Day: 2 July 2020

A red wedge-shaped chassis, a black overhead guard frame and overhead tilt cylinders: the distinctive design of the 392/393 IC forklift series from Linde Material Handling in the 2.0 to 3.5 ton capacity range has shaped in-house goods handling at countless companies in Europe and around the world over the past 18 years. This era ended on July 1st 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 up through this time. In the future, only the models of the new Linde H20 to H35 diesel and LPG series, launched at the beginning of 2020, will be coming off the line at the Aschaffenburg assembly plant.

A flashback to January 2002: Accompanied by Bengal fireworks and rousing music, the new Linde forklift 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 meters into the winter evening sky. The launch of the then new 39X counterbalance forklift truck series from Linde Material Handling was as spectacular as the product itself.

The series set technical standards in many areas: for example, with its overhead tilt cylinders. These divert parts of the load forces acting on the lift mast via the roof frame, thus enabling narrower lift mast profiles for better visibility. Another feature that is unique to this day was the decoupling of the chassis from the drive and steering axles as well as from the tilt cylinders, in order to optimally protect the driver from harmful human vibrations. Electronic lift mast control using the Linde Load Control system provided an innovative boost in terms of driver comfort. Large control levers were transformed into handy, finger-operated knobs, integrated into a wide armrest, with which the driver could direct the mast functions and auxiliary hydraulics.

All of these special design features, having proven their worth, are now also part of the new generation of vehicles which Linde Material Handling started producing at the beginning of 2020 – albeit in a more advanced form. The new trucks, which differ from the previous models visually by means of the characteristic “shark fin” and the significantly enlarged step, are networked as standard and communicate via a cloud server, all while meeting the highest security standards – this makes the new 12xx series the first range of fully networked Linde trucks. The new vehicles can be equipped with numerous assistance systems and lighting solutions and support the driver by offering a comfortable workplace. Furthermore, the modern, maintenance-friendly industrial motor with integrated particle filter as standard and optimized Linde hydrostatic drive ensures sustainability and high productivity.

“With this passing of the baton, Linde Material Handling has reached another milestone in corporate history,” says Stefan Prokosch, Senior Vice President Product Management Industrial Trucks Counterbalance at Linde Material Handling. The historic triumph of Linde forklifts began in 1967 with the legendary Hubtrac, and the first trucks with overhead guard followed shortly after in 1968. In 1979, the 331 series was launched. The big breakthrough came in 1985 with the 351 series, and from then on, annual production numbers increased continuously to new highs. With over 100,000 units produced it was the best-selling model series in Europe by the time the 39X series was ready for launch in late 2001. “We are very proud that we were able to once again significantly exceed this impressive figure with our now discontinued 392/393 series,” says product expert Stefan Prokosch, adding: “This makes it clear that we are aiming to achieve highly ambitious goals with our new 12xx series.”

One unique feature of the Linde forklift has remained unchanged for decades: the Linde hydrostatic drive, which transfers the engine power to the drive wheels and lifting hydraulics without any loss via a closed, maintenance-free hydraulic system. Undergoing continuous technical refinement, it enables smooth starting, rapid changes of direction and sensitive, precise maneuvering in the tightest of spaces, all while ensuring maximum handling performance with minimum fuel consumption.

Transporeon has been rewarded for its cutting-edge design and branding strategy by the jury of the German Brand Award 2020, with a Gold award in the ‘Excellent Brands – Logistics & Infrastructure’ category, and as ‘Winner’ in the ‘Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation – Brand Design’ category.  The Brand Award recognises the year’s most innovative examples of brand presence and creative campaigns.

Stephan Sieber, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transporeon commented, “As an innovation leader in a fast-moving business environment, we knew that we needed an impactful rebranding that matches our ambition. The response to the new look and branding, developed in partnership with design agency eobiont, shows that we got it right. These latest awards are the icing on the cake.”

Natasha Adams, Chief Marketing Officer of Transporeon, added, “Our platform manages 70,000 transports daily, bringing us countless interactions with users the world over. Our identity plays a huge role in our marketing strategy by making each interaction a consistent, fresh and engaging brand experience.”

