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Building up at Bedwas

11th march 1993, Page 17
11th march 1993
Page 17
Page 17, 11th march 1993 — Building up at Bedwas
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• Bedwas Bodyworks has opened a 1,100m2 extension to its Chorley, Lancs plant to coincide with the launch of a series of high-capacity ' integral parcel vans and fire appliances The company has also updated some other body ranges, including the temperature-controlled SuperCool and Eurodor systems, Challenger prison vans and Protean modular bodies for police support vehicles.

The Cubic 15.4m3 (550ft') parcel van is based on the 3.57m Transit 190 chassis-cowl (Bedwas is a Ford bank stockist). It offers 1.2 tonnes of payload with 10% more load volume than the previous PV500 design on the extra long wheelbase Transit The aluminium panelled Cubic uses a jig-built steel box frame for extra rigidity. It features flush fitting plug-type sliding cab doors, a low (420nun) cab step and walkthrough access to the load area and across the cab.

Cab interior height is 1.83m with 1.96m of headroom over the 3.8m-long, 2.1m-wide loadbed. There is a clear 1.14m between the low, flat-topped wheelboxes. The rear step combines with the bumper to give easy access into the rear; sturdy fold-out hinges allow the doors to open to a full 270°. Three load lashing rails on each sidewall provide cargo restraint and various rear closures are available.

The Cubic is offered in various guises for specialist applications—PCV models on 3.99 tonne GVW Transit chassis have a specially engineered body shell with a nearside jackknife door, single or twin rear doors and parmelledin drivers door.

The standard PV600 range, which covers parcels, PCV and welfare models, is also available as a six-cell prison van based on the 4.1-tonne GVW chassis Bedwas has also applied its specialist engineering skills to fire appliances: it may even look at building some first-strike Btype tenders. According to general manager Howard Charlesworth: "Bedwas began looking at this sector two years ago. Although the fire service is as hard pressed as any other sector we've taken orders from nine brigades so far and there's room to expand further."

The company plans to set up a joint venture with at least one fire brigade and crew-cab manufacturer with a view to building complete appliances on a particular chassis.Machines in build include a pair of breathing apparatus trucks for Greater Manchester, with Simon Dudley and Frenchmade Camvia aerial appliances for the Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire brigades.

Three driver training vehicles have been built for Lancashire to simulate fully-laden tenders.

Bedwas builds security and cash carrying vehicles for its parent, Securicor, whose 7,300-strong fleet helps to move 1.6 million parcels a week and around L100bn a year. Security vehicles are also supplied to Armourguard, Group 4 and Security Express; body kits are sent all over the world.

Managing director Derrick Painter says: "Despite a 5% drop in turnover our profits increased; we have a full order book to keep our 240-strong Bedwas and Chorley workforce busy so things are looking very bright for the future."


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