Industrial trucks - Past, present, and future: Relevance of industrial trucks to the logistic process, history, and future development

The object of logistics is the provision of the appropriate quantity and type of goods at the right time, in the proper place, and at a marketable price. This always requires technical means for transport, transhipment, and storage of goods. Conveying goods from one place to another using technical means is as old as mankind itself. The industrial revolution saw the development of conveying machines. Materials handling became the most important branch of mechanical engineering. The almost unlimited variety of goods to be conveyed and the various boundary conditions of the conveying process led to a multitude of different conveying machines. Industrial trucks are a special group. Their versatility makes them applicable in all industrial sectors. They appeared on the scene in the middle of the 19th century when simple industrial trucks were developed for the so-called workshop transport. The industrial trucks proved their worth and were systematically improved over the years. Nowadays, the range on offer comprises both simple hand-guided trucks and sophisticated, efficient, and convenient vehicles. Provided with modern electronics, including up-to-date hydraulics, they allow profitable equipment management with individual parameter assignment and optional integration of diagnosis features. Compared with other conveying machines, industrial trucks offer a higher degree of versatility. They are therefore highly relevant to the design of logistic processes. University research focuses on investigations into the dynamic behaviour of industrial trucks, which contribute to improving safety, ergonomics, availability, and component life.