The branding design, launched by Transporeon in 2019, now greets users of the Transport Market Monitor (TMM).  The TMM is a powerful online service showing the price and capacity development of the European road transport market. The service is provided by Tim Consult on the basis of transport data of more than 1.8 million freight loads per year, processed by Transporeon, the European market leader for cloud-based platforms in transport logistics.

The TMM is available free of charge at the following link:

https://www.transportmarketmonitor.com/

Thermo King has today launched premier+, an all-in-one flexible financial solution featuring a fully integrated refrigeration unit, trailer, telematics and service solution for one monthly payment. Designed to offer customers convenience without compromise, premier+ provides access to single and multi-temperature trailers in a highly flexible and cost-effective way – while also delivering 24/7 servicing, connectivity, maintenance, and repair support.

“premier+ brings together the leading brands in the industry offering customers one-stop access to comprehensive, integrated transport refrigeration solutions, backed by the support of the most extensive dealer network in our industry,” said Donal Cox, Commercial Leader Truck, Trailer and Bus, Thermo King EMEA. “With premier+, fleet managers and business owners can quickly adapt to changes in demand and emerging opportunities, while having full visibility and control over their total cost of ownership.”

Thermo King premier+ is a complete packaged solution that allows the transport companies to focus on their core business, removing the need to source and integrate distinct components and service capabilities. With premier+, for one simple monthly fee they can now benefit from a full solution combining highest quality assets, including Thermo King refrigeration units and trailers built by leading chassis manufacturers.

To further enhance the convenience for transport companies, the premier+ solution incorporates:
• 24/7 support delivered by the Thermo King international dealer network that covers 75 countries with over 500 service points
• Thermo King’s Connected Solutions with Trailer Assist as standard to deliver the real-time performance data needed to transform vehicle utilization and improve uptime through proactive maintenance.

All of these capabilities are available for a monthly rate over a fixed term, with bespoke financial services through TK Financial Solutions.

Sales Director Matt Gregory has taken over from Isabel McCabe as Managing Director at Voiteq UK.

The announcement comes as McCabe has decided to step down and spend more time with her family in her hometown of Glasgow, having completed over eight years at the helm of Voiteq UK, based in Blackpool.

McCabe says: “Matt has a long history with Voiteq and has already won the hearts and minds of the team. He was the obvious choice to steer Voiteq into what is an exciting future.”

The company added: “Since joining Voiteq in October 2017, Matt has been visiting customer sites, attending industry events and making panellist appearances for innovative roundtables. He even hosted the biggest Voice User Group worldwide. Matt has worked in the industry since 2006 and has built a wealth of experience, depth of knowledge and passion for smart warehouse technology. He understands first-hand how modern supply chain technology can truly transform a business.”

Matt Gregory said: “Voiteq was the first to introduce voice-directed work into UK warehouses, and for the past 20 years our expertise, knowledge and technology suite has evolved – just like the industry. I am fully aware of the incredible legacy I’ve inherited, which I will work tirelessly to protect and evolve in the next chapter of our journey. Voiteq is now the trusted team within Körber Supply Chain that specialises in voice, vision, mobility and robotics for the supply chain: pairing the right technologies, with the right solution, at the right time.”

Looking towards the future, he adds: “Our customers already know that regardless of innovations in technology, Voiteq has always been about the people and this will not change. We will continue to develop and recruit the best and the brightest talent our industry has to offer, in order to deliver that same exceptional customer experience.”

Efficient processes, harmonised fleets and a profit-generating integration of new technologies. These are the key factors for sustainable economic success in intralogistics. For STILL, specialist expert advice has been a mainstay of their corporate philosophy for 100 years, and an important building block of long-term customer relations as a partnership of equals. In the past few years, by using intralogistics consultancy to provide a service, STILL has also substantially contributed to a changed understanding of the comprehensive procedural concepts of logistics.

Complex requirements need individually customised consulting. Tailor-made solutions are created based on detailed analyses. Hans Still already worked according to these beliefs when he founded his electric motor workshop in 1920, and they are the mainstays of the intralogistics advisory service used by STILL since 2017 to offer comprehensively integrated procedural solutions through product or system consultancy.

