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Since developing the first hydraulic tipping gear in 1916, Edbro has maintained its technological supremacy by continuous research and development, Laser welding is the most recent advance in manufacturing to be employed by Edbro. Their unique CS & CX series technology has produced the lightest tipping cylinders in the world giving operators considerably more payload per tip and increasing overall customer profitability. The Edbro CS & CX series are also the fastest cylinders on the market, ensuring ultimate safety in operation with maximum site turnaround, increasing operator productivity whatever the application. Edbro offers cylinders with lift capacities ranging from 13 tonnes to 60 tonne (at 150 bar). Extensive on line quality control systems are employed throughout the manufacturing process to ensure a top quality cylinder is produced every time. At the end of production, Edbro cylinders are subjected to a final production test at well above working pressure, making them ready to “fit & forget” upon arrival. Just recently Transpecs hosted Peter Smith, sales & marketing director from Edbro in the UK. “It was great to show him our operation and show him how we do things in NZ. He appreciated the opportunity to meet with our customers in the marketplace, which really gave him a good feel for the conditions of the market and the types of applications that the Transpecs team encounter,” said Heath Carruthers, Transpecs hydraulics product manager. “It was Peter’s first time in NZ and he was amazed by the amount of different applications we actually build. In most parts of the globe they do a lot of production line builds using only a couple of different cylinder types. He now understands why Transpecs stocks over 50 different Edbro models to suit numerous applications. The next time Peter will be in New Zealand should be for the NZ truck show in March 2009. Hopefully his knowledge and support will be available at the show.” Heath Carruthers says Edbro is providing the key to improved payloads & faster tipping speeds. “The key in the low weight, maximum strength design of the CS, CX series is Edbro’s special one piece tube construction, which is laser welded to ensure the required levels of tube concentricity and high quality welds demanded by the compact design,” said Carruthers. “The construction maximizes cylinder strength at the top of each stage to resist side loads induced by the body during tipping. “It also provides maximum cylinder stiffness at full extension. As a result, the CS, CX tipping cylinders are able to provide increased lift capacity, at the same time providing increased payloads through weight savings of up to 20%. The benefit of this for fleet operators is that increased payloads mean increased profits.” Complementing the strength and stiffness of the Edbro design are innovative features including; integral stop contact faces; silicon bronze coated sliders at the base of each cylinder section, which prevent scoring, leakage, and provide low friction operation for faster cycling; a unique high performance seal system, which reduces friction when lowering, and double lip wipers and non-metallic wear rings, which enhance durability over the life of the product. Unique to the Edbro unitary design, integral stop contact faces give the CS,CX series higher reliability and enable higher speeds. Manufactured from high tensile steel and 20% greater in surface area, they eliminate the need for clip rings and grooves. As a result, the design is much more reliable as there are no components to come loose under the impact stresses of fast cylinder cycles, causing damage to the lifting cylinder that is often beyond repair. In addition, the fact that the stop contact faces in the CS,CX series cylinders are 20% greater, means that the cylinder can genuinely be used with higher pump flows, importantly, they do not require a stroke limiting device Heath Carruthers believes the value of the CS, CX design in terms of faster tipping speeds can be judged from its performance figures with a higher range pumps; “Typically, Edbro specifies an 82litre/min pump kit for UK applications. This gives a typical tube velocity (at 1000 rpm pump speed) of 0.2m/s. This would give an operator a reduction in tip time of nearly 40% and could save 30secs per tip for a large trailer cylinder. “For those doing many tips, this can be a crucial advantage, especially when tipping on congested sites where turnaround times may be extremely important. With this in mind there is no doubt Edbro are the market leaders, setting the industry standard” To find out more about Edbro contact your local Transpecs regional sales manager.
