| Past
Issues |
September
2005 |
While trailer innovation is the focus of this report, one must never forget the role manufacturing equipment plays in enabling that innovation. Whether its new designing (CAD) software, laser cutters or welding machines, innovation stretches way back beyond the trailer designer's drawing board to the think tanks of the people who make the machines that make the trailers.
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A
WELDING rotator
ensures quality on the shop floor for reliability on the
road |
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Transport and Equipment Engineering Co (TEE) has a history of innovation and the adoption of new design concepts. A licence agreement with Feldbinder Spezialfahrzengwerke (FFB) has positioned TEE as a specialist in the manufacture of tankers using aluminium and the company is now producing aluminium animal feed tankers, manufactured under licence to Warren Manufacturing, Alabama, USA.
Peter Hoeben, MD, TEE, says that for TEE, the importance of quality in manufacture has been the biggest area of concentration over the past few years. "In the design department, the latest Inventor "10" design package is being used. In the factory, jigs and fixtures for the assembly of the products, as well as the latest welding equipment, have also been introduced," he tells us.
Because high quality mig welding of aluminium is a much more sensitive operation than the welding of some other more common materials, all variables in the process must be carefully considered, says Hoeben.
"In order to achieve the necessary levels of repeatability, TEE recently manufactured and installed a welding rotator which has the ability to carry a complete aluminium auger bulker tanker, including the chassis. The welding rotator, fitted with a pulsed and synergic mig process welder, is an improvement on the standard mig welder. It enables TEE to take the variables, such as gun angle, distance from weld pool, heat in-put, weld dimension, appearance and improved mechanical properties and to control them for a better overall quality product."
It is the quality of production technology and equipment (assembly jigs and fixtures, welding equipment etc) that determines the quality of the end product. TEE have embraced this philosophy, established a world class facility and secured licence agreements with leading overseas trailer builders, all of which enables them to produce proven, innovative designs that meet South Africa's transportation needs.
