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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
MAY 2015
26
D
emand for trailers is driven mainly
by availability of capital and demo-
graphics. The profitability of indi-
vidual manufacturing companies depends
on the uniqueness of the product, design
and effective marketing. Large companies
have the advantage of brand recognition
but smaller companies can compete as
effectively with an original product design
and by providing service levels that can be
individually tailored.
Although larger companies may have more
than one production facility, most manu-
facturers have a single facility that includes
metal fabrication, welding, CMC machines,
bending brakes and paint facilities under one
roof. This can make for better control of the
manufacturing process.
Some manufacturers hold patents for compo-
nents and designs that produce better results
and give them the edge. Product innovation
technology development has been the driving
force in the trailer business especially in the
electronic safety systems built into trailers
today. To differentiate their products, man-
ufacturers have added electronic features,
especially in the braking, to offer operators
better control of their rigs.
Another innovation which has crept into trail-
er design is the aero-kit which, when fitted to
a trailer, helps improve not only the stability
but in combination with the truck, allows an
improvement in the fuel consumption of the
rig. Aerodynamic technologies include gar
fairings that reduce turbulence between trac-
tor and trailer, side skirts that minimise 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 anoth-
er offers the potential to provide an estimated
5% fuel saving when used in conjunction with
an aerodynamic truck tractor.
The stringent laws that are coming into ef-
fect regarding safety and environmental
conformity have also impacted on the trailer
business and, combined with the current eco-
nomic climate, have forced manufacturers to
introduce some innovations to ensure their
products remain high in the value chain.
Local trailer manufacturers have had to cope
with many challenges to keep their respective
businesses on a profitable path and the influx
of trailer components from the Far East has
impacted on the sales volumes. This impact
has also been felt by the steel merchants
whose supply chains have been eroded as a
result. One of the innovations though, is the
initiative of a steel supply company to pro-
vide components to refurbish existing trailers
as a means of overcoming the onslaught of
cheaper products from the East and main-
taining 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
challenges have meant providing the right
solutions at the right time in order to ensure
the survival of many a manufacturer.
b
TRAILER MANUFACTURERS
innovate to keep ahead
LIFTING
By Pierre Sanson
The stringent laws that are
coming into effect regarding
safety and environmental
conformity have also impacted
on the trailer business and,
combined with the current
economic climate, have forced
manufacturers to introduce
some innovations to ensure their
products remain high in the
value chain.