Kauriland General Manager, Alan Lang, is a big fan of the b-train configuration, especially for the company’s line-haul operation around the North Island. “The b-trains give us that extra choice when it comes to the most efficient combinations in our fleet,” said Lang. “We tend to use quads in urban areas for faster turn-around times and b-trains for regional and longer hauls because of their flexibility and ability to access remote locations better. “In Auckland, for example, we have three 8x4 Kenworth’s pulling quads for our metro work and we find that works really well. “The b-trains come into their own on the long haul trips. New Zealand has traditionally been a truck and trailer country, so most sites are set up to handle them. We also find that our b-trains perform really well in the more isolated and harder to reach areas with diffi cult access roads, they will go where the semis won’t in many cases. “Our Northland based unit is a good example. Around Kaitaia there are many steep cambered windy roads. We find that the b-trains handle this type of terrain well and the units tend to hang together better and track well. We also find there is less stress on the barrels and compartment walls, which saves us on maintenance and product integrity issues.” The latest b-train from Tanker Engineering is a five axle 7 compartment tanker with a 46,000 litre capacity. General Manager Neil Boys says the unit features SAF axles and suspension and WABCO EBS braking systems. In addition the unit features electronic load level monitoring. “This particular trailer is our own design,” says Boys. “It is a robust design which is gaining a lot of popularity. One particular feature is the maximum capacity of 54 tonnes. If the new 50 tonne capacity laws are implemented, then there is an element of future-proofing for our customers.” Alan Lang agrees; “If the mass laws change then we feel that the b-train will be the best confi guration to take advantage of the new regulations. Having the capacity to haul 54 tonnes means we have over-engineered under the current set-up in anticipation of change in the future. This means we can act fast when the time comes.” Lang also points out that the 6x4 tractor units are still the cheaper option compared to an 8x4 unit in terms of capital cost and maintenance. Lang says Kauriland’s whole fleet now runs on SAF Axles and WABCO braking systems; “Having Transpecs as one supplier of running gear means if there is a problem then we only need to make one call. Their service team offer great support whenever we have issues. They also have experts in each field – and that makes a difference to our business at the end of the day.”
TES manufacturers high quality, effi cient trailers and truck decks, specialising in bottom dumpers, bathtubs, loggers and lift out side trailers and truck decks. They also custom design and build trailers. Founded in Invercargill by Stephen Keast in 1997 the company started out by completing small maintenance contracts on heavy trucks and trailers. With increased orders and a growing reputation for excellence the company gradually grew in size and knowledge to producing over 40 trailers in 2007 and fitting out various types of trucks from 8 to 26 tonnes. It was an article in an Australian publication that sparked interest in TES bottom Dumpers from Melbourne based Reid Co. “Reid Co read about what we were doing, then came over last September to have a look at our bottom dumpers. They ordered 12 just like that,” says Stephen Keast. They didn’t even have any work for them. They just saw the potential and made up their minds. Now we are fi nishing the ninth unit for them.” The Australian bound bottom dumpers have a 22.5m3 capacity on a standard 3 axle confi guration compared to a 19m3 limit on New Zealand roads. TES used Transpecs running gear and WABCO EBS braking. TARE weight is not as much of an issue for the trailers in the Australian market. Overall, Keast believes the units are technologically more advanced compared with many Australian produced trailers. “We seem to be well down the track here in New Zealand compared to Australia in terms of understanding EBS and modern running gear,” explains Keast. “It was something the Australians were impressed with.” Exporting is an area of growth for the company with Keast eyeing up opportunities across Australia. “We feel there are some tremendous opportunities just across the ditch. The market is fi ve times as big as here so why not explore potential there? It is just as easy for us to export units into Australia as it is for us to send something to the North Island, and often cheaper as well.” One thing is certain, the spirit of entrepreneurial endeavour is still alive and well in the deep south, as it always has been. It also helps that Invercargill is the closest New Zealand city to Australia.
