Linde Material Handling presented a broad spectrum of new automation solutions at the first "Linde Automation Summit" in Aschaffenburg. The focus was on updated equipment platforms, a new picking robot, a preview of an automated counterbalanced forklift, and AI-based planning tools. In addition, the company showcased software solutions, digital twins, and 3D scanning technologies designed to accelerate the deployment and implementation of intralogistics automation.
Revamped Vehicle Portfolio
Linde MH has, over the past two years, technically redesigned major areas of its automatable product program. These included, among others, high-lift pallet trucks, reach forklifts, and narrow-aisle equipment, which are now available as standard industrial models. In addition, the company presented AMRs, shuttle systems, stationary automation, and shelving solutions as modular building blocks for customer-specific projects. Customizations remain possible.
“Never has the time to invest in the automation of material flow processes been as favorable as it is now,” said Ulrike Just, Executive Vice President Sales & Services Linde MH EMEA and host of the event. “The systems have become significantly simpler and more cost-effective, project planning and implementation times have noticeably shortened.
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 drive new technologies forward with Linde MH as a partner,” the manager described.
New Picking Robot for Inventory Warehouses
As a product innovation, Linde MH introduced the Linde RoCaP. The system is based on the automated high-lift pallet truck Linde L-Matic HD k and features a fixed integrated robot arm that retrieves packages from shelves and places them onto load carriers. For use at the drugstore chain Rossmann, a special load-handling module for roll containers was developed. The RoCaP is designed for mixed operation with manual floor-transport vehicles and is used at Rossmann for picking heavy bundles.
Outlook on Automated Counterbalanced Forklifts
Linde MH also gave a preview of the automated counterbalanced forklift Linde E-Matic. The vehicle is slated to enter the market in 2027 and was designed for outdoor deployments. It features a payload of 2.3 tons, a lithium-ion battery, a side shift, and navigation and safety technology. In the
first development step it will handle horizontal transports between floor storage points and stationary conveying technology. From 2026, pre-series projects are planned with selected customers. In further expansion stages, additional use cases such as indoor-outdoor switching, gradient driving, shelving and block storage handling, as well as lateral truck handling are planned.
“With the first counterbalanced forklift, automation has now reached the brand's core product,” proclaimed Ulrike Just, Linde MH’s Chief Brand Representative, not without pride. “As the first major manufacturer of forklift trucks, we want to produce the vehicle in series. This meets a demand often voiced by our customers and reinforces our claim to lead the industry technologically.”
AI-powered Planning with Digital Twins
In the field of artificial intelligence, Linde MH demonstrated real-time integration of a digital twin based on the NVIDIA Omniverse ecosystem. This connected the company's own AGV fleet manager and a physical AGV, so that navigation and handling processes could be visualized in parallel. For site capture, the company presented a mobile 3D laser scanning system with high-speed LiDAR and SLAM technology. Within 40 to 60 minutes
it generated high-resolution 360-degree environment maps, from which digital twins of warehouse and production areas were created. These models served as the basis for planning, simulation, and process coordination. First customer applications are expected in 2026.
New Software Platform for Automated Fleets
With Matic:move, Linde MH introduced a software platform that supports material flow processes without deep programming knowledge and based on the low-code principle. The solution enables shortened commissioning times from weeks to a few days. For more complex requirements, Matic:move+ offers additional interfaces and features such as intelligent traffic control. Via the Linde Warehouse Manager and VDA-5050 compatibility, mixed fleets from different manufacturers as well as stationary systems can be integrated. The company also emphasized the importance of redundant safety functions and optical warning systems that safeguard the parallel operation of manual and automated processes.
Corporate Background
Linde Material Handling belongs to the KION Group AG and, on average over the years 2022 to 2024, achieved an average annual revenue of around 5.23 billion euros. Worldwide, about 9,700 sales and service employees at approximately 700 locations serve the company’s
