Foaming trailer raises the roof
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by Steve Banner • Nene Trailer Services and Global Truck Equipment have teamed up to build a semi-trailer with a 2.5-tonne roof that can be raised and lowered by 1.5m.
British Vita in Manchester will use it to transport blocks of polyurethane foam, used to stuff furniture. The moving roof can compress the cargo once it has been loaded, allowing the semi to carry 24 2.4x1.2x1.2m blocks instead of the usual 18.
Hydraulic rams are built into the front and rear bulkheads, with three more rams in a full-height central partition.
Access to the load area is solely by nearside curtains. The offside is made of solid 25mm GRP, while the bulkheads have lOmm GRP inner and outer skins.
Overall height of the 13.6m straight-frame semi is 4.88m, rising to 6.37m when it is being loaded. It weighs 9.25 tonnes (the foam cargo weighs around six tonnes) and the vehicle will be plated at 28 tonnes. With an alloy skin on its upper surface and a 12mm birch ply lining on its lower surface the roof imposes a pressure of 12 tonnes. The body's front and rear frames are steel, while the side raves are alloy.
Running gear includes Hendrickson tandem axles and steel monoleaf suspension; Nene built the chassis from rolled high-tensile steel sections. The trailer is shod with 385/65 R 22.5 wide-single tyres.
Global is responsible for the bodywork. It has considerable experience in hydraulics—sophisticated exhibition trailers are among its specialities—and the hydraulic equipment is housed in a nearside locker.
This is the first time the two Cambridgeshire companies have collaborated, but Nene has previously supplied British Vita with six fixed-roof step-frames.