The idea of an integrated lithium-ion battery isn't entirely new. However, Linde MH has further lowered the Xi10 and Xi20 series, provided more legroom, and replaced the 48-volt battery with a 90-volt one. According to the manufacturer, lifting and lowering speeds are now 20 percent above the industry average.
In the cockpit, the controls weren't subjected to any unnecessary gimmicks to demonstrate the level of innovation through new instrument layouts and further variety, explains plant manager Frank Schepp during a tour in Aschaffenburg. In production itself, the number of assembly lines—previously eight to nine—was significantly reduced and consolidated—at considerable expense for employees who had to stay up-to-date through further training—so that everyone has the expertise for the different device types "on their radar.".
A technically demanding transformation, which (yet another challenge) involved accelerating the cycle time from 30 to 40 minutes to just nine minutes. Now, due to the largely identical nature of entire assemblies, electric forklifts, combustion engine vehicles, and other models are produced together, which has apparently resulted in increased employee satisfaction and greater appreciation. What everyone had expected was a temporary increase in error rates, which are openly documented internally by each work group during inspections and quality management. However, instead of any careless mistakes, the level of attention on the assembly line has actually increased.
In the new Xi machines themselves, the efficiency of the drive and lifting motors has been increased by a further 5 percent through sophisticated thermal management. Various battery capacities up to 32 kWh allow the vehicles to be flexibly adapted to any operating condition. Thanks to their robust construction, the 4-wheel version with pendulum axle (Xi16 – Xi20 P) can also be used outdoors without restrictions. The Xi10 – Xi20 are available in a total of 12 different versions.
Thanks to the permanently integrated lithium-ion battery and the resulting elimination of the battery tray, in addition to increased headroom, the legroom in particular could be significantly expanded, and – they apparently wanted to be precise down to the decimal point – the driver is now offered legroom that is a full 35 percent above the industry average. The step was enlarged and mounted lower, so that it is now only 40 centimeters above the ground.
Theo Egberts, a specialist journalist and forklift expert also known from IFOY, tested two pre-production vehicles of the Xi series in the industry's most common load capacity range of 1 to 2 tons before their official presentation to the international press. He concluded that they raise the benchmark to a new level.
The Linde Xi16 3-wheel forklift with a 1.6-tonne lifting capacity and the Linde Xi20 P 4-wheel forklift with a 2-tonne load capacity and the Linde combination steering axle were tested. The controls were optimized according to ergonomic principles. The centerpiece is the continuously adjustable armrest with integrated load control. This allows for intuitive and comfortable operation of all functions. Practical details such as a variety of storage options round out the overall concept. Otherwise, the cab design is largely identical to all new Linde counterbalance forklifts up to 5 tonnes lifting capacity. This ensures a high degree of familiarity in the workplace and greatly facilitates the transition for drivers between forklifts of different weight classes.
In Performance mode, the test vehicles achieved "unprecedented driving, sprinting, and lifting speeds," according to Egberts, resulting in top-class productivity. Even in Economy mode, the lowest performance setting, the vehicles still achieved above-average productivity, according to Egberts.
Charging is done either with standard Linde chargers or via an integrated on-board charger. The surprising thing about the new Xi series: as has been repeatedly confirmed in response to numerous inquiries, its price is not higher than comparable predecessor models, but lower.
Sales start practically immediately.
Test drives with Theo Egberts 
