"Streetview" in the warehouse
Linde Material Handling CH now has its own “Inspiration Center” at its Swiss headquarters in Dietlikon, where everything related to the automation of industrial trucks in and around high-bay warehouses, fleet management, efficiency optimization and new safety solutions is presented “live”.
In fact, Linde's latest automated production vehicles (the MATIC series) are now making their rounds in Dietlikon to demonstrate their current functionalities to customers. At the same time, explains Stefano Ghilardi, Head of Sales and member of the management board, in the future there will hardly be any planning for the establishment of distribution centers and warehouse installations without first having pre-projected the equipment and interaction of the components using a digital twin – that is, a virtual representation on the computer – and with the help of artificial intelligence, both on screen and in discussions with the respective prospective customers.
Before those who had traveled to the hall for the opening of the «Inspiration Center», where Linde MH's annual sales shows had also taken place in previous years, the new «parallel universe» unfolded in an impressive way, which was developed using imaging techniques and in cooperation with partners NVIDIA and the software specialist «Accenture», who were previously known more for game consoles.
"Parallel Universe"
Rolf Huber, Vice President and Managing Director under the umbrella of Kion ITS Switzerland, explains the future cooperation of the Kion subsidiaries from a holistic and comprehensive perspective, the added value of which is already becoming apparent after several years of the joint group umbrella and will certainly yield further valuable results.
Huber: "Previously, visualization with CAD (Computer Added Design) and PowerPoint presentations was comparatively cumbersome." Now, everything is set in motion on the computer; vehicle approaches, transport orders, task distribution, and capacities can be predicted even more reliably; existing processes and material flows are analyzed by pre-trained "AI" for errors, obstacles, and potential for acceleration before the necessary hardware is moved from the planning stage into physical reality.
Security specialist Markus Muffler has the opportunity to explain the advantages of the "myLinde" system to the assembled audience, highlighting its effectiveness in fleet management. The "Safety Guard" system gains further significance when combined with the "myLinde" system.
Photos: klk.
As the overall plant's productivity increases, faster movements within the warehouse are necessary, without compromising safety. A system that uses radar, a connection to the warehouse management system, and scanning the immediate surroundings can "see around the corner" before even the outlines of an approaching vehicle appear in the immediate field of vision, thus proactively preventing accidents.
Look "around the corner" beforehand
What might previously have caused difficulties due to radio-related delays on different frequencies now triggers preventative warnings. For example, Suva figures for 2021 still show 2,161 accidents involving industrial trucks in Switzerland (an increase of 14.7 percent compared to the previous year), resulting in 23.9 million Swiss francs in property damage.
MATIC series overview
In warehouses, the saying still often goes: "The natural enemy of the gate is the forklift." Damage to entrances and exits in warehouse areas, especially in cold storage facilities, quickly becomes very expensive. Unfortunately, experts say, fatalities still occur.
Also attracting attention that day was a device reminiscent of Google's "Street View." Existing warehouse environments, which are often difficult to assess, can be scanned into a digital point cloud using portable scanner equipment. This data then provides highly accurate values for planning purposes. Distances and lengths are automatically displayed after processing and overlaid on the digital model. Those who previously appreciated CAD drawings as a significant advancement now find themselves immersed in a three-dimensional environment where new solutions can be precisely integrated and flexibly managed.
Finally, in the style of a boxing champion, the new Xi10 and Xi20 electric counterbalance forklifts, with load capacities from 1 to 2 tons, were presented in a video trailer and subsequently in the hall. A successful event with considerable added value.
Roadshow on the road from June 5th
In the coming weeks, the well-known Linde MH "Roadshow" tour is also on the agenda, featuring the new E14 – E20 electric forklifts. The roadshow will be in Dietlikon on June 5th, in Oensingen on June 25th, in western Switzerland on September 9th, and in Ticino on September 11th, 2025.
