The Linde Automation Summit 2025 on 12 and 13 November in Aschaffenburg focused on automation in intralogistics. In lectures and live demonstrations, customers, consultants and trade media from across Europe could learn about Linde Material Handling (MH) offerings—with vehicle portfolio, software, and AI technology.
"There has never been a better time to invest in the automation of material flow processes than now," stated Ulrike Just, Executive Vice President Sales & Services Linde MH EMEA and host of the event in the Linde Experience Hub, convinced. "The systems have become significantly simpler and cheaper, project planning and implementation times have shortened noticeably. This makes it easier to enter automation and creates opportunities for greater competitiveness. For companies that already have several years of automation experience, there is also the chance to actively push forward new technologies with Linde MH as a partner," said Just.
In particular, through the "context competence" of the sales and service organization, Linde MH differentiates itself from the competition: "Our strength is the large number of experienced experts. They recognize which automation solution fits best in the individual case, and that enables our customers to achieve a consistently high performance." Equally important for customers are reliability and future viability. "Our teams are at the side of the companies—from initial consultation through project planning to implementation and after commissioning in ongoing operation," said Just.
Technically redesigned
To accelerate the planning and implementation of automation solutions and to make them more cost-effective, Linde MH has redesigned technically key parts of its product portfolio over the past two years, including (counterbalanced) high-lift pallet trucks, reach trucks and narrow-aisle equipment, and raised them to an industrial production standard. Together with AMRs, shuttle solutions, stationary automation and shelving systems, this provides, according to the provider,
a comprehensive, modular toolkit to plan and implement a wide range of customer projects precisely. At the same time, according to the company, there is the possibility to realize custom-made solutions for special customer requirements.
Development in cooperation with Rossmann
New vehicle developments are already in the pipeline according to Linde Material Handling. A highlight at the Linde Automation Summit was the "Linde RoCaP," developed for automated warehouse picking. Representatives from Linde MH and the drugstore chain Rossmann presented the vehicle together in Aschaffenburg. It is based on the automated high-lift pallet truck "Linde L-MATIC HD k" and additionally features a fixed intelligent robot arm connected to the fork carriage. This lifts the packages from the shelf and places them onto the load carrier. Specifically for use at Rossmann, a load-handling assembly for roll containers was designed. The Linde RoCaP can work side by side with manually operated forklift trucks; at Rossmann it relieves staff in the logistics center, especially during picking of heavy packages.
Automated counterbalanced forklift for outdoor deployments
Another highlight of the Linde Automation Summit 2025 was a preview of the first automated counterbalanced forklift of the company. The model designed for outdoor deployments, the "Linde E-MATIC," is expected to go on the market in 2027. Equipped with a load capacity of 2.3 tons, side shifter, lithium-ion battery as well as extensive navigation and safety technology, the vehicle in its first development phase handles horizontal transports between storage points on the floor or stationary conveyor technology. In 2026, pre-series projects will start at selected customers, whose experiences are to feed directly into further development and series readiness. In further expansion stages the Linde E-MATIC will then take on additional tasks – such as switching between indoor and outdoor areas, overcoming
larger gradients, loading and unloading in rack storage or block storage, as well as lateral loading and unloading of trucks.
"With the first counterbalance forklift, automation has now reached the core product of Linde's brand," announced Ulrike Just, Linde MH's chief brand representative. "As the first major manufacturer of forklift trucks, we want to produce the vehicle in series. This meets a request frequently voiced by our customers and underscores our claim to lead the industry technologically."
Also, in the implementation of physical AI and digital twins based on "MEGA," Nvidia Omniverse for industrial applications, the next concrete steps were shown. This included, on the one hand, the real-time integration of a digital twin in Nvidia Omniverse that connects the company's own AGV fleet manager and a physical AGV. On screen, participants could see how every action of the AGV — such as navigation or load handling — is simultaneously mirrored in the Omniverse environment and thus enables real-time monitoring, simulation and optimization of logistics processes.
In addition, there is now according to Linde Material Handling the possibility to generate high-resolution 360-degree images with 3D laser scans and thus create a digital, three-dimensional environment map of factories or warehouses. Similar to Google Street View (driving through streets), a person walks through the building. On the person's shoulders is a frame that is equipped with high-speed LiDAR scanners with SLAM technology. These capture the surroundings and create a three-dimensional image of reality. The process reportedly takes no longer than 40 to 60 minutes.
Digital twins in focus
In Nvidia Omniverse, a digital twin of the location is created with the help of the 3D scans. The 3D visualization shows exact distances between shelves, distances between two points or the floor slope on the routes.
Thus, as Linde MH experts explained in Aschaffenburg, it provides a reliable planning basis and makes further on-site visits unnecessary. All project participants can then work together on the modeled real representation and share information: for example mark critical areas in the warehouse, add comments and note proposed solutions. In recent months, according to the company, a good dozen scans have already been made at various locations across Europe with the portable laser. Next year, first customer applications are to follow, where the 3D visualizations will be used to plan automation solutions with the help of digital twins, test virtually and bring them into operation on-site significantly faster than before. They will also be offered as a separate service.
Software platform "MATIC:move"
Faster and more cost-effective automation – this has become a hallmark of Linde Material Handling, not least with the new automated Linde vehicle models and the software platform "MATIC:move." Thanks to intuitive operation and visual workflow design, material flow processes can be planned and implemented according to the provider without deep programming knowledge and based on the low-code principle. The result, according to the intralogistics solutions provider, is an commissioning that is shortened from weeks to a few days. For more complex requirements, MATIC:move+ is available: The extended software version offers additional interfaces and functions as well as intelligent traffic control for demanding processes.
Another characteristic of all automation solutions is, according to Linde MH, the safety competence deeply anchored in the DNA: multiple redundancies, precise sensors or special lighting solutions, such as the "Red Warning Lights" on the right and left of the vehicle, protect people, goods, machines and infrastructure. This not only achieves a high throughput per hour but also ensures that manual and automated processes can run smoothly
