AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

On the eve of the UK launch of its TPX

22nd May 2008, Page 48
22nd May 2008
Page 48
Page 49
Page 48, 22nd May 2008 — On the eve of the UK launch of its TPX
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

trailer, we visit Stas to find out how craftsmanship and innovative thinking are proving to be comfortable bedfellows.

Words / Images: Colin Barnett With operators looking back on the £5 gallon with fond nostalgia, only the most suicidal have failed to take big cost-cutting measures. Fact: the low-hanging fruits have all been eaten. To save running costs now, the only places left to look are the less obvious.

One manufacturer that claims to be able to reduce the cost of tipper operations is the Belgian trailer-maker Stas, which launches a UK version of its wind-cheating TPX semi (pictured above) at Tip-Ex 08. European trials have shown fuel savings of up to 2.5 lit/100km compared with a conventional bathtub design — figures which CM plans to put to the test in the UK as soon as possible.

Design and build

CM has just returned from a visit to the Stas factory at Waregern, in southern Belgium, a few miles from the Kortrijk home of the biennial European Trailer Show. It was there we saw a mixture of clever design, traditional craftsmanship and innovative construction behind the TPX.

Similar to every trailer manufacturer in Europe to a lesser or greater extent, Stas has its fair share of difficulties with availability and cost of components and raw materials. The rise in metal prices and the shortage of trailer axles has been well documented, but even items such as king pins and tyres have caused supply issues. According to sales network manager Hubbe Vanneste, while designing and building a good product is one thing, it's the supply logistics behind the product that matters.

A new goods inwards and component stock control system was being commissioned during our visit, which will further help to streamline the process.

Barring some contracting out of smaller sub-assemblies, plain aluminium goes in through the front door at the Stas factory and around 10 completed trailers are towed through the rear doors every day.

The design behind the new TPX, which won the Trailer Award at last November's Trailer 2008 Show at Kortrijk, results in an impressive combination of strength, lightness and durability, allied with an unprecedented consideration of aerodynamic performance.

A vital part of this Stas trailer is the way in which its aluminium extrusions (left) are designed. Variable thicknesses according to wear requirements and carefully radiussed corners provide optimum strength to weight attributes, while slots in the patented extrusions allow for accurate location of neighbouring components Along with these components is the role another key element plays — the 26-metre robotised welding line, which has made a significant contribution to the doubling of trailer output at the factory with the same workforce.

Finishing touches

The shape of the TPX body is not only aerodynamically efficient, but its tapered width, which is 100mm narrower at the front, prevents load sticking. The wide-based chassis aids stability, and the TPX has comfortably passed the IRTE Category A seven-degree tilt test at Chertsey.

With aluminium, finish is a vital factor to promote the kind of long life that sees used trailers fly out of the door at the end of the typical five-to-eight year first ownership. The basic metal stock is one step below aircraft quality, and the entire finished trailer is acid-washed before the application of either paint or lacquer. Currently, there is just one painting booth at Waregem, but construction is underway to build two more. At any point where steel meets aluminium — suspension brackets, for example — they are separated with a 100-year life tar-based paint. •


comments powered by Disqus