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and buy for the present
Armitage was the big influence, reports Graham Montgomerie, but a panel tackled vehicle selection and maintenance
XPANSION' was the theme of is year's conference and exhition organised by the Institute Road Transport Engineers at Dlihull.
The implications of the Armige report had a strong inuence on almost all the )eakers, whether the subject as vehicle specification or stribution planning. On the exbition side, there was much of iterest including the new _XCT from Gardner and the test urban distribution version the Dodge Commando.
Cost-effective selection and laintenance was a subject ckled by a panel which inuded Brian Veale of BP, Roger ennis of Bass and Terry Goldck of the Freight Transport As)ciation.
Brian Veale said that what is 3eded in road transport operaDn is the right vehicle to do the ght job at the right price and at ie right time.
Before an order is placed the Deds. of the various groups of Boole have to be taken into acpunt, he suggested. The owner 'ants simple, low-price and )ng-life vehicles while the 'orkshop staff wants them to be wick and easy to repair. The river, on the other hand, wants mfortable, quiet and easy-torive vehicles.
Somewhere among these eeds lies the best vehicle for le job. The aim of the manager, 1r Veale maintained, should be ) satisfy everyone's needs and ot just the needs of one section. In his opinion there are clear dvantages to be gained by eeping to the minimum umber of makes within a fleet, articularly when a vehicle falls Ito what he described as the quality" category where addional benefits can be gained by pecifying engines, transmisions and steering boxes, for xample, in order to reduce pares holding and staff .aining.
It is far better to standardise n the maker's basic specificaon with factory-fitted options Ian to try to achieve the perfect ehicle by extensive changes to wheelbases and the fitting of extras, he said.
The best way to classify the practical factors offered by a particular vehicle, in his opinion, is to get hold of a demonstrator model and examine it in detail. But while it is a good thing to get some service experience and driver reaction, it is important to be cautious as "we all tend to enthuse over something new and different."
Close examination of demonstrators will often show where modifications or repairs have already been carried out, said Mr Veale.
Optional extras can often pay for themselves over a short period, he said, citing the exhaust brake as a typical example — it can save brake lining wear and increase tyre life.
Mr Veale went on to the subject of Armitage and the current lack of a definite decision on heavier weights. Because of this, he suggested, that "we buy for the present with just an eye to the future" rather than buy higher plated vehicles in the hope that legislation will permit their use later.
Covering the topic of the costeffective maintenance system, Terry Goldrick of the Freight Transport Association said that this can be defined as obtaining the maximum life from components or vehicle systems before they have to be repaired or replaced. The aim must be to try to achieve this maximum life, as the result of allowing a component failure to occur would immediately introduce a cost penalty and could cause the vehicle to be unsafe or unusable.
He described various maintenance systems, starting with what he described as "minimum level", which uses the operator's licence requirements as a base plus each vehicle manufacturer's recommendations on servicing and lubrication. Mr Goldrick said that this system relies heavily on driver defect reports, safety inspections, faults found while servicing and rectifying component failures after the event.
The apparent costs of this approach can seem to be low, particularly when the vehicle is new, and thus it can be successful for fleets where vehicles are replaced after a very short life, he said.
Turning to maintenance based on anticipated life, Mr Goldrick said that information is now more readily available with the development of sophisticated recording and analysis systems. He admitted that the concept of renewing components at a predetermined time is not new, but he claimed that, because of the better analysis now available, more accuracy can be applied than in the past.
However, he stressed that such a scheme cannot form on its own the basis for a costeffective maintenance system.
Most working components on a vehicle have their own life pattern, which Mr Goldrick explained will depend upon a variety of factors including effective lubrication, operational environment and driver skill.
The spread of failures for a particular component will occur over a given period of time with the failure pattern conforming to a normal distribution curve. According to Mr Goldrick, an analysis of this pattern can predict the time when most failures are likely to occur and thus help the engineer to select a component replacement life.
With maintenance based on inspect and repair, Mr Goldrick claimed that regular engineering inspections will pick out any component which is failing and allow its replacement to be planned into the maintenance system. But for this system to be successful, however, certain constraints are necessary. The inspector, for instance, needs to be independent of the workshop staff and to report directly to the fleet engineer or transport manager.
Providing that the engineering inspection is professionally done, Mr Goldrick claimed that continued overleaf the flexibility of the inspect and repair system will obtain the maximum life from components and should prevent failure.
Former FTA president Len Payne of Sainsbury's was in fighting mood at this year's IRTE conference with his topic of "Distribution and planning after Armitage." He said that the 58 recommendations of the inquiry were a masterpiece of social and economic forward thinking which would have led to a distinct improvement both in industrial competitiveness and the environment.
