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KNOWLEDGE
Page 62
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S PCRIVElt! •
The commercial vehicle industry may be full of good ideas but many fall by the wayside due to lack of championing. The Foresight Vehicle
initiative is aimed at addressing the problem. Amain Mime reports.
lahue the UK road transport industry . may suffer from a lack of co
. ordination and direction thanks to government 'initiatives', it's never lacked for talent. There are many clever people out there with equally clever ideas but they get little opportunity to showcase these due to a lack of external support. Butwith vehicle efficiency becoming ever more of an issue there's an ongoing need for ever more efficient technology.
Originally formed by the DTI in 1998, the Foresight Vehicle initiative was designed to act as the 'prime knowledge transfer' for the automotive sector; in essence it was responsible for the allocation of funding for relevant R&D projects. However, due to a lack of direction, it was recommended that a stronger emphasis was given to the potential for commercial exploitation. In August 2003 the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (5MMT) took control of managing the initiative and it's now "a collaboration between industry, academia and government to identify and demonstrate technologies for sustainable road transport".
In layman's terms it gives advice to companies or individuals who have a beneficial idea for future motor vehicles (including LCVs and HGVs) but need help and advice on getting it off the ground; this includes applying for funding from the various UK government and European Union Framework Programmes. But for any products or technologies to be considered they must meet social, economic and environmental goals while at the some time satisfying market requirements this strategy is laid out in the organisation's Technology Road Map There are five areas of technological development within Foresight that are relevant for project development (see box).
The organisation may be seen as car biased due to the nature of the automotive industry but it's keen to stress that commercial vehicles make up a significant proportion of projects. Foresight project manager Dr Nick Barter said recently: "It is important thatwe emphasise that Foresight is not just about initiatives focused on the car. The latest technology rcadmap identifies its R&D focus for the future and projects relating to the commercial vehicle sector are a key part of the jigsaw."
Roadlite
One such development has been the Roadlite trailer project. Manufactured from hi-tech polymer composites, the prototype offers users a larger payload than a comparable trailer with a steel chassis.
Gerry Boyce, Roadlite project manager, reckons that Foresight was invaluable in getting the idea off the ground. He says: 'We had previously worked in the rood transport industry and believed that the technology we were using could be applied to a trailer. But having no previous working knowledge of the trailer market we didn't know where to start.
"We were aware of Foresight through our work and, after approaching them, were introduced to interested parties who between them created a supply chain and produced a finished product." These parties included a university department that specialised in computer modelling, a coach works, a project management company, a trailer manufacturing company and a technical centre.
The finished model is currently being assessed by a haulier in a specific environment were it has been noted not just for its lightweight construction (which means increased payload) but also for its non-corrosive properties and aerodynamic qualities.
Boyce says: 'We are speaking to several companies regarding Roadlite and hope to have it in production within the year. In the meantime we are further developing the technology for future CV products."
Roadlite is just one example of a successful collaboration with Foresight; further commercial vehicle linkups include a mild hybrid HGV powertrain that uses an electric engine alongside a diesel to reduce urban consumption on 7.5-tonners and e-Flex, an urban home delivery package that's aimed at maximising efficiency online sales are expected to reach 218bn by 2009.
However, the success of several projects within the CV arena does not mean that it's a free-for-all. Nigel Wonnacoti of the SMMT, says: "Not all ideas will be considered as they may not match Foresight's Technology Road Map. You have to ask yourself: Is this the type of technology that would fulfil the criteria?"