Choose your demount from expanding range
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ver have so many Drators owed so Ich to so few :cialist equipment nufacturers in the iiness of decreasing alage costs. A CM ,orter investigates
NKS largely to the efforts of small band of demountable e manufacturers (some of m are listed below), the rments for and against demtable systems have, over years, been well aired. Deit manufacturers, apart 1 trying to promote their particular systems Cobsly), have also done a fair
n promoting the demounta)ody "concept." If their bro.es do not convince you of numerous benefits of dents, then nothing will.
lore looking at the various iufacturers and systems lable, it is worth rememberjust how few demount lufacturers there actually In fact, two of them, Ray th Demountables and Abel rountable Systems, have the cet place almost sewn up — teen them they have a 70 cent share of that demount (et.
TWRIGHT Freight Systems ufactures Dobson demouna distribution systems from )00sqft, custom-built factory ‘Itrincham. The factory is
fully operational on dent production. The need for lew complex reflects a healgrowth position which has
Cartwright double its dent market share over the three years (and double its .kforce over a two-year 3d.) re Dobson Type 41 equipt is the front-runner of the son range of demountable e systems. The Type 41/10 10 ton gvw) is particularly J la r and is widely used by 3 and small fleet operators,
Cartwright. The 41/10's -ram lift can be operated by man and is a simple, fast efficient system for use with ds, drawbar trailers and The body unit is lifted clear by four hydraulically operated chassis-mounted rams. Four mechanical swing-down legs are then lowered into position and the rams retracted, demounting body from chassis: The 41/10 is thought to be the cheapest and lightest demount available in its category and is ideal for urban distribution.
The 41-Series uses a primary and secondary relocation system which provides the driver with the widest possible margins when remounting the body. The 41-Series is "one of the simplest and safest demountable body systems available", says the manufacturer.
Cartwright's Dobson Series-20 system is powered by four hydraulically operated bodymounted rams. The system is specifically designed for groundlevel operation where gantry or bay loading facilities are not available.
The company has introduced an overnight parts distribution system, offering a nationwide off-the-shelf service for all its systems, including some which are now over a decade and a half old.
"If you're in this business to stay, as we are," says director Alan Cartwright, "you've got to offer service. The overnight parts distribution system was, we felt, essential to our development."
Cartwright Freight Systems, Atlantic Street Trading Estate, Broadheath, Altrincham, Greater Manchester WA14 5DH. Tel 061-941 4023, 061 928 0636, 061 928 0966.
KALMAR Kockurn is the UK subsidiary of a Swedish group and has recently introduced "another well tried and proven product of Swedish design" — the Lagab demountable swopbody system. The product has been developed to a high engineering specification giving long-life depreciation with a minimum amount of maintenance. It incorporates the most up to date merits of the straight lift and contact system concepts, says the company.
"In recent years, industry's greatest enemy has been rampant inflation which has caused companies to examine their operations and methods very closely for fuller vehicle utilisation. With the correct implementation of the Lagab demountable swop-body system, considerable savings can be made by reduced vehicle fleet (and drivers), warehousing, loading conges tion, double handling, overtime, product damage and administration:' The Kalmar Lagab system is an integrated demountable body system whereby a variety of bodies and containers can be interchanged between different chassis and trailers without the need for external aids. The bodies can be handled by forklift trucks, cranes and side loaders if required.
Kalmar Kockum, Factory H, Boyn Valley Industrial Estate, Maidenhead, Berkshire S16 4EH. Tel: Maidenhead (0628)39944. ONE of the market leaders, Abel Demountable Systems, says that there are not many makes of demountable vehicle systems to choose from, but that there is a great deal of difference between those that are available to buyers. It is not by chance that a very high proportion of the major swop-body fleets currently in operation are equipped with the Abel demountable system, the company proudly claims.
"It is still the only swop-body system to carry a full five-year warranty; its purchase cost is lower than any equivalent system; it is lighter than any equivalent system; its robust construction means minimum maintenance and long life; it is designed to be quickly and simply transferred from chassis to chassis; it is built to British Stan dards for maximum interchangeability; it requires no special engineering or modification for different chassis types; it is a clear-lift system that is equally at home on mixed fleets of vehicles with differing chassis heights; it is suitable for all sizes and weights of vehicles from Transits, etc, right up to maximum capacity rigids, artics and drawbar vehicles."
All Abel demountables operate on a low-pressure pneumatic system. Because it is pneumatic and simple in design it lends itself to scaling up or down for different weight/size requirements — hence one demountable system in three weight categories. Whether an Abel demountable system is required for a pre-loading facility or for a complete multi-bodied trunking and distribution application, the basic equipment is the same and can be expanded to meet changing requirements without any changes to the actual demountable equipment.
As you may have already gathered, Abel thinks highly of its Uni-Swop, 737 (non-hgv), and Airlite demountables. And it is not afraid to say so.
"Abel demountables are the most competitively priced swopbody system currently available. No other demountable system is so robust, so reliable and cheap to maintain. Almost every significant and successful innovation in demountable distribution is an Abel development."
Abel Demountable Systems Ltd_ Sales office: The Priory, High Street, Redbourn, Herts AL3 7LZ. Tel: Redbourn (058285) 2685. Factory: Station Road, Tupton, Chesterfield Derbyshire S42 6DA. Tel: Chesterfield (0246) 851175.
CRANE FRUEHAUF demount systems operate on the guiderail lift-and-roll-type of mechanism and are available in the following gvw brackets: Ultralite (up to 3.5 tons); Lightweight (up to 7.38 tons); P3 standard (up to 16 tons); P4 heavy-duty system (up to 24 tons); and drawbar combinations (up to 32 tons). CF demount systems are es cially favoured in distribution dustries where swop bod contribute greatly to over vehicle productivity, especiall used in a drawbar format, s; the company.
"Demount systems work pa cularly well if air suspensior incorporated on the vehi chassis, since the air suspens can be used to raise and lo% the vehicle chassis height fa( tating easy loading/off-load of the demount boxes. Accc ingiy, vehicles such as the C 2100 rigids which feature air s pension as an ex-factory opt are ideal for demount opera application."
Crane Fruehauf Ltd, Toftwo Dereham, Norfolk. Tel: 0: 5353.
RAY SMITH Demountab thinks highly of its product ra and claims that it is now market leader — as does Abel By concentrating solely on mountable-body systems, Smith Demountables now the "widest range on offer". range extends from two to tons gross and to 38 tonne multiple-body form. Designs included which fit in with container traffic and there is a system in which the body be lowered right down ground level. Systems can be built to interchange other makes of demount; body.
The standard Ray Smith rangement is self-aligning uses just one hydraulic if bridge at the back. There small rollers at the front of body which roll up tail rai and along guide rails on chassis. Body locking at the f is automatic while at the h positive security is provide( two twistlocks.
The mainstay of the exten Ray Smith range is the Ten-I which, as its name suggests, plies to vehicles of about 101 gross and over. All Ten-I models have a twin-ram if bridge at the back which lif body under its main longitud runners where it is strongest.
Bodybuilding is simplifiec the Ray Smith design beca the base frames are comp floor structures including pe eter rail and cross-bearers. I are, says Ray Smith, tailor& suit the body while always u: the same broad constructio which a close integration cross-bearers and longitudi results in an unusually favo ble strength/weight ratio. Ray Smith Demountables Botolph Bridge, Oundle Peterborough. Tel (0733) 639