However, "in a typical piece of political manoeuvring" the then Transport Minister, Norman Fowler, had dropped the 44tonne proposal, said Mr Payne, who bemoaned the fact that the White Paper has not yet been confirmed by Parliament. This has been caused, said Mr Payne, by "opposition based upon illogical thinking by a number of back-bench Conservative MPs."
Mr Payne claimed that these MPs were elected to protect the environment and regenerate British industry and that the proposals in the White Paper would do both.
Richard Turner of the FTA, backing up Mr Payne, said that no matter what happens over the Armitage recommendations, vehicle design will be influenced by four main considerations: safety, emissions, road wear and bridge wear.
Mr Turner admitted that the technical argument in favour of heavier lorries is difficult to explain to the public, so it is natural that there should be much public reluctance to accept that such heavier vehicles will be kinder to roads because of the extra axles.
The Armitage report calls for further improvements both in lorry operations and the lorry itself, recalled Mr Turner. He predicted that without such improvement, unacceptable controls in the form of local bans would be introduced.
One of the points raised by John Smallshaw of Bass Mitchell and Butlers was that of vehicle suspension, in particular that of using air or rubber as the springing medium. He suggested that if such suspensions are used to give extra protection to the payload carried then "perhaps the same thing happens downwards" and the loads fed into the road surface would be reduced.
Some hair-raising statistics on wheel security, or rather the lack of it, were brought up by John
Dickson-Simpson, editor of the IRTE journal Transport Engineer. It is now two years, he said, since the IRTE technical committee decided that the incidence of wheels breaking loose through stud failure was getting too frequent for comfort, even in well maintained fleets.
Whereas the Department of Transport originally took the line that it was just bad maintenance, Mr Dickson-Simpson said that the attitude now is more sympathetic, especially since the failures varied with make of vehicle. In one fleet he had monitored, for example, out of five different makes only two had given trouble.
The situation is not helped, he said, by the manufacturers' attitude in certain cases. "It's always 'no problem' on the surface," he said, "until you begin to look deeper". He illustrated the argument with figures from three Leyland distributors who had sold 780 replacement studs between them in the first quarter of this year.
Mr Dickson-Simpson put the case that it must be more fundamental than just maintenance or the lack of it. "You never check the wheel torque on a car," he said. "Why should a lorry be any different?" The change in attitude by the DTp was illustrated when Mr Dickson-Simpson said that it is sending out a new directive to vehicle examiners to take up wheel-stud failures and report back to the records office in Bristol.
One particular operator had 25 instances of stud failure at a cost of £600 in materials, £370 in labour and £900 in downtime.
In order to try and get to grips with the extent of the problem, Mr Dickson-Simpson asked the IRTE members to get in touch with the technical committee. "We need more feedback," he said, "and not just with problem vehicles." The committee also wants t hear about vehicles which di not have stud problems, he saic and to try and find some patter in the failures.
That the problem is causin concern, certainly came acros when Mr Dickson-Simpson sai that the IRTE is not "cryin wolf". The technical committe has enough data already t show that there is cause fc worry.
On the subject of publi opinion and the heavy torn Peter Fry, Conservative MP ft Wellingborough, summed it u very succintly when he said tht the task of a road transport eng neer is difficult enough withot what often appears to be a tirt some and time-consumin necessity of having to convinc the public that "the motor lorr is a tool and servant of cit. society and not a runawa monster with an ever-increasin appetite swallowing up valuabl farming land and cutting gres swathes through our built-u areas."
Mr Fry was certainly nc averse to criticising the operate' He said that it is only when ther is a problem that the industr makes its voice heard. H claimed that the transport indus try too often neglects the fac that it operates in a delicate are of public relations.
At the end of the day it is onl the industry itself that can er sure that we get road-freigh opinion right, said Mr Fry, whi added that for far too long, to any people had expected their ade associations to put their ise for them.
"The industry will stand or fall -1 its own effectiveness in putig its case across. The lorry ill never be beautiful, but it lust become to be regarded as ;ceptable," he emphasised. Mr Fry summed-up by saying 'at one of the mistakes made the pro-lorry faction is that le lobbying is often made at the rang point; he cited the House I Commons as an example. ihe MP is on his own ground," a said, "and so the argument Des not affect him greatly." He argued that it is when the IP goes home and meets his mstituents that he is most vularable. Thus he emphasised at it is at local level that people lust be prepared to take on the wironmentalists.
