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MODEL CHANGES: NEW SYSTEMS

19th April 1986, Page 50
19th April 1986
Page 50
Page 50, 19th April 1986 — MODEL CHANGES: NEW SYSTEMS
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• The annual Hanover Fair, which closed on Wednesday, was a curious amalgam of road transport product displays and glimpses of new systems and technology. The event is valuable as a complement to European commercial motor shows in displaying most vehicles bodied and fully equipped for the many different roles supporting trade and industry.

This year's fair clashed with the BAUMA construction equipment exhibition at Munich so that the usual strong participation by vehicle and bodybuilders was somewhat diluted.

Mercedes-Benz had two impressive stands with representative vehicle exhibits in the outdoor section, while research and development activities were shown in the hall devoted to New Technology".

There, for the first time, the combined efforts of the new names in the Daimler-Benz group — AEG, Dornier and MTU — were reflected in several of the exhibits. The collaboration in the passenger transport sphere was highlighted by a display of the second generation Duo-Bus driveline now being incorporated in the articulated 0-Balm vehicles which are being added to the Essen fleet.

In an opening day address, Prof Hubertus Christ, head of D-B research, stressed that the work on more fuel-efficient power units is being energetically pursued notwithstanding the recent easing of oil prices.

Of particular interest was the exhibit of the prototype of an "economy" petrol engine with a variable height piston to enable compression ratios to be varied between 8:1 and 15:1.

On the Iveco stand vehicles from the Italian and German factories represented the programmes ranging from the new Turbo-Daily to lowprofile fire engines.

The new 300-25 eight-wheeler, now of increasing interest to German operators, will also appear at next month's Tipcon show in Britain.

VW included several interesting modifications of standard LT production models to increase the versatility of that range even further. Exhibits included a 7. 5-tonner, fitted with an air-suspended third-axle and an LT 40-based articulated tractive unit.

Claimed to be the world's quietest heavy haulage tractor, a KAMAG 4x2 unit, exhibited by Hoesch, is for use in a steelworks complex close to a residential area. Powered by a Mercedes-Benz CM422A diesel engine of 245kW (326hp), the 30tonne tractor, designed to tow a drawbar load of 200 tons at 10km/h, emits only 70dB(A).

A novel road/rail system has been developed by Roland, of Hamburg, to obviate the need for expensive terminal transfer equipment. Loading and unloading of the containers is effected by means of the road vehicle's own hydraulics system at any rail siding with an adjacent roadway.

Although initially intended for the movement of refuse containers, the system is applicable to other types of freight containers moved between railhead and delivery point by three or four-axle trucks.

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People: Hubertus Christ
Locations: Hamburg, Essen, Munich

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