Materials handling and industrial truck manu- facturer Linde Group Material Handling (Linde MH) has added an ergonomic solution to its range of products – an optional elevating cabin designed for heavy forklift trucks with a load capacity range of 10 t to 18 t.

At the push of a button, this cabin can be raised to a maximum height of 5.5 m in less than ten seconds and, from this high position, the driver has an unobstructed view of the load and can drive forward as usual.

The elevating cabin therefore enables drivers to work ergonomically and efficiently, as driving forward is significantly safer and faster, particularly over longer distances.

“The elevating cabin is particularly beneficial when it comes to stacking, storing and retrieving heavy goods, or when placing them into small loading docks, such as aircraft side loading doors,” says the company.

Linde MH further states that, with the new elevating cabin, drivers do not need to reverse if the view in the direction of travel is obstructed and will not be tempted to move the forks and load above eye level to ensure a clear line of vision below the load, when driving forward.

Moreover, the risk of collision damage, caused by loads protruding laterally beyond the truck, is reduced.

The elevating cabin can be operated by means of a separate joystick or through four preset position buttons that can be individually programmed to a specific height. The cabin elevates at a rate of 0.24 m/s.

This position allows for a full range of vision – even when transporting long, bulky and heavy goods. Automatic speed limiting, corresponding to the cabin height, ensures safe operation, while the maximum speed of travel can also be reduced through the default settings.

Linde MH’s heavy trucks are also available with a rotating cabin, as an alternative to the elevating cabin. Here the driver can rotate the entire cabin by 180° so that the load is behind the truck, which means the driver has an unobstructed view of the drive direction. Additionally, the driver can select any intermediate angles and view areas.

These rotatable driver workplaces have been developed for Linde’s electric forklifts, which have a load capacity that ranges from 2.5 t to 5 t, and Linde’s combustion-engine trucks, which have a load capacity that ranges from 2 t to 8 t.

Depending on the model and design, the driver’s seat, including the steering column and pedals, can be continuously rotated up to 90° to position the driver sideways to the direction of travel.