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OFFERS YOU CAN'T REFUSE
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The UK market for refuse collection vehicles, with annual sales of about 1,900 chassis, is large enough to tempt all the major chassis
manufacturers. Dean Stiles reviews some recent developments.
The rapid increase in the collection of household waste for recycling has led to a host of new bodies in the refuse collection vehicle (RCV) market. We are seeing a definite move away from the use of caged and multi-compartment kerbside collection vehicles when it comes to recycling," says Norman Thoday, Dennis Eagle's MD of commercial operations.
-Not only is there increasing concern over safety, particularly in relation to collecting and sorting materials at the kerbside; operators are bringing into question how efficient they are... more and more are using general compaction RCVs or other more bespoke recycling vehicles such as our Twin Pack, Duo and One Pass multi-compartment RCVs.
Team in the kitchen
Denis Eagle teamed up with Terberg to develop an option based on its Duo recycling RCV to collect kitchen waste as a separate waste stream.The body,which debuted at last month's CV Show, has a 4m top-loading pod behind the cab; it is made of aluminium to resist corrosion.Working with Phoenix 2 general compaction bodywork will allow crews to operate behind and to the side of the RCV at the same time.
But while vehicles are spending less time offroad, traffic-calming schemes such as sleeping policemen and raised roundabouts have a significant impact on the chassis. Although it is not the most road-friendly design, the traditional 6x4 copes well with these obstacles so it will probably be around for some time to come. The main issue with landfill operations is dust in the dry summer months. BMC fits the Cummins ECU, usually located on the engine block,behind the cab along with other daily check access points, specifically to reduce damage from dust.This was also Dennis Eagle's motive for splitting the radiator from the charge-cooler for ease of cleaning, coinciding with the introduction of Euro-4 engines. RCVs now have to travel greater distances, to landfill sites or municipal recycling centres. "Operators want more power, and in part this comes as a result of vehicles having to travel greater distances. What's more, an increasing number of operators are specifying RCVs with retarders or exhaust brakes, as these are more effective, particularly on longer journeys," saysThoday. "While the use of on-board weighing remains popular with many operators, we are now seeing increased interest in the deployment of bin-weighing equipment.' he adds."Given that such technology is still in its infancy,many operators remain unsure which to use.
Allison automatic transmissions dominate the RCV market, but municipal operators are also speccing autos for vehicles,such as skip-loaders, says Riccardo Sardelli, UK area manager for Allison Transmission.The weight penalty between a 12-speed manual and an Allison 3 Series is less than 12kg.
Cut costs with an auto
-When you look at the overall maintenance of an automatic using a fully synthetic oil,you push your oil changes to four years."Fhat's of huge benefit when it comes to running costs, and is also reflected in leasing costs," he adds.
Dundee City Council has been running skiplifters with auto boxes since 2003. Stewart Dodd, the council's workshop team leader,says, "With manuals we'd be going through a clutch every 12 months.With automatics, we recover the investment in under seven years—less than the minimum working life of the vehicles." •