Intralogistics consultancy at STILL – a success story with a future
Working in close cooperation with the customer, STILL experts combine all the elements of material and information flows to create an intelligent logistics concept. To do this, STILL focuses on an advisory approach in four steps. Careful data recording, including accurately recording the customer’s wishes and requirements, is followed by an exhaustive analysis as a reliable basis for planning. In the third step – optimisation – existing logistics processes are adapted and structured to fulfil current and future requirements in the best possible way, and to create all the conditions for sustainable, long-term success. The fourth step includes the design concept, putting a tailor-made solution approach into the customer’s hands. Transparency, clarity and feasibility have top priority in this respect. As Marina Hein, Senior Director Advanced Applications at STILL explains: “We only develop concepts that harmonise with the requirements, as well as with the customer’s current possibilities. This is the only way to enable him to handle them independently in the future as well. It needs precise analysis and clear communication.”

Increasing complexity leads to a growing need for advice
The consultancy unit is still young, but its success speaks for itself. Today, the six-member team of logistics experts already implements around 20 international consultancy projects each year. Three quarters of these already deal with questions of automation and its future implementation. This is because many companies have a constantly growing need for advice in view of increasingly complex intralogistics processes and global storage issues. Customers benefit from comprehensive experience and competence in the areas of process optimisation, tugger train and warehouse planning and automation. At the same time, successful reference projects have a strongly charismatic power due to their measurable commercial economic successes. Taken together, both have contributed to a clear change in the industry’s understanding of logistics as an economic success factor in the past few years.

Competent advice reduces costs and facilitates growth
Ever more companies understand that optimised fleets, systems and processes are a worthwhile investment in the future. For example, they enable efficient warehouse management, reduce space demands and shorten transport routes. That is how they create the conditions for commercial economic success and growth.
The greater the extent to which individual requirements and sector standards are already taken into account when planning new projects, global storage concepts or restructurings, the better will be the ability to anticipate and implement challenges in the future as well. With regard to the automation megatrend, this means, for example, “to create conditions for customers today that will enable them to integrate automation elements into their process organisation in the future,” explains Marina Hein.

Unforeseeable situations often need a fast response. Here again, STILL offers options for intralogistics consulting services at short notice. Online consulting, instant advice for suddenly necessary process adjustments or on-site assistance at short notice can help here.

From technical to procedural advice
For STILL, the depth and quality of their consultancy have a 100-year history. Hans Still already knew that optimised processes are an important cornerstone of commercial economic success – and that “optimised” always means “individual” as well. Therefore, based on individual consultancy, STILL has always focused on an endeavour to make customised, innovative solutions available for any challenge. The first major order for the young STILL company in the late nineteen-forties was a tailor-made electric cart for the German Federal Railway Company. The EK 2000 Electrocart is slim, agile and flexible, and perfectly adapted to the narrow space available on railway platforms and in loading sidings.

Over the years, transport logistics and customers’ needs are changing – and so is the STILL portfolio. The increasing complexity of global storage worlds demands vehicle concepts and consultancy services designed to an ever greater extent to match sector and customer-specific processes. In response, STILL has brought the modular system for their vehicles to full maturity. Coupled with the in-depth specialist knowledge and sector know-how of STILL experts, this modular design concept is what enables the custom-tailored configuration of STILL trucks.

Product optimisation in digital self-management
Moreover, STILL customers have also been able to digitally and independently manage and continuously optimise their fleets since 2012. This is made possible by intelligent web applications such as STILL neXXt fleet. All the information about their vehicles is drawn together and presented here in an easily understandable way, and customers can carry out operational planning for their industrial truck fleet at any time and from anywhere, and control capacities and integrate service activities into their own production workflow in an optimal way.

100 years of consulting, made by STILL
Focus on optimisation – this means that intralogistics consultancy by STILL is also a consistent, logical further development of the “made by STILL” concept of consultancy. It adds a procedure-based level to supplement the technical and product-based consulting services and applications. Be it an integrated or a stand-alone solution – customers profit from the 100 years of technical experience and specialist know-how of the STILL consultants.