Linde celebrates 50 years of hydrostatic drive
December 1st 2010 The first Linde truck with hydrostatic drive was unveiled to
the public 50 years ago at the 1960 Hanover trade fair.
No-one knew that the truck, designated Hubtrac H3K,
would lay the foundation of a success story that continues right
up to this day, making Linde Material Handling the leading
manufacturer of counterbalance forklift trucks in Europe.
Hydrostatic drive is at the heart of every Linde engine truck up
to 18 tons lifting capacity. It is the source of the trucks' sensitive,
precise driving and lifting characteristics, as well as their
productivity, outstanding fuel economy and reduced maintenance
overhead. Even though the principle behind hydrostatic drive has
not changed over the years, time and again the development
engineers at Linde MH have made crucial technical
improvements.With the introduction of the fourth generation of
the Linde hydrostatic system, the forklift truck manufacturer is
asserting its position as the technological leader with a new
generation of transmission offering improved productivity and
lower fuel consumption.
Theodor Maurer, Chairman of the Management Board of
Linde Material Handling, says: "At Linde, existing knowledge and
experience has always been regarded as the starting point in the
quest for further development of transmissions and lifting
hydraulics. The best example of this is the development of the
drive axle: this new generation features two low-speed hydraulic
motors, integrated into a compact drive axle, powering the drive
wheels directly without the need for speed reduction gears.
Previously, the hydraulic motors operated at 3500rpm requiring
reduction gears between motors and wheels, but today's low speed
motors operate at just 170rpm so reduction gears are no longer
required reducing noise, fuel consumption and emissions.
Progress of this kind requires a deep understanding of the whole
system, something Linde has developed in the most effective way
possible — through combining truck development and drive
technology under one roof. This means that our customers can be
confident that by choosing the Linde brand they will be buying
into technology that is not only cutting-edge and extremely costeffective
today, but also subject to continuous development and
improvement for the future."
Taking responsibility for every component
As Bernward Welschof, head of the drive technology development
at Linde MH, comments: "The essential factor behind every
major development stage has been that the drive engineers at
Linde MH are able to 'drill down', so to speak, into the truck itself.
This is because Linde is one of the few manufacturers of forklift
trucks to take responsibility for each and every component of the
truck — from the accelerator pedal through to the wheels.
Furthermore, it is not only the hydrostatic drive unit that benefits
from the joint development of hydraulics and trucks under the
same roof; the complete lift hydraulics system, including its
electronics and control levers, and the power steering, are also
products of this principle."
Looking to the future, the drive engineers and truck designers
at Linde MH already have further developments in the pipeline.
Welschof says that, in future, "the hydrostatic system can act as a
basis, for example, for connecting the drive principles of electric
and internal combustion engines and offer the best of both."
Knock-on benefits of increased space
The main components of the Linde hydrostatic drive are the
hydrostatic pump, driven by the engine, and the two wheel
motors. In contrast to hydrodynamic transmissions (torque
converters), the connection between the pump and the wheel
motors is via flexible hoses enabling the optimum installation of
engine and transmission in the truck. This allows Linde truck
designers to make much more space available for the operator.
This increased space leads to greater comfort and a slower buildup
in fatigue over the working shift. Less fatigue means better
concentration leading to higher productivity, less product damage
and greater workplace safety.Moreover, a hydrostatic
transmission does not need the clutches, differential, or gearbox
of conventional trucks, which is reflected in higher efficiency in
the power train resulting in lower fuel consumption as well as
lower maintenance costs.
But it is the operating characteristics of Linde hydrostatic
transmissions that make them perfectly suited to forklift truck
applications. The ability to withstand rapid and frequent change
from forward to reverse at speed without damage is crucial to
durability. Linde trucks feature automatic, wear-free hydrostatic
braking within the transmission which rapidly slows the truck to
a halt before accelerating it in the opposite direction. Not only can
Linde trucks with hydrostatic drive cope with this day in and day
out, but this ability helps deliver higher levels of productivity.
Highly efficient in its use of engine power, the Linde hydrostatic
drive uses less engine speed to complete its tasks resulting in lower
fuel consumption and emissions.
All these threads of design philosophy and technical
development can only tell part of the story. It is the truck itself,
delivered to an end user and working in his or her application
that provides proof of the benefit of these ideas. Albert Bartlett is
Britain's leading grower and packer of root vegetables. Colin
Campbell, production and HR director says that Linde trucks are
"robust and well-built machines. They easily handle the dayshift
and backshift demands associated with our full seven-day
operations." Explaining why Albert Bartlett changed to Linde
trucks, Campbell adds: "Fuel efficiency was our number one
reason for purchasing Linde trucks. The build design was just
right , which did directly contribute to our reasons for going with
these trucks over the other
products we tested." More articles from Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd: | 
