anover show spills over
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The recent IAA Hanover truck show was overflowing with innovation and new products—far more than we could ever cram into one show report. So here are just a few of the unpicked diamonds...
• Goldnofer demonstrated the use of disc brakes and Wabco's electronic braking system on one of its extendible semi-trailers: these options are to be offered throughout its heavy low loader range. The triaxle flatbed, on show (seen with a wheel removed) had turntable steering. It is typical of trailers designed to carry heavy tubes, prefabricated concrete sections, crane jibs and similar loads. As shown it can carry up to 35.5 tonnes and extend from 16.50m to 28.55m. Riding on six axles its payload shoots up to 60 tonnes.
• RTI of Lichtenvoorde, Holland showed off a new Turblow stand-alone gas-turbine compressor (minus accoustic cover) said to be lighter, quieter and cheaper than a conventional blower or screw compressor. The self-powered unit, designed for bulk powder and plastic granule carriers, can be mounted on the tractive unit or trailer. Using the unit's fuel supply, the compressor saves around 500kg. The Turblow has Four output settings between 1.0 and 2.6 bar, remotely controlled with a simple stop/start switch. One of the first examples will be evaluated by Castle Cement; another UK operator has ordered 14. RTI's UK agent is BCI of Preston.
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• Magyar has produced around 20 of these 33,000-litre liquid sugar tankers and several are already working in the UK. This one, for Eggers of Hildesheim, is the first into Germany. It comes complete with a neat hydraulic lifting mechanism over the king pin area that tilts the nose of the tank by 2.8" and moves the entire vessel through 73" to discharge the complete load. Business must be good—Magyar builds around 900 tankers a year and has orders taking it through to next December. • Using Orthaus's novel double-deck trailer, German operator Muller has cut daily store deliveries from three trips to one. Without a large tail-lift, the trailer end gets much closer to the warehouse for loading. The top deck is filled first at wheelbox height, and raised to the roof. Four 8.0-tonne rams then lift the whole trailer to warehouse dock height to stock up the main deck. Off-loading at the supermarket is a reverse process. Ahaus-based Orthaus has built four examples for Muller. They hold 86 roll cages apiece so productivity has soared, but at £77,000 apiece it doesn't come cheap.
• Following a five-year development programme, Hofmeister & Meinke's trailer axle electronic steering system is being evaluated on more than 50 multi-axled semis; mostly extendibles running in Germany. The system needs a special kingpin with electronic sender switch supplied via the ABS line, and a hydraulic pump fitted beneath the rear of the chassis. Any type of axle can be adapted to steer through a maximum angle of 45" at speeds up to 30km/h. Bremen-based H&M is collaborating on its development with Montracon-owned Blumhardt.