HOUSTON-Cat Lift Trucks, a lift truck supplier, recentlytook part in the International Youth Fuel Cell Competition (IYFCC) in SanAntonio, as the fuel cell lift truck competition sponsor.
"All of the students participating in thiscompetition were exceptional," said Wayne Mabry, manager of electricalengineering. Mabry was one of the engineering judges for the lift truckchallenge. "Cat Lift Trucks is honored to be able to play a part inexpanding their knowledge on green technology and the manufacturingindustry."
The international competition featured students betweenthe ages of 14 and 18 from Germany, India, Japan and the U.S. The contestrequired the seven teams to construct a fuel cell lift truck that could lift aload 2.4 inches (6 centimeters) high and move the load 11.8 inches (30centimeters) across a flat plastic surface. The lift trucks were judged in thecategories of Energy Efficiency, Engineering and Creativity.
The energy efficiency category winner was determined bythe amount of work done compared to the amount of energy used. A team of threeengineers judged the students' journals and interviewed them on theirconstruction efforts. The final category judged the creativity, or aestheticportion, and was voted on by attendees of the 2007 Fuel Cell Seminar andExposition-the fuel cell tradeshow held in conjunction with the IYFCC. Thewinners of the overall fuel cell lift truck competition were Erica Van Steinand Paul Rosenberger, students from one of the two U.S. teams competing.
"Cat Lift Trucks' participation in the IYFCCdemonstrates our dedication to educating future engineers in eco-friendlypractices," said Mabry. "We look forward to being a part of thiscompetition next year and will continue to invest in our futureengineers."
