An extremely sensitive vehicle
Technology: For 50 years now, the Linde hydrostatic transmission in a forklift - The successful model was invented in Aschaffenburg
Linde hydrostatic transmission celebrates 50 years The Linde forklift trucks throughout the world. A good portion of them running with hydraulic drive, a specialty of the company. He's under the hood is pressing on and is not yet a fascinating technology. Invented in Aschaffenburg, it will be installed this year for 50 years in the forklift.
Background Info
She has secured jobs in that time, remarkable developments behind and opportunities ahead.
Bernward Welschof at Linde Head of Product Management and Advanced Development division in the company's hydraulics. A comprehensive task for the 49-year-old engineer, "responsible for the only lift truck manufacturer Linde all components from the accelerator until the wheel is not only the hydraulic drive, but also the complete lifting hydraulics including electronics, steering and control lever taken from the common hydraulic and vehicle development "under our roof.
Small Tug Hydrocar
It was an equally radical and successful change of the Güldner tractors for the production of Linde forklifts, the company has carried out at the beginning of the 1960s. Güldner had discovered the first of hydraulics for tractors. The development of the tractor market has however not been as successful as had been wished for. It then came Hydrocar of 1956, a kind of small tractors, one can imagine good for pulling the train wagons on the platforms.
Tractor turned over
That Welschof for his work lives and can just as excited as spirited account of it is quite obvious. He can jump up in conversation, to throw the schema of a tractor with a front engine block and mounting structure at the rear of the large sign board. His next sketch shows, such as (apparently) the idea was simply to reverse direction and the driver's seat, the growing opportunity in the rear to use for a mast. That's it: The Hubtrac, 1960 passed the first in Linde forklift truck series was in the world. Nine years later it was over with the tractors, the future belonged to the forklifts.
The hydraulic drive (2008: 25 000 vehicles) in the truck is a contribution to the Aschaffenburg Kion Group, one of the lime. Also emerging in Aschaffenburg electric forklift (2008: 18 000 vehicles), the sister company also manufactures Still. Kion is in its multi-brand strategy in competition. The products, however, have one each own profile.
Hydraulic and electric propulsion are physical principles, each with its own advantages, such as when it comes to short or long-lasting power peaks or the use outdoors or indoors. He's in Aschaffenburg, more than 50 years designed hydraulic drive is technically refined enormously. He has shrunk greatly, and much more compact. The engine supplied to it by the required speed has diminished in 40 years from 3500 to 170 revolutions per minute. All this enabled a reduction of energy consumption, noise and size of vehicles.
Speed reduced dramatically
About half of today in Aschaffenburg in hydraulic components manufactured 50 000 goes into the production truck. The external business keeps you at Linde for expansion. Just Linde has entered into a cooperation with the global US-based Eaton Hydraulics, in order to use its network of 1,700 distributors in Asia and the U.S. for sales. Eaton has no hydraulic pressure in its program, Linde is no product in the medium pressure range. In the high pressure, the number of competitors is already manageable.
Of large and small customers
So far, Linde supplied with components mainly wholesale, renowned construction and agricultural equipment manufacturers such as Liebherr and Claas. These partners, use is not from a catalog, but with customized solutions and cooperation in the development to the finished product. Smaller manufacturers are operated by the worldwide distribution network. Also takes Linde industries such as mining and energy, municipal vehicles or marine applications, such as anchor winches and steering systems in the view.
The possibilities of the hydraulic holds Bernward Welschof for not exhausted. Greater integration of hydraulic and electrical systems, he sees the task of the future and an opportunity for resource-saving designs. The precision of the driving characteristics to keep the two drives the scale, which allows the electric fork lift with a special electronic control system.
Task: Efficient production
The quality of the product, of course, describes only one side of the task. After the presentation and introduction of a new model, the work begins to rationalize production methods to improve the efficiency of the series and then again a working out of technology - a continuous cycle of development and rationalization. "We are condemned to always respect the technological front line."
The enthusiasm about their own product may well win on the sobriety of the designers, if the advertising self-image of the "right horse" try: The Linde forklift was held Dressage Rodeo.