Alpine Intralogistics
The yeast dumpling arrives by tugger train
At the Giggijoch restaurant at an altitude of 2,283 meters, you can order fresh cake, yeast dumplings and strawberries at minus 12 degrees in the Ötztal Alps. A logistical masterpiece made possible by a tugger train from Linde Material Handling.
During the season, around 4,000 guests are supplied with food and drinks every day on the Giggijoch in Sölden (Austria). But how are around 2,000 kilos of fresh food transported up the mountain every day? The secret: a 150-metre-long tunnel runs under the piste, connecting the mountain station with the Giggijoch mountain restaurant. A Linde Factory Train FT10 Compact is operating in this tunnel. This is an unusual application, as tugger train systems are usually used in industrial companies, where they transport various goods inside production halls and outside in a modern, synchronized material flow.
The Linde Factory Train Compact is a modular tugger train system. At the very front is a tractor, with various models available with towing capacities of up to 25 tons. Directly behind this is the initial module, to which one or more load modules are coupled. Pallet dollies are inserted into these load modules, locked and the load modules are then lifted.
According to Linde, the Factory Train's strengths are its maneuverability, small footprint and directional stability. There are also narrow passages in the supply tunnel, and at one point it even goes around the bend in an S-shape. In addition, the track is very narrow: there is often only a hand's width of space between the train and the wall. In addition, gradients of up to 15 percent have to be negotiated in the tunnel.
The fact that the tugger train can still maneuver through the tunnel with its two load modules is due to the fact that all wheels also steer. In addition, thanks to neon yellow arrow markings on the walls, the driver knows when to make which steering movement. The automatic tractor lock when the load carrier is lowered and the reduced speed when cornering also ensure safety during operation.
The compact version of the Factory Train has been in operation on the Giggijoch since fall 2016. Manuel Köll, Deputy Operations Manager at Bergbahnen Sölden, is delighted: "We were looking for a vehicle that could cope with the conditions, the weight and, above all, the incline," says Köll. The Linde solution is perfect: "The trailers are unrivaled," says Köll, "we can load all goods from the truck into the gondola and into the tugger train without having to change the goods carriers." as
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