Jungheinrich AG
Interview with Andreas Knie

Red Dot: Last year, the EFG 425-435 was honoured with the Red Dot: Best of the Best, this year it is the EJC 112i. How do you achieve this high design quality, what characterises Jungheinrich design?

Based on a stringent design language, the leading attributes and performance promises of each individual model series are named in the design process and consistently emphasised by the design. There is nothing superfluous on the products, no decorative parts or laminations. On the one hand, it is a great challenge to generate the design only from the supporting structure and the necessary panelling parts, but at the same time it makes the products honest and comprehensible and forces us to work only with really well thought-out solutions right from the start.

Is there a design detail on the EJC 112i that you think epitomises the combination of engineering and design particularly well?

Our customers often use these devices for decades – a reason to think about service and repair right from the design stage. After loosening two easily accessible screws, the yellow front cover and the grey instrument cover can be removed. However, the yellow storage compartment initially remains on the vehicle so that the large bonnet can be easily removed without dismantling the drawbar – a detail that is hardly noticeable when looking at the vehicle, but becomes increasingly important with every year of use.

The EJC 112i was also designed for inexperienced users. How is this accessibility reflected in the design?

The series was designed for users who occasionally to regularly, but not continuously, transport and stack things. In the design language, the attributes of durability and performance were therefore deliberately emphasised less strongly in favour of approachability and safe, simple operation.