NASA Buys Carer Forklift for Clean Room

This month (December), Carer Electric Forklift Solutions (USA, Canada, Mexico) will deliver an R70H forklift to the Kennedy Space Center, located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Carer customized a current model from its product line to meet the stringent needs of NASA’s clean room application. NASA has been operating a Carer forklift, model R70N, for almost 20 years and it remains fully operational, at work in another area of the space center.

Eric Halfnights, director of business development at Carer, said: “Working with NASA is an exciting opportunity for our team. Our ability to adjust and customize our product line enables us to work with a variety of companies who require specialty products. We have a strong development team, so when customers come to us with requirements like NASA, we can design a machine that fits their application.”

A Kennedy Space Center employee dons the foot and leg covers of a “bunny suit,” part of standard clean room apparel, before entering a clean room. Photo: NASA

When NASA met with Carer, they discussed what it would mean for a forklift to operate in a clean room environment. Most importantly, a clean room environment requires contamination control. When applied to a forklift, this means that all fluid and fine particulate must be contained within the machine. By adjusting features like the AC drives, Carer was able to modify the R70H and deliver a closed system machine to NASA.

The R70H is a high capacity forklift, with lifting capabilities up to 15,500 lbs. and an 80V power reserve. Designed to handle goods in heavy-duty applications, the R70H is defined by its rigid structure that maintains a high degree of stability, ensuring that materials are handled safely and smoothly. These features are important in an environment like NASA’s, and in any application where materials need to be transported and handled with care.

Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam Jr., STS-116 mission specialist, meets the NASA logo up close during the Dec. 14 space walk to perform ISS work, which he shared with European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang. Photo: NASA

Carer Electric Forklift Solutions is a global business specializing in the production of high capacity electric forklifts. With a Specialty Product Equipment Department (SPED), Carer is able to design special machines to meet the demands of customers’ specific material handling needs. This creative ability allows Carer to establish lasting relationships with customers, and creates the opportunity for companies like NASA to come back to Carer when it is time to upgrade, and know their needs will be met.