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Newton fires fresh salvo on safe tipping
Page 16
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a by Brian Weatherley
Newton Commercials has fired a fresh salvo in the battle of words over whether it's safer to raise the body of a fully-loaded artic tipping trailer with its air suspension inflated, or dumped. Newton, which is UK importer for Stas trailers, has longargued that in order to ensure maximum stability—particularly when tipping on an uneven surface—the air suspension should be deflated onto the bump stops.
However, trailer maker Crane Fruehauf and The Institute of Road Transport Engineers both insist that, when tipping, the trailer's suspension should remain fully inflated.
Newton director Andrew Smith has now written to the IRTE's engineering executive Ian Chisholm pointing out that, at a recent French CV show in Lyon, a Kogel tipping trailer equipped with BPW axles was displayed with a decal on the chassis recommending that the air suspension be dumped to ensure better stability.
In his letter, Newton insists that this is "further evidence" for the IRTE's working party on tipper stability to consider, adding: "It might be of interest to note that BPW—probably the largest axle supplier in the UK—also suggests dumping the air, as recommended on a label on the chassis. It would seem to be quite clear that what SAF and BPW really believe is correct.'
Although both axle manufacturers have gone on the record to advocate dumping air when tipping, Smith claims their view has not been adopted by their UK agents because of what he describes as "the political fall-out".
He concludes; "If the IRTF is really going to get to the bottom of this, it is pretty obvious you need to ask the head office of axle manufacturers such as BPW and SAF—and not the UK sales team. This is a repeat of the request STAS made to you recently."