Workplace downtime due to forklift trucks running out of fuel could soon be a problem of the past thanks to a new, high-tech, fuel level sensing system available on trucks produced by Yale Materials Handling.

The new Optical Fuel Level Sensor is an option on all of the company's Veracitor VX LPG trucks and offers a more reliable indication of when an LPG truck is beginning to run out of fuel.

According to Tom Pickering, the company's Product Strategy Manager, conventional systems can give as little as 30 seconds warning before trucks grind to a halt.

"LPG is normally supplied to the engine in liquid form before it is converted into gas vapour by the fuel system," he explained. "When the LPG tank pressure drops below a certain level, the new sensor - which utilises optical refraction technology - identifies the presence of gas vapour in the fuel lines, a clear indication of low fuel.

"This provides far greater accuracy than the standard pressure sensing system, which sometimes does not give operators enough time to reach a refuelling station or the bottle store."

The new sensor gives up to 15 minutes warning, which can help improve efficiency and reduce operating costs by providing drivers with the opportunity to work a little longer before stopping to refuel.

Tom continued: "Thanks to the accuracy of the system operators can confidently use more of the reserve LPG before re-fuelling, increasing productivity and reducing operating costs.

"It also helps to prevent the early replacement of an LPG cylinder reducing the amount of unused fuel normally returned to the vendor," he added.