fabric, leather and PVC and can be extended with various accessories. Mounting on an existing suspension goes smoothly.
Innovations
The most important innovations are the electrical total adjustability of the seat that is operated by a memory function for an infinite number of drivers.
In addition, the software that operates the chair provides additional information about (the use) of the seat and the driver. In the current age in which automation plays an important role, the cooperation of the business software with the chair software can optimize transport processes.
Market relevance
Logistics transport is an important part of the product costs in the present time. The healthy deployment and retention of (scarce) staff is therefore more important than ever. A chair that automatically adjusts, saves time with changing services and ensures healthier drivers because they do not have to adjust the seat themselves.
Also, working with modern means increases the status of the work. It is known that most drivers only set the distance to the pedals and then start driving, while each posture requires a different and personal seat. A wrong sitting, a wrongly set seat increases the chance of complaints of the musculoskeletal system with more failure as a result.
Valuing the work of the driver is also an important means of maintaining motivation in the work. By using a modern seat that is operated with modern means (smartphone, key, card or buttons), the profession of fork-lift truck driver gains more appeal. Because the operation is done from a digital memory and visually, anyone, no matter what language they speak, can set up the chair without instructions.
The target group is all logistical traffic on a forklift truck, especially in the large warehouses where continuous and variable services are driven.
Customer benefits
Benefits for employers:
- Monitoring forklift use: attendance registration, use of forklift and seat, driving behavior control, tracing truck, optimization of warehouse routes
- Combination with other business software
- Automatic service demand delivers less wear and damage
- Measuring vibration doses (EU directive)
- Indemnification of health claims by personal setting of the chair
- Less absenteeism
- Adjustable seat for every posture
Benefits for employees:
- More comfortable and ergonomic driving according to your own personal settings
- Quick setup with special tools
- Visual adjustment intuitively (no manual needed)
- Fewer health complaints, less stress
- Modern material that is serviced on time, reducing health damage
Test report
With the Trône Memory Seat, Trône Seating introduced the world’s first fully electrically adjustable forklift seat with memory at CeMAT 2018.
When a forklift truck has several users, the correct adjustment of the seat is often not enough in practice. This increases the risk of physical complaints and can result in unnecessary and expensive absence due to illness.
The newly developed Trône forklift seat prevents this and actively contributes to a healthy and safe working environment. The ergonomically and modernly designed seat has been developed in accordance with the basic requirements for working with a forklift truck. The seat offers a low backrest for easy turning / looking back, stable modular side supports and extra lumbar support.
In addition, the Trône has several electric motors that can be operated via the intuitive buttons on the side of the seat. All ergonomically important positions are adjustable, such as forward/reverse, backrest tilt, seat length adjustment, seat tilt and backrest height adjustment, which is provided with an extra lumbar support in the right place. Thanks to the adjustable height of the backrest, each driver can determine the right support for the lower back. The height adjustment and damping of the seat is controlled by the automatic air suspension. Semi-automatic damping is also available.
The innovative seat can also remember the preferences of multiple drivers and ensure that the settings are always correctly adjusted to the driver’s wishes.
The control software can be extended with several unique and useful functions that link the use of the seat (driving time, service, vibration load), the driver (use, presence, alertness, driving behaviour), communication and traceability to the existing registration systems of the company.
The Trône can easily be mounted on an existing seat mount and does not require any structural modifications.
In practice, Trône seating offers an excellent seat. It can be easily adjusted to your own preferences with the electric controls. With the semi-automatic air suspension you can easily and quickly adjust the correct damping. The lumbar support in the backrest provides tangible support and invites you to an active upright sitting position. The memory function is special to experience. The seat returns smoothly to a previously chosen configuration.
IFOY test verdict
Sitting well on a forklift truck is vital and with the Trône Memory Seat that is easier than ever. The seat offers good support and can be adjusted precisely to your own preferences and physique. The automatic air suspension ensures the right degree of damping. Anyone who chooses the memory version knows that the correct basic setting is chosen for each driver. Also because of the extra functionalities of the software, the seat is both unique and innovative.
IFOY Innovation Check
Market Relevance
Trône Seatings Electric Memory Seat is a driver’s seat designed for use on industrial trucks. The market for industrial truck seats is basically very large. However, it is characterized by a pronounced price awareness, which makes the equipment of these seats much more spartan compared to other industries, such as agricultural and construction machinery. Due to the very complex technology of this seat, it can be assumed that it is priced in the premium range of vehicle seats. In our opinion, a high price reduces the market relevance considerably.
Customer Benefit
In terms of customer benefit, a distinction must be made between the benefit for the driver of the industrial truck and the benefit for the operator of the industrial truck. The benefit for the driver is very high because he can adjust the seat very precisely to his needs. In addition, the settings are stored and automatically carried out each time the driver changes. This achieves a high level of comfort and reduces health risks. For the operator of the industrial truck, the benefits lie in more satisfied employees and possibly a lower number of sick days. By recording the driver’s vibration load, it is possible to avoid overloading employees with human vibrations. The connection to a tablet offers the possibility to monitor both the behaviour and the strain of the driver.
Degree of Novelty
Many seat functions are known from other areas, especially from the automotive industry, but also from the agricultural and construction machinery sector. This also applies to the memory function, which takes over the driver’s adjustment. The communication of the seat with a smartphone or tablet has so far only been considered. In any case, it could not be demonstrated during the Innovation Check. With the monitoring of the vibration load and smart functions, the seat is fully in line with the trend of the times. The extent to which the collection of operating data by the seat makes sense or is permissible remains to be clarified.
Functionality / Type of Implementation
The seat is comfortable and very well made. Adaptation to a driver is uncomplicated. However, the use of a variety of mini-engines and more complex electronics tends to result in a higher purchase price and increased maintenance and servicing costs. Due to an increased price, the seat enters the premium segment, where competitors offer significantly more powerful vibration decoupling methods (e.g. actively controlled vibration decoupling).
| Functionality / type of implementation | + |
| Novelty / Innovation | + |
| Customer benefits | ++ |
| Market relevance | Ø |
| ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / — not available | |
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Image/video credits: TRÔNE Seating BV
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Statutes
In den Statuten sind die Grundwerte und die Standards des IFOY AWARD festgelegt, nach denen die Organisation handelt. Dazu gehören unter anderem Gremien, Wahlomodus, Bewertungskriterien sowie der Code of Conduct.
Committees
The International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year has three bodies: Jury, sponsors, and advisory board.