Linde: safety first
February 1st 2009 Linde's Phil Pearson says its new N range of powered
pallet trucks exemplifies its safety first design approach
Linde designs all its products to ensure
controls are within easy reach of the
operator and convenient and
comfortable to use, even when wearing
gloves or cold store mitts. The controls are
very responsive. "With precise, accurate
steering, not only do you improve operator
safety, you achieve better
performance, higher levels of
operating comfort and improved
energy or fuel efficiency," says
Pearson.
Linde also designs all its forklift
trucks to maximise visibility. This
is achieved through careful
nesting of the steel mast sections
and by closely considering where
the cross-members that provide
mast stiffness should be
positioned. "We make sure that
visibility is as good as it can be,
because this improves safety for the
operator and others in the warehouse, as
well as increasing productivity."
The Linde N range of low level order
pickers features an electric steering system
to reduce operator fatigue. The driving
position right at the front gives the operator
clear vision, helping to reduce accidental
damage to product, truck and operator.
The ergonomically designed tiller
includes additional safety features such as
end-of-stroke resistance to provide an
added barrier at the end of the tiller stroke
before it crosses into the safety braking
zone. Also, a soft fold-back function
prevents the tiller from quickly snapping
back onto the cover.
Traction speed is
automatically
adjusted depending
on tiller angle. As the
operator gets closer
to the truck, the tiller
moves towards the
vertical and truck
speed reduces until it
comes to a smooth
stop with the tiller
upright and the
electromagnetic
brake applied.
"Linde's philosophy on safety has always
been to design it into the truck from the
start," says Pearson. "From restricting access
to the truck by requiring pin codes as an
alternative to a keyswitch, to the long tiller
that keeps the operator safely away from
contact with the truck, we keep safety at
the forefront of the design process." More articles from Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd: | 