It was perhaps not surprising ist how quickly the subject of rmitage cropped up with allost all the speakers. Talking bout research and dealopment at the Motor Industry esearch Association, Stan Anrew, MIRA's commercial manger, said that "energy conseration is now God and the wironment is less important Ian 10 years ago, so now the )ad transport industry is in a atter position to press its case." In describing some of the work one at MIRA, Mr Andrew rewred to the safety vehicle, ,hich he said is intended as a emonstration project to show le advantages of 25 separate mtures including the rear unerrun bumper. He admitted tat the advantage of this is to le car driver and not the perator, but he stressed that it
important to the industry's use if it is seen to be doing
Dmething.
Mr Andrew illustrated his rgument by saying that a car river would often be safe in an ccident at 40mph where the ont of the car struck an obstale. It was quite feasible for him ) be unhurt even if he was deceirated from this speed in about vo feet. However, if the wind1.reen is the first point of ontact then the position is very ifferent, he said.
Mr Andrew did not ignore the nry driver, however. He said let 40 per cent of injuries reeived by commercial vehicle rivers could have been avoided r at least lessened if seat belts ad been worn. Progress in load astraint is almost entirely conerned with head boards and Mr Lndrew claimed that he did not think this is an insoluble problem.
"Why is it that people react badly to hgvs?" asked Mr Andrew. If it is because of the sheer size, then he admitted that there is not much that can be done about it.
There are possibilities with styling, he claimed, suggesting that these are all things which have to be looked at "if we are to win the debate on the heavier lorry".
As usual with the annual IRTE event, the exhibition held a lot of interest for the operator and was not just related to existing hardware. Possibility in the weight-saving area was shown by Rubery Owen-Rockwell in the form of an axle beam made in what is usually described these days as a "composite material". This axle beam is equivalent to the standard metal RO-R ¶0tonne axle and is undergoing tests following a joint development with CIBA-Geigy.
The tubular beam sections are formed using a filament wound tube consisting of carbon/glass fibre and Araldite epoxy resin systems. The existing designs of hubs, anchor brackets and so on are fitted using spigot mountings and dowels together with high-strength adhesive at the joints.
RO-R claims that the weight of the composite axle is 83kg (1831b) compared with the 123kg (2711b) of the conventional metal axle. This represents a 32 per cent decrease and computer predictions indicate that a further weight reduction would be possible by a change in the tube diameter and some redesign of ancillary components.
There was much to be seen on the engine front at Solihull with the new turbo Gardner eight and the Perkins TV8.540 on show for the first time. The 8LXCT from the Barton Hall factory produces 223kW (300bhp) at 1,900rpm with a maximum torque of 1,190Nm (875Ibft) at 1,400rpm. The Gardner reputation for lightness is continued with a dry weight of 1,030kg (2,270Ib).
It had been hoped to have a turbo eight in a Seddon Atkinson .401 chassis at Solihull but it could not be completed in time. The static engine on Gardner's own stand, however, attracted a lot of interest.
Perkins's turbocharged V8.540 develops 160kW (216bhp) and is aimed at the 24 to 32-ton sector. The peak torque is now 703Nm (518Ibft) and Perkins claims that the engine should have a medium life of 4 00,000km (250,000 miles) ot overhaul.
The Peterborough company seems to be looking over its shoulder at Deutz, as brochures entitled "Perkins Water Cooled Power" extolling the virtues of water cooling were much in evidence. Recently announced in the latest Cargo variant, the VS Deutz F6L 413 FZ was present as a static display. This air-cooled 9.6-litre (586cuin) air-cooled unit produces 152kW (204bhp) at 2,500rpm with a peak torque of 650Nm (490Ibft) at 1,500rpm. The use of the Deutz engine in Cargo has resulted in one of the lightest tractive units in the 32ton sector at 4.86 tonnes (4 tons 16cwt).
The larger version of the same engine in V8 configuration was shown in turbocharged form in the latest vehicle to come from IVECO, the 190.29. As part of the IVECO corporate plan to eliminate the individual Fiat and Magirus marque names, the F and M lettering in the type numbers has been dropped. Thus the 170.30 uses the turbocharged water-cooled (Fiat) engine in contrast to the Deutz-engined 190.29.
Ray Smith Demountables Ltd had on display what was claimed to be the longest demountable body yet built on a Ford Cargo chassis at Vim (36ft). Four of these Luton bodies are being supplied to Airsprung Ltd, the divan manufacturer at Trowbridge. The wheelbase of the 13ton chassis was lengthened to 6.48m (21ft 3in) to accommodate the body.
The new urban distribution package for the Dodge Commando was exhibited on the Karrier stand. In addition to the low-height rear-springs and lowprofile tyres, this G15 with a Boalloy Tautliner body was fitted with the Allison automatic gearbox which is now available as an on-line option.