Customized Options create added value

“Is it possible to comprehensively predict future in-house material flow requirements and the technical options that will be available at that time? Certainly not. This underscores the importance of having industrial trucks that can be equipped with new functionalities throughout their lifecycle,” explains Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Customized Solutions at Linde Material Handling. The modern electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture of the vehicle control system, as well as the forklift’s digital twin, which is permanently linked to the actual vehicle from the moment it leaves the assembly line, form the foundation for meeting this requirement. This innovative feature allows new vehicle functions to be downloaded over the air, while maintaining the highest standards of safety. “At the same time, we leverage the system requirements to facilitate the parameterization of new functions and develop new, customized solutions,” says Prokosch.

Essential to many intralogistics processes

“Customized options (COs) play a key role in the internal material flow of many companies. They enhance the safety, efficiency, and productivity of industrial truck operations by meeting specific needs with even greater precision. In some cases, COs even enable these operations to be carried out at all,” the expert explains. Production statistics provide evidence of this. More than one-third of all Linde industrial trucks come equipped with a CO as standard. Often, these are so-called repeat COs – additional functions that, once developed, are also utilized by other customers.

Linde MH is increasingly implementing customized solutions through software updates.

Linde MH is increasingly implementing customized solutions through software updates.

Until now, mechanical COs have dominated the field. Examples of hardware adaptations include pallet trucks made entirely of stainless steel for use in the food industry, customized control elements for operators with physical limitations, special forks designed for handling flat pallets in the furniture industry, heat-resistant wooden joysticks for foundries, and a reach truck equipped with a “Pinocchio nose” – a load-handling attachment designed for the particularly gentle transport of paper rolls weighing several tons.

More opportunities thanks to digital COs

Digital COs significantly increase the potential to meet special customer needs. For instance, one feature implemented for a client automatically lowers the radio volume when the forklift reverses, enabling the driver to focus more on this demanding task. A rotating beacon mounted on the driver’s overhead guard enhances operational safety by indicating whether the driver has fastened their seatbelt. Another digital safety feature automatically reduces the truck’s travel speed to 2 km/h. This feature activates whenever the load exceeds a certain weight and/or the forks are raised above a certain height.

COs are an integral part of Linde MH’s product and solutions portfolio

“In the competitive landscape, Linde MH is recognized for its exceptionally high-performance industrial trucks, which give our customers a significant productivity advantage. Customized options contribute substantially to this,” emphasizes Prokosch. The intralogistics specialist deploys a global, interdisciplinary team to plan and implement these options. A graphical editor enables developers to create new digital functions more rapidly and expedite the transfer of the corresponding parameter file to the vehicle.