LORD Corporation Expands TFD^® Steer-By-Wire Device to Full Line of Lift Trucks

Customer
Linde-Fenwick S.A.R.L., the France-based division of European lift truck manufacturer Linde Group.

Challenge
The company’s line of all-electric lift trucks was unsafe to operate without high-quality tactile feedback to the steering wheel. The company sought a solution that was both easy and cost-effective to implement.

Solution
having previously worked with LORD Corporation to develop the advanced, fully integrated LORD TFD^® Steer-By-Wire Devices for its active reach trucks in the U.K., Linde adapted this technology for the full line of Linde-Fenwick S.A.R.L. steer-by-wire lift trucks. The LORD TFD simulates the resistive torque of wheel end-of-turn so the operator can “feel” where the wheels are. The technology also increases rotational resistance as vehicle speed increases to reduce the likelihood of vehicle rollover during over-steer.

Results
The LORD TFD proved easier to implement and less expensive than other active feedback systems, including motors. The high-fidelity feedback system produces the same amount of torque in a package size 60 percent smaller than an electric motor.

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