Edinburgh stars
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• The Ldinburgh show took on a continental flavour with exhibits from North European manufacturers as well as Scottish and pan-UK body and trailer building groups.
Predominant were the large reefer trailers, from Fraserburgh based Gray & Adams, GRP Massey of North Yorkshire and German manufacturers Schmitz Trailers.
G&A's triple compartment reefer with its Carrier Phoenix unit and single remote evaporator is a standard design for multi-temperature work.
G&A is supplying 35 such reefer vans, but with Thermo King TC2 units, to Wm Low which is opening a new Scottish distribution network based at Livingston near Edinburgh.
Market Weighton-based GRP Massey exhibited another 16.5m, triplecompartment reefer fitted with a Transfrig undermount refrigerated system. It has the Kubota diesel-powered generator slung under the left side and triple condensors with the ozone-friendly R22 refrigerant on the right.
Roof-mounted evaporators and ducting provide frozen, chilled and ambient temperatures across the three sections which are separated by moving bulkheads, in this case JR Supplies' lightweight LoadMakers. The body which can accommodate 26 pallets uses a scalloped front bulkhead with a flush protective wall behind it. Face fitting leadlock tracking may look a trifle oldfashioned but it does ensure that product is not pushed up against the side walls to cut off cold air flow around it, says GRP.
The trailer, built entirely at GRP's factory has a Hosta BV rear steer tri-axle running gear for extra manoeuvrability.
It was the first UK showing for Schmitz Trailer's SKOPlus meat carrying reefer, which, having its neck and chafe plate integral with the floor, achieves a 2.6m interior height.
Its Ferroplast-panelled body has a 330-hook Eurorail system and with its 13.18m by 2.49m inner floor space, it will also hold up to 26 metric or 33 Euro-pallets for return loads with the hooks stowed.
With its Schmitz air-sprung RO-R axles and raise/lower device plus Thermo King SB250 freezer unit, the fullyequipped trailer tares out at 9,810kg.
Schmitz, which has sold the first SK 0-Plus to BRS Trailer Rental, has also taken a substantial order from Grand Transport Systems for 1,000 7.15m tilt swop bodies with an option for a further 1,000.
Boalloy's Cumbernauld plant produces all types of rigid and trailer bodywork including Linkliners. On show No. vvas a Freighter 14.16-based Linkliner for Scottish & Newcastle. One of five recently made for the drinks trade, it features a folding false bulkhead to help maintain correct weight distribution with a diminishing load. The temporary wall pivots downwards on torsion bars and is secured by straps.
S&N specify a central locking device for the sliding sides and rear closure and Boalloy also added a Transguard Interlok pneumatic coded locking system to demonstrate its use.
Ratcliffs 1/1.5 tonne vertical descent cantilever tail lift for vehicles with floor heights of 1,300-1,500m is being built at Welwyn instead of its French plant.
It retails at around £2,700 and is aimed at dock loading vehicles, drawbars or swop body systems with lifting heights of between 1,100 and 1,500mm. Hydraulic rams are treated with Sursulf Oxenite for better wear resistance. ICI has ordered the first batch to be produced.
SDC, which supplies chassis for Lamberet reefers, built over 200 trailers for Scottish operators last year. With improvements in mind, it has opened a service and sales depot in Motherwell and is adding a 4,300m2 assembly plant on a 5.7Ha (14 acre) site near its main Toomebridge, Co Antrim facility.
Fife haulier William Collier
wanted an independent operation for its Feldbinder 34m3 silo tanker hence the aircooled Deutz auxiliary engine.
}TB has raised the bottom of each cone to give a better ground clearance and the 254mm butterfly valves can be removed by hand for easier cleaning. The BPW tri-axle running gear with front lifter also has an integral weighing system.
With over 30 powder tankers in service in the UK, and another 38 on order, FFB has developed a special discharge system which enables tankers to carry products such as lime and return with animal feeds, Feldbinder is also looking to interest the UK milling industry, with its lightweight tanker drawbar outfits.
For sheer volume, none could beat Trailor's stepframe TIR tilt trailer with its 13.5m-long 91m3 interior which was making its first appearance at a UK show.
The Jumbo Supercube with Trailor's own MS300 axles and TE 1301 air suspension with dock levelling valve has 1,325 and 1,610mm king pin positions. French manufacturer Sifo, part of the Carrier group showed its revamped over-cab Supra 80 freezer unit.
The diesel-powered unit with its neat plastic-fronted exterior has an external evaporator and is intended for deep frozen/chilled applications with large, 7.6 to 9.1m bodied rigid trucks.
Carrier itself, announced a £35.6m investment in adopting the ozone-friendlier R22 refrigerant for its products world wide.