|
When fitting running gear to a trailer, the old 'price versus quality' debate steps up to the plate once again. Being a proponent of quality rather than price,
FleetWatch asked leading running gear supplier, BPW, for reasons to fit premium quality axles and suspension systems.
Paul Collings writes.
There are several advantages to fitting air suspension to a truck trailer says BPW's managing director Andre Cilliers. "Air suspension is much kinder to the trailer and to the load than steel sprung units," he says. "Also, variable pressure in the bag allows empty trailers to be lightly sprung which helps prevent bouncing on gravel roads which leads to cracks forming on the trailer chassis."
Not just an axle
Fitted with automatic load-sensing/leveling valves, air suspension units from BPW offer better road contact than leaf spring suspension adds Cilliers - "and less rolling resistance results in significant fuel savings."
As far as weight saving is concerned, Cilliers says that over the last few years as much as 50kg per axle has been dropped in overall tare mass using BPW axles and air suspensions. "It may not sound like a lot, but if you multiply that by six, as would be the case with a six axle interlink, it becomes meaningful in added payload terms."
Another advantage of air suspension is it facilitates the lifting of axles much more easily than steel springs. "It's simply a matter of retrofitting a bolt-on axle lift," says Cilliers. "No welding is required at all."
With 80% of BPW customers going the air suspension route (BPW also supplies steel spring suspension units), the advantages of this technology are obviously grabbing the attention of forward-thinking operators.
"Reefers benefit greatly from the ability to adjust the suspension by approximately 200mm in order to level the load body floor with the docking floor," Cilliers says. "And by plugging a pressure-to-mass valve into the air suspension system, operators have a handy, low cost and effective load mass measuring tool."
According to Cilliers, timber and other agricultural operators are converting their fleets entirely to air suspension units. "The air suspension is integrated with the axle unit and acts as a stabilizing device, allowing the rig to handle a higher centre of gravity, which helps in loading optimally and safely in off-road conditions."
 |
The BPW brand
is a guarantee of quality that is passionately underwritten by all
who work at BPW.
|
|
BPW’s production line
is at full capacity and Germany can’t deliver fast enought, says
Andre Cilliers.
|
 |
 |
The local BPW assembly
plant is run to strict quality control policies and procedures
using computerised workflow systems. |
|
The phenomenal growth
over the last seven years at BPW has seen staff numbers rise
considerably. |
 |
 |
Leaf springs are
being replaced by air suspension as trailer technology
matures. |
Demanding quality
While a sector of the industry may choose to fit 'budget' components, BPW's success locally speaks in no uncertain terms of the quality ethic guiding both trailer builders and buyers.
"We have a 30% market share and our volumes have grown by 700% since 2000. This year we've seen demand grow by 35% and quite frankly, we're running at full capacity," says Cilliers. "Trailer builders like Afrit, Top Trailers and GRW fit our units as standard and our order book is full, three months in advance."
When asked why transporters are so keen to run on BPW gear, Cilliers puts it thus: "Apart from the savings in fuel, tyres, maintenance and downtime, our units allow for greater payload. And behind these cost benefits is a total support infrastructure that covers southern Africa, reaching all the way to Germany. We build relationships with our customers based on our brand ethos - while we may sell the axle, the BPW hubcap remains ours."
|
