1million Linde trucks in decade?
June 1st 2007

Linde Material Handling officially opened its new development centre in Aschaffenburg, Germany, in May, bringing development and manufacture under one roof.

The company has invested €10 million in developing and integrating its facilities at the 10,000m2 site which includes offices, test stands, workshops, assembly shops and prototype workshop. "The logistics industry is moving all the time," says Linde's Dr Stefan Rinck. "Our success is based on a teamorientated process. We have created a culture of development here in Achaffenburg." He said the improved site will allow it to conduct more tests during initial development stages "as conceptional modifications are relatively cheap during this period".

The development centre opening also marked the 500,000th vehicle rolling off the Achaffenburg assembly line. Georg Silbermann, managing director, sales and marketing, presented the jubilee vehicle – a H35T LPG truck with 3.5 tonnes lifting capacity – to Coca- Cola.

The majority of the trucks produced at the plant since 1958 were diesel and LPG models from the 351 series, with a lifting capacity of 2.0 to 3.5 tonnes, manufactured from 1984 to 2003.

The series was subsequently replaced by the 39x series, manufactured from 2002 onwards.

Although it has taken almost fifty years for the first half million vehicles to be produced in Aschaffenburg, the company says the one million mark could be reached within less than ten years.

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