Heil Asia Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of US giant - Heil Trailer International, is fast becoming one of the Asia region’s leading manufacturer of aluminium petroleum and dry bulk tanks and trailers. Their factory is located at Bang Pa-in, Thailand, approximately 50 km north of Bangkok and serves the Asian and Australasian markets. Tanker Solutions was founded in April 2007 by Mark and Robyn Wilkin, the team has collectively amassed over 80 years experience in servicing the New Zealand petroleum industry. Mark Wilkin says the introduction of Heil trailers into the New Zealand marketplace has been a great success for the company. “The market has responded exceptionally well to Heil,” he said. “There are now over 80 Heil tanks and trailers currently in service throughout the country. They are becoming a dominant force across the Asian region, from Pakistan to New Zealand. Heil are one of the biggest trailer manufacturers in the world with 4 factories in America, One in South America, one in Poland and the Bangkok factory.” Wilkin says Heil’s state-of-the-art Thailand manufacturing facility was set-up along the lines of Heil’s flagship factory at Athens, Tennessee. Heil Asia’s engineering staff, in conjunction with the corporate research and development team, has custom designed tanks and trailers to all prevailing codes in the region, including U.S. DOT 406, UN/ ADR, AS2809, and the NZDG code also. The extensive product line now includes stainless steel tanks and trailers for chemical and other assorted “We import the tanks and manufacture most of the chassis here in Wellington,” explains Wilkin. “The tanks fi t into a 40” container and get shipped straight to our door. Apart from being great quality, we achieve competitive prices for our clients. They are also very strong, and are ideal for operating here in New Zealand.” We use Transpecs running gear, SAF axles, WABCO EBS brakes and Alcoa Alloy wheels. Wilkin sees more growth as the industry becomes more familiar with the Heil brand; “it is a great product. Being a specialist manufacturer helps and with more and more trailers on the road, Heil is fast becoming a recognized brand on the New Zealand scene.”
The rule requires the brakes of imported heavy vehicles to meet international braking standards (+ABS for combination vehicles) and requires domestically manufactured or modified vehicles to meet requirements based on those international standards & schedule 5 of the brake rule. It also requires all heavy vehicles used in combination, that are first registered or modifi ed in New Zealand from July 1 2008, to be fitted with load sensing valves or an anti lock braking system – these technologies reduce the likelihood of a truck jack-knifing and trailer swing under heavy braking. Keeping controllability of the vehicle is paramount! The rule came into force on March 1 last year, however, compliance has been voluntary. This means that from July 1 a trailer manufactured in New Zealand must comply with:
This means that a trailer can comply with the new brake rule if the trailer has a load sensing valve(s) fitted, set up so the wheels do not lock in the laden and unladen condition or the trailer has an ABS system and fi xed ratio valve. Loggers, heavy haulage & military trailers differ slightly. The regulation states; For a Class TC vehicle, a logging vehicle, a heavy haulage trailer or a military trailer, be the brake force specified in 7.5(2)(a) only when the vehicle is loaded to its gross vehicle mass, even if ABS is not fitted. Interpreting this, loggers, heavy haulage & military trailers vehicles do not have to have ABS or load-sensing for the new brake rule. Phil Ridley, Transpecs brake specialist, says that although compliance can be achieved by simply fitting a load sensing valve(s) operators need to be wary of the limitations of this system and the range of options available for operators. “The new regulations make it clear that fitting a load sensing valve alone is acceptable for compliance – but if you take driver safety and that of other road users seriously we recommend that you do not take this option. “It will result in the truck and trailer compatibility being seriously comprised, resulting in the trailer continuously pushing the truck. A further risk is that secondary brake performance cannot be met if the load sense valve control line is affected by an airbag burst. “We recommend that trailers are fi tted with the minimum of ABS and a ratio valve to improve safety beyond the standards required by the new brake rule. This will ensure that both the truck and trailer are equipped with ABS. “On air suspended trailers the ratio valve can be substituted for a load sensing valve(s) which can be set to “However, when deciding how to best meet the new brake rule and ensure the safety of drivers and other road users we recommend EBS as the best option.” To find out more contact your local Transpecs brake specialist. Click Here. |
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Edbro is the worldwide market leader in hydraulic cylinders; their continual product innovation has developed the number one choice of tipping cylinder across the globe, providing a true “fit & forget” solution to tipping applications.
Kauriland Tanker Solutions deliver Mobil bulk fuels throughout the North Island. The company has just taken delivery of a new b-train from Tanker Engineering in Auckland.
A short article in an Australian magazine was all it took for Invercargill Transport Engineering Southland Ltd (TES) to get a break into the Australian road transport market.
Wellington based Tanker Solutions Ltd is a leading supplier of tankers and tank trailers to the New Zealand petroleum industry. The company has experienced rapid growth in the last year as a result of a distribution agreement with Heil Asia Ltd.
On July 1 this year compliance with the new heavy vehicle brake rule will become compulsory. This rule now applies to all vehicles with a GVM of more than 3500 kilograms. The rule’s intension is to ensure safer braking, therefore reducing the number of crashes on New Zealand roads involving heavy vehicles.