The air suspension system, fitted in a vehicle of Shree Khodiyar Transport, transforms the paradigm of conventional tip trailers with mechanical suspension on to a new platform, uncapping a European technology concept for the Indian logistics sector
At a time when the world is still grappling with the deadly impact of the corona virus, there are ‘corona warriors’ fighting round-the-clock to keep various systems up and running. One of them is BPW India which is engaged in the logistics and transport industry. Dedicated to providing value in this field, the company has now announced the launch of the 14-ton ultra HD air suspension for Indian roads. The project was in response to an order from Surat-based Shree Khodiyar Transport which recognised the potential of BPW India’s air suspension for tip trailer application. The 14-ton ultra HD air suspension transforms the paradigm of conventional tip trailers with mechanical suspension on to a new platform, uncapping a European technology concept for the Indian logistics sector.
This tip trailer built at Vasant Fabricators (P) Ltd. at Chappi in Gujarat has a gross combination weight (GCW) of 54 tons. It has a combination of BharatBenz’s newly launched prime mover 5428T (4 x 2) alongside the BPW India ultra-HD air suspension axle. The spacing has been kept greater than 3 metres as per the government’s new axle load regulations to achieve the desired GCW of 54 tons. Praising the final product, Dhirubhai Bambhaniya of Shree Khodiyar Transport said, “We are absolutely satisfied with the performance of the trailer. The air suspension provided by BPW India has made a great difference.” As of end of May 2021, the vehicle had covered 12,000 km travel and the performance was checked by loading material of payload weight even greater than the actual payload.
Thus, the first trip was with 45 tons and the second and third trips were of 42 tons each. The suspension system has the ability to adjust the height depending on the load and condition of the roads. “The total cost of ownership of this ultra HD air suspension would be less by one-fourth of the regular mechanical suspension-fitted tip trailer. Besides trailer performance, the air suspension provides several benefits for the driver. It helps reduce noise and overall fatigue while providing comfort and fuel economy. In the long run reduced vibration and harshness means an increase in the life of other components,” Bambhaniya said. Shree Khodiyar Transport has also signed up for an annual maintenance contract of three years from the date of installation. BPW India offers telematics system for the trailer as a part of its annual maintenance package, which is a unique feature. The ultra HD air suspension is recommended for both on-road and off-road conditions. It is characterised by double leaf wide trailing arm, heavy duty fabrication hangers, metal catch straps and steel piston and airbags. Some of its other salient features are robust design, excellent stability characteristics, optimum roll resistance, flexible trailing arm that offers best possible wheel control, safer driving characteristics with reduced stress on the trailer chassis, easy-to-service Formula 1 racing concept wherein the entire wheel and hub assembly can be extracted quickly, reduced tyre wear due to the axle control of the steel and rubber bushes, hub grease interval after 4 lakh km, optimum axle load equalization and nationwide availability of off-the-shelf genuine spare parts to ensure minimal downtime.