Camso Inc. has turned a serious issue in the material handling world — the static that builds up in non-marking forklift tires — into a fun, educational video that holds up the Solideal PON 775 NMAS tire as a superhero.
“We wanted to take a lighter approach to address the serious issue of static buildup in non-marking tires,” says Erick Bellefleur, vice president and general manager of material handling at Camso. “Of course, the reality in warehouses is not as severe as what we’ve pictured in the animation, but the world we’ve created gives us the opportunity to educate on a serious topic while using a fun tone!”
For most of the world, static buildup is an invisible phenomenon. But for those who work anywhere a forklift runs on non-marking tires, the potential for static shocks - up to 50,000 volts - is an ever-present hazard. The silica the tires are made of acts as an insulator, so the static electricity generated is stored, and it creates safety hazards, including:
- operator injury and safety issues, and operator stress, which ultimately leads to lack of productivity;
- fires: static electricity can create sparks at high voltages. Machines running on combustible fuels such as diesel or compressed gas have greater risks of catching fire.
- facility damages: Electric discharge can cause outages and circuit damage not only to the lift itself, but to other components and equipment within the facility.
Camso says the Solideal PON 775 NMAS features a patented special anti-static device, and "is the industry’s first press-on tire to resolve the important safety issue of static electricity generated by non-marking tires."
Lysandre Michaud-Verreault, marketing manager for Camso's material handling business, says, “With a 2D animation, a sarcastic tone and catchy characters, we were able to spark the customers’ curiosity, so they’d get the essentials of it."
