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COST SAVING CASE STUDY
Page 14
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• Inter UK Engineering recently supplied an unusual 8x2 Scania conversion to specialist carrier Lift 'n Shift, which operates out of sites at Heathrow and Newcastle. The vehicle started life as an fl-cab 420 6x2 twin-steer tractor. Its original second-steer axle was retained but the steering geometry was changed and a SAF trailing 9.5-tonne rear axle was also added.
Inter UK fitted the customer's own Atlas Crane on a new sub-frame along with a special machinery body, complete with sliding tilt canopy. In order to keep the loading height down it also pierced the cross bearers through the subframe, which saved at least 100mm 14inl, along with fitting 60 Series profile rear tyres.
The final work was to construct a fold-out beavertail which extends some 3.5m, driven by a single centre ram, plus a winch.
"The work took a good 8-10 weeks, but they can carry anything on the truck from computers to lamp posts. We even put a flap into the rear of the bit body," reports Ruffles. Inter UK also constructed the frame for the concertina body and had the 7m tlit specially made.
The potential savings offered by conversion are hard to Ignore. According to Hughes: "To buy a vehicle like that new would cast over £100,000. However, it cost £37,000 for the conversian, excluding the price of the original chassis and the crane, so they got what they wanted for S55,000."