Capital Equipment News March 2016

COMMENT

TRAILER MANUFACTURERS innovate to keep ahead

T railers are one of the key links in any transport and logistics chain. Being one of our features this month, it leads me to this equipment type that has quietly evolved and has become a high- lightly sophisticated addition to the towing vehicle, matching it in technology and envi- ronmental acceptability. Demand for trailers is mainly driven by avail- ability of capital and demographics. The profit- ability of individual manufacturing companies depends on the uniqueness of the product, design and effective marketing. Large com- panies have the advantage in brand recogni- tion, but smaller companies can compete as effectively by a unique product design and providing service levels that can be individu- ally tailored. Although larger companies may have more than one production facility, the majority of manufacturers have a single facility that has their metal fabrication, welding, CMC ma- chines, bending brakes and painting facilities all under one roof. This sometimes makes for better control of the manufacturing process.

ty, have also impacted on the trailer business and combined with the current economic cli- mate, have forced the manufacturers to intro- duce some innovations to ensure their prod- ucts remain high in the value chain. Local trailer manufacturers have had to cope with a many challenges in keeping their re- spective businesses on a profitable path and the influx of trailer components from the Far East has in some ways impacted on the sales volumes. The impact has also been felt by the steel merchants whose supply chain has been eroded as a result. One of the innova- tions though, is the initiative of a steel supply company to provide components to refurbish existing trailers as a means of overcoming the onslaught of cheaper products from the East and maintaining a market for their steel. The trailer industry is a vital cog in the trans- port wheel and has been a stalwart in the ever changing dynamics of the tough market in which it operates. Changes to meet the chal- lenges have meant providing the right solu- tions at the right time in order to ensure the survival of many a manufacturer.

components and designs that produce better results and give them the edge. Product inno- vation technology development has been the driving force in the trailer business, especially in the electronic safety systems built into trail- ers today. To differentiate their products, man- ufacturers have added electronic features, especially in the braking to provide operators better control of their rigs. Another innovation which has crept into trail- er design is the aero-kits which, when fitted to a trailer, help improve not only the stability but in combination with the truck, allows an improvement in the fuel consumption of the rig. Aerodynamic technologies include gap fairings that reduce turbulence between trac- tor and trailer, side skirts that minimize wind under the trailer and rear fairings that reduce turbulence and pressure drop at the rear of the trailer. Using fairings in combination with one another has a potential to provide an estimated 5% fuel saving when used in conjunction with an aerodynamic truck tractor.

The stringent laws that are coming into effect regarding safety and environmental conformi-

Pierre Sanson, Editor

Some manufacturers hold patents for some

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