Makers prepare to tempt the tippermen
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The latest developments in tipper chasis, tipping semitrailers, bodies and tipping gear will be assembled next week at Harrogate. David Wilcox looks at some of the new equipment which will be displayed at this year's Tipcon exhibition
IT HAS been an eventful year for many tipper operators, but Tipcon stands out in the calendar.
The Road Haulage Association's Tipcon (Tipping Convention and Exhibition) has reached its 19th year and for 1985 returns to the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, on Friday, May 3 until Sunday, May 5. The RHA has lined up an impressive exhibition. There will be 52 vehicle and trailer manufacturers (displaying a total of 122 exhibits) plus 76 ancilliary equipment manufacturers.
Looking at some of the chassis manufacturers first, Mercedes-Benz is unveiling its re-engined 1617 16 tonners. Replacing the previous 5.675 litre engine is the new, slightly larger (5.96 litre) turbocharged sixcylinder 0M366A engine. This is from the family that was first seen last year in the 7.5 tonne gross vehicle weight Mercedes.
As a result of the change torque is up by 14 per cent to 560Nm (410 lbft) and this is at 1,400rpm instead of 1,600rpm. Power is marginally better, rising from 123kW to 125kW (168hp to 170hp) and it is developed at 2,600rpm rather than 2,800rpm.
The 1617 also has new gearboxes, with fewer ratios to take advantage of the new engine's characteristics. The longer wheelbase ("haulage") models have a six-speed gearbox while the shorter wheelbase tipper chassis have a seven-speed box.
There are several other changes to the 1617's specification and Mercedes-Benz is also introducing a new short wheelbase model (3.6m) aimed directly at the skiploader operators who want a high degree of manoeuvrability.
At one point Mercedes hoped that its eight-wheel chassis would be making its first UK appearance at Tipcon, but that debut has been put back to the last quarter of the year, possibly the Scottish Motor Show.
Scania is focusing attention on its 92 range and is showing two 8x4 versions. One has a 5.9m wheelbase, the standard 180kW (245hp) engine and is fitted with a Wilcox Wilcolite 30.6cum (40cuyd) bulk grain body. The other P92 8x4 has rollon/roll-off container equipment by Multilift and has been bought by YuiII and Dodds of Strathaven. It is the shorter wheelbase option (5m) and has the more powerful, charge cooled version of the engine, developing 202kW (275hp).
Although the Scania 82 continues in other configurations, the 82 8x4 model is now discontinued.
Foden looks to the tipper industry for a sizeable slice of its market and so is bringing five vehicles to Tipcon. Three are S108 8x4 tippers; one with the new Gardner 6LXDT engine developing 201kW (270bhp) for Sheffield haulier John Owen; the second is powered by a Rolls-Royce 265Li and is in TiIcon livery; the third 8x4 is bound for the Steetley fleet and has the Cummins L10-250 engine.
For tipper operators switching to 38 tonne articulated operation Foden naturally emphasises the advantages of its 6x4 tractive unit configuration and is bringing two of its S106 units.
hreco, on the other hand, has a 6x2 twin-steer tractive unit in its five-vehicle line-up at Tipcon. It is the first production version of the twin-steer 220.30 in righthand drive and lveco points to its low unladen weight of 7,150kg. Alongside it in Tarmac colours will be one of the longestablished 300.23 eight wheelers with the 171kW (229hp) air cooled engine.
Seddon Atkinson is bringing a 201 16 tonner with the 111kW (149hp) charge cooled Perkins engine, shortly going into service with R. W. Potter of Boroughbridge. Moving up the weight scale, there will be a six-wheel 301 with Telehoist tipping gear and body (owned by ID. R. Reed of Dalston, Carlisle) and an eight-wheel 301 belonging to F. and F. Moffat of Coldstream, Northumberland.
Partly owing to its five-year anti-corrosion warranty introduced six months ago, Seddon Atkinson reports that its share of the six and eight-wheel rigid chassis market has increased during the past few months.
Moving on to the tipping bodies and -trailers at Tipcon, prominent on the Neville Charrold stand will be the company's new Bulkalite body, exhibited on a MAN 8x4 chassis. As its name suggests, this aluminium body is a high cubic capacity model for low-density loads such as coal and grain. Floor thicknesses between 4mm and 8mm and body sizes of 4mm to 6mm can be specified to suit the particular load.
Also new for Tipcon is Don-Bur's high capacity tipping semi-trailer, the Supalowda. Within an overall length of 9.8m (32ft) this aluminium bodied semi-trailer achieves a capacity of 46curn (60cuyds) in a total height of 3.4m (lift 4in) with a fifthwheel height of 132cm (521n). The stepframe semi-trailer has the raised portion of its chassis frame neck in among the body floor bearers, saving height over the fifth wheel.
York did not wait until Tipcon and launched its 1985 range of Big Chief tipping semi-trailers in February. They feature folded sections in the body sides instead of extrusions to give the necessary strengthening.
Among the other York exhibits will be an insulated alloy tipping body for carrying hot coated aggregate. This is mounted on a Leyland Constructor 30.21 in ARC livery.
The Wilcox Group is represented by its constituent companies. Seadyke Freight Systems has possibly the most innovative exhibit with its Seadyke 12.2m (40ft) triaxle semi-trailer incorporating the Wilcox Wil cowalk walking floor (as launched by Walking Floor UK of Cardiff at Tipcon in 1983) and Wilcox Wilcotaut curtain-sided bodywork. This has fold-in sides inside the curtains, hinged at the bottom of the side raves and meeting in the middle to give a flat floor when folded down. This allows loading via the side curtains. When the sides ere folded up loading can be through roof hatches or the trailer's walking floor self-loading cycle.
Aside from the vehicles and trailers there will be a wide range of tipping gear and ancilliary equipment at Harrogate.
The subject of tipping semi-trailer stability will not go away and is being discussed at the Tipcon convention. George Neville Truck Equipment of Kirkbyin-Ashfield thinks it has the solution and is showing two stabilising systems at the exhibition.
The first system has the trailer's landing legs mounted on horizontal arms so that they can swing outwards and backwards to double as wide spread jack supports when tipping.
The second system uses a stabiliser E the tipping site. This incorporates a hor zontal bar at the lorries' axle height. Fitte, to the rear of the lorry are jaws which loc on to the bar thus giving stability durin tipping. Both of these George Neville stE biliser systems can be seen on a 10r (33ft) straight-frame tipping semi-trailer the AHP stand.
Rubery Owen-Rockwell is launching new version of its Indair air suspension c Tipcon, claiming it to be 10 per cent lightt than its predecessor.
Tipping gear manufacturer Hyva ha several new developments lined up ft Harrogate, including the Hy-fix whic holds the tipping body firmly on to th chassis and reduces the noisy rattle c empty bodies on the road.
Anthony Carrimore is to show three ne sizes of scissor-action tipping-gear to con plement its existing 2 tonne capacii model. The new sizes are for 5, 9 and 1 tonne capacity applications.
IMS of Loughborough is the sole UK in .porter for the West German SAF trailer a: les and air suspensions and at Tipcon IM is announcing the establishment of a U national spares network for SAF product IMS has also just signed an agreement 1 import an automatic chassis lubricatio system from Holland and this too will t at Tipcon. It is based on grease rather tha oil.
Finally, IMS is also now importing Nei son air-over-hydraulic automatic trail+ landing gear from Austria. Another Nei son product which IMS is introducing I the UK is a demount system using four IT draulic legs that can be attached to stal dard ISO containers. An extern powerpack operates the four legs simt, taneously enabling the container to be r moved or placed on a lorry.