Passing the baton

The red wedge-shaped chassis, black overhead guard frame and overhead tilt cylinders 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 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 during this period. 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.

“With this passing of the baton, Linde Material Handling has reached another milestone,” says Linde Material Handling SVP product management industrial trucks counterbalance, Stefan Prokosch. “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. 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 circuit, 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.

For more information, visit www.linde-mh.co.uk