Red wedge-shaped chassis, black stepped driver protection roof frame, overhead tilt cylinders: The striking design of the combustion engine powered 392/393 truck series from Linde Material Handling in the lifting capacity range from 2.0 to 3.5 tonnes shaped the internal goods handling of countless companies in Europe and around the world for 18 years. This era ended on July 1 with the production of the last order for one of the largest brick manufacturers in North America. A total of almost 161,000 vehicles were produced. In future, only models of the new Linde H20 to H35 diesel and LPG series, which were launched at the beginning of 2020, will come off the assembly line at the Aschaffenburg assembly plant.
Flashback January 2002: Accompanied by Bengalese fire and bombastic music, the new Linde forklift truck drives out of an overseas container on Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze. Above the steel container, a replica of the truck, made entirely of ice and snow, rises nine metres into the winter sky at night. The market launch of the then new 39X counterbalance truck series from Linde Material Handling was as spectacular as the product itself.
The series set technical standards in many areas: for example, with the overhead tilt cylinders, which divert part of the forces acting on the mast via the roof frame, thus enabling narrower lift mast profiles for better visibility. Another unique selling point to this day: the multiple decoupling of the chassis from the drive and steering axles as well as from the tilt cylinders to provide the best possible protection for the driver against harmful human vibrations. The electronic lift mast control system using Linde Load Control provided an innovative boost to driver comfort. Large operating rods were transformed into handy levers that could be moved with the fingers, with which the driver could now control mast functions and auxiliary hydraulics and which were integrated into a wide armrest.
All these design features have proven their worth and are also part of the new generation of vehicles with which Linde Material Handling started into the future at the beginning of 2020 - albeit in a more advanced form. The new trucks, which differ from their predecessor models externally by the characteristic "shark fin" and the significantly enlarged step, are networked as standard and communicate via a cloud server while complying with the highest security standards - this makes the new 12xx series the first fully networked Linde truck. The new trucks can also be equipped with numerous assistance systems and lighting solutions and support the driver with a comfortable workplace. The modern, service-friendly industrial engine with integrated particulate filter as standard and optimised Linde hydrostatics also ensures sustainability and high productivity.
"With this change of baton, Linde Material Handling has reached another milestone in its corporate history," says Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Product Management Industrial Trucks Counterbalance at Linde Material Handling. The historic triumphal march of Linde forklifts began in 1967 with the legendary Hubtrac, followed by the first trucks with overhead guard in 1968 and the 331 series in 1979. The big breakthrough came in 1985 with the 351 series, from which time on, the annual production figures rose continuously to new highs. When the 39X series was ready for launch at the end of 2001, it was the best-selling model series in Europe, with over 100,000 units produced. "We are very proud that we have once again significantly exceeded this impressive figure with the now discontinued 392/393 series", says product expert Stefan Prokosch: "This makes it clear what ambitious goals we are aiming for with the new 12xx series".
One unique selling point of Linde forklifts has remained the same for decades: the Linde hydrostatic drive, which transmits the engine power to the drive wheels and lifting hydraulics without loss via a closed, maintenance-free hydraulic system. Continuously optimised technically, it enables smooth starting, rapid changes of direction and sensitive, precise manoeuvring in confined spaces and ensures maximum handling performance with minimum fuel consumption.
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