New software makes automation more accessible

Linde MH launches new software solution for intralogistics automation

Antwerp, 2025, Feb. 6 - With Linde Material Handling's "MATIC:move" software, companies can now automate their intralogistics even faster and more cost-effectively. This software will be implemented, for example, in the fully automated Linde L-MATIC core truck, which will still be on the market in February. This stacker also features an integrated lithium-ion battery and, thanks to its compact design, comes into its own in small spaces in warehouses and production areas.

Easy implementation and planning

Pascal Kuster, Sales Trainer Automated Guided Vehicles at Linde MH, pokes fun at the new software: 'On the one hand, we notice an enormous interest in automation solutions. After all, many companies are facing increasing challenges: short delivery times in e-commerce, increasing cost pressure due to high energy prices, growing attention to sustainability and safety and - last but not least - a shortage of skilled labor. This while there are material flow processes almost everywhere that are well suited for automation. On the other side, we also see reluctance, fueled by high costs and the efforts to be made. Linde MH now solves this dilemma with the "MATIC:move" software. This opens the possibility for smaller to medium-sized companies to increase their efficiency with automated industrial trucks.

The main advantage of the "MATIC:move" software is the easy planning and the shortened, fast implementation of automated material flow processes. 'Specifically, simple drop shipments between two points can be set up within a day,' says Pascal Kuster. Maintenance or service work can be performed by trained service technicians without requiring special robot specialists. To provide the software with the necessary data, the automated truck travels the desired route creating a digital map of the warehouse environment. Vehicle pick-up and drop-off points and routes can then be planned on the computer screen using the drag-and-drop principle.

The software is designed primarily for smaller fleets with up to five industrial trucks of the same vehicle type and standardized load carriers such as euro pallets and gitterboxes. The focus is primarily on horizontal transport in warehouses, as well as in production, goods receiving and shipping areas. Mixed traffic with manually operated industrial trucks and pedestrians can also be mapped. This greatly reduces investment costs, resulting in an average payback period of about two years, according to Jan-Niklas Freund, Manager Automation Sales Steering at Linde MH.

New fully automatic high-lift stacker

The "MATIC:move" software is already being used in the autonomous Linde L MATIC HD k. This stacker has a lifting capacity of 1.6 tons and a lifting height of 3.8 meters and can be used in both wide and narrow aisles. With the new Linde L-MATIC core, the next truck with this new software solution is now entering the market. This compact "game changer" with a lifting capacity of 1.2 tons and a lifting height of 1.78 meters has an integrated lithium-ion battery but no tiller, and can handle aisle width of less than 2.5 meters.

To ensure safe operation, the Linde L-MATIC core has a 360° safety area as standard. It is also equipped with emergency stop switches on several sides, which allow the stacker to be stopped with a single push. Additionally, this stacker can be equipped with additional safety options such as the Linde BlueSpot or the Linde Red Warning Lines. The battery can be charged manually or automatically through induction charging.

Stepwise expansion

Even when it comes to automation projects with a higher degree of complexity, or when an expansion of the automation scope is on the agenda, customers can build on the "MATIC:move" software. Then the "MATIC:move+" package presents itself, with which a fleet of up to 150 trucks can be automated. This comprehensive software can be connected via interfaces to fleet management, warehouse control and ERP systems. The services available range from visualization of the current status of the trucks, to battery management and an overview of truck availability and utilization.

'Thanks to the scalability of the software, every customer gets the right solution - both for existing applications and for an entirely new schedule', concludes Pascal Kuster. This also allows companies to start on a small scale and expand automation step by step.