Whether it’s to transport passengers or luggage at airports and rail stations, as a towing tractor within a specific operation or a transport truck in a hospital – the new STILL LTX electric towing tractor with its maximum speed of 20 km/h and maximum towable load of 8t is designed for a wide variety of transport tasks indoors and outdoors. Thanks to the new design the truck provides extreme manoeuvrability, greater leg room and more comfort for the driver. The LTX 70/80 and LTX-T 08 are being presented at the CeMAT 2014 at STILL’s pavilion P35. These are the first trucks from the company’s new series of towing tractors.

Today, businesses face a wide variety of challenges: ever shorter product life cycles require ever faster and more efficient production processes. The demand for individually customised products also continues to grow. This requires increasingly flexible materials and flow concepts. Therefore production businesses are relying on towing tractors for intralogistic material supplies. In this process a towing tractor tows trailers loaded with materials, e.g. kanban containers, and deposits them at designated positions in the production unit. The Hamburg company STILL GmbH, a leading supplier of customised intralogistics solutions worldwide, is among the pioneers and market leading suppliers in Europe in this growing industrial truck segment. The successfully established STILL R 06 is now being replaced by a whole series of models with higher towable loads of up to 8t as well as a new model with a load floor. This means STILL is yet again expanding its product range by adding especially high-performance towing tractors. These vehicles are at the same time compact and manoeuvrable and are becoming customised transport solutions for various industry sectors and areas of use through the numerous equipment variants.

The 48 V trucks which will be presented at the CeMAT in Hanover from 19th to 23rd May 2014 and will be available from July onwards. The vehicles are designed for rowed loads of up to 7t (LTX 70) and up to 8t (LTX 80). Additionally they carry a combined use – with a maximum of 800 kg load on the truck and a towed load of up to 6.2t (LTX-T 08). A conspicuous feature of all the models is the external appearance in the silver/orange STILL design with the front extended forwards – this now allows the driver more leg room. All the models in the LTX series (with or without a load floor) are based on a common chassis and drive concept and are designed for maximum availability in arduous 3-shift use.

Compared to its predecessor, the LTX has been extensively improved, especially with regards to entry. They now have anti-slip steps with a large area on both sides with a profiled edge in the chassis. Additionally there are grab handles on the A-frame to the left and right of the cab which ensure that the driver can enter and leave safely. When there is no cab, an optional attachment bracket for terminals, mirrors or as a writing base also acts as an entry handrail.

From the sitting position the driver has an exceptionally good view of the controls and displays as well as over the whole truck contour. However, even with a cab or weather protection, the LTX provides outstanding all round visibility due to the raised front window and narrow profile bars. Large windows in the cabin roof also ensure optimum upward visibility for driving quickly and safely through gateways and under aircraft wings. Like the driver’s workplace and controls, the cab is based on STILL’s RX 20 forklift truck. This means the driver feels at ease immediately and can manage forklifts and tractors equally well.

Comfortable driving is ensured by a cushioned chassis, adjustable height steering column with four height levels and the comfortably sprung driver’s seat with its adjustable backrest. All the switches and control levers are within the driver’s easy reach and via the display and operating unit on the right hand side. The steering column has all the information in view at all times and direct access to driving programs, headlights, driving direction displays, windscreen wipers and much more. At the same time STILL has expanded the display field by adding information from the STILL RampIndicator, a display of the incline or uphill angle to inform the driver about the current gradient or slope of the roadway. To drive down steep ramps the driver can use the downhill assistance, which is also installed as standard equipment. This limits the speed to 4 km/h and thus reducing the risk of accidents. All the models in the LTX series also have the Blue Q energy-saving program as standard, which allows an energy saving of up to 10% at the push of a button, depending on the use and load.

For rather large forklift fleets or frequent changes of drivers, operators can use STILL’s FleetManager to optimise their fleet. For example the LTX tractors can also be used only by authorised drivers via access codes. Furthermore, the tractors can be supplied already fitted with the electrical and mechanical preparation for a data terminal and scanner.

For maximum safety the LTX has three braking systems: the wear-free electrical brake with energy recovery and storage when the drive pedal is released, the hydraulic/mechanical driving brake and the automatic parking brake which is applied as soon as the truck is at a standstill. The encapsulated maintenance-free 3-phase motor eliminates the changing of carbon brushes and it is now possible to extend the maintenance intervals to 1,000 operating hours or 12 months.
Optionally the LTX can also be equipped for pedestrian-controlled operation. In this mode the LTX drives forwards at walking speed as long as the corresponding button on the side of the truck is activated.

To charge the battery outside the central charging station, STILL offers a built-in charging device and thus the opportunity for interim charging. However, if there is insufficient time to charge the battery on board, this is not a problem due to the sideways battery change available as standard. The LTX’s battery is simply removed sideways using a changing frame and a low-platform truck – then a new one can be installed.

The LTX is fitted with a 3-stage trailer as standard. For operation as a towing train, STILL offers a hydraulic installation for the lifting and lowering functions of the towing train elements. It is controlled via the seat contact switch, i.e. the trailers are lowered as soon as the driver leaves the seat. The trailers are raised again when the driver re-occupies the seat. The driving function is enabled only after this has occurred. In conjunction with an additional collision protection to protect the front bodywork, the LTX can also be fitted with a step- or automatic coupling at the front.

For tractor trucks that are to be used on public highways, STILL offers pre-installed equipment in accordance with the StVZO (Road Traffic Licensing Regulations) with a main beam headlight, LED daytime running lights, rear light, brake light, turning indicators, rear-view mirrors, a wheel chock and a speed sign. The modern lighting uses LED technology. This increases safety, minimises downtimes and ensures high availability. However, STILL proves its environmental responsibility not only through the use of energy-saving technologies but also by the use of up to 98% recyclable materials.