The ULTIMAAX® suspension that Tata Motors launched at EXCON 2017 in its heavy-duty tipper has resulted in many a happy customer. This gratification factor, be it in higher returns, minimum maintenance and zero suspension failure, has been the result of untiring hard work of the teams from Tata AutoComp Hendrickson Suspensions (THSL) for more than three and a half years to thoroughly validate and get the product market-ready. Rajesh Rajgor visited a few fleet owners in Pune to obtain first-hand feedback on the product and its impact on their business
One of the most critical vehicles that help drive the infrastructure industry is the tipper. It is critical for two basic reasons: a) different loading requirements and b) multi-application usage. It is observed that OEMs may have designed the tipper for a particular use and the operator may be using it a little too harshly in the absence of adequate application knowledge. In that sense, this brings on further challenges, right from working out the right configuration for the drive axle suspension to providing accurate articulation that doesn’t compromise on torque.
Hence, when THSL utilised its extensive knowledge of local operations, it zeroed down on bringing the ULTIMAAX® suspension, a proven product in the US and China. Based on the feedback from tipper operators using traditional as well as bogie suspensions, the team zeroed in on a product that provides outstanding stability, driver comfort and equipment protection since the existing suspension needs to have a greater number of leaves and an anti-roll bar, as per the Indian road conditions. These additions not only increase the weight of the existing rear suspension but also increase its stiffness. The higher stiffness in suspension in turn increases vehicle vibration during unloaded running.
Higher Uptime
We spoke to two operators, namely, Raj Path InfraCon (P) Ltd. (RPIPL) and R S Kamthe Infrastructure Developers (P) Ltd. (RSK) that have been using tippers with ULTIMAAX® – the advanced severe duty rubber suspension – in Pune, Maharashtra. Jagdish Kadam, Chairman and Managing Director, RPIPL, said, “After achieving fantastic results in terms of comfort to drivers, top-notch service from THSL leading to reduced maintenance time and superior durability helping more trips in our initial lot of 15 tippers with ULTIMAAX® suspnesion, we have placed an order for another 60 tippers. ” One of the leading players in road construction, with over 2,500 employees, RPIPL has been in the infrastructure business for over 30 years. Driven by the CMD’s eternal life mantras of 3Ps, namely, Passion, Patience and Perseverance, the company has garnered appreciation from several government departments.
“We have received a certificate of excellence for our speedy work on National Highway 7 joining Nagpur to Hyderabad which we got a contract for in 2016. We completed the project in two years. Earlier, the contract was allocated to different companies twice in 2006 and 2011 but the work remained incomplete,” informs Kadam. RPIPL recognised the importance of having their own fleet early on and hence have a total of 350 construction machineries out of which around 151 are tippers. “We boast of vehicles from the stables of Tata Motors (around 90), Ashok Leyland (around 30) and MAN Truck and Bus (around 31). The 60 new vehicles from Tata Motors, fitted with ULTIMAXX®, will take the overall count to 211 vehicles, thus helping us to take on new projects with maximum uptime and clock a turnover of approximately Rs 500 crore,” he adds.
As for the company’s approach to managing maximum uptime, specifically in the tippers that run 50% of the time in unloaded condition with chances of increase in vibration when empty leading to poor ride quality and reduced life of the chassis-mounted vehicle parts, Kadam states, “In the rubber suspension design, suspension stiffness is made variable to get low suspension stiffness at unloaded times and get good ride quality and high stiffness at when loaded to get good stability. With the steel leaf springs replaced by rubber springs, the ULTIMAAX® not only reduces weight but improves ride quality, safety and durability.”
Zero Maintenance
R S Kamthe Infrastructure Developers, which started as a tunnel sand blasting company in the late eighties, is now engaged in road construction and land development for companies in and around Maharashtra since the past nine years. Mahesh Kamthe, Director, RSK, is a firm believer in the strength of machines and people, developing 15-20 projects across Maharashtra with up to 200 people per site. “We have approximately 110 tippers out of which 75-80 are from Tata Motors and balance from Ashok Leyland, helping us to clock a turnover of Rs 110 crores.”
The company that has been using tippers with traditional four springs linked to an equalizer bar, has recently in the last decade moved to higher bogie suspension tippers with torque rods for axle placement at the bottom and A-frame or straight torque rods at the top . While RSK continues to use the bogie suspension system, which according to them is useful to carry heavy loads as compared to the four-spring system despite knowing that it is relatively heavier, shifted to rubber suspensions recently. “We have recently purchased 10 tippers from Tata Motors with ULTIMAAX® rubber suspensions. What we have observed is that these are of really good quality and have not faced any breakages. In fact, the overall torture track feedback is encouraging. However, we believe that the height might cause some problem on uneven harsh track and hence are cautious while unloading material from a tipper,” Kamthe states.
What is paramount for an operator is the serviceability and that is where ULTIMAAX® scores. Says Kamthe: “We believe that the use of rubber eliminates the need for periodic lubrication, thereby ensuring total peace of mind and no need for periodic visits to a workshop or using expensive chassis greasing system. The unique design provides long service life and easy replacement of rubber springs to reduce downtime. We would definitely go for more”. The ULTIMAAX® suspension has been configured for heavy-duty mining applications for both 6 × 4 and 8 × 4 tippers after vigorous tests and trials. It has now proven to be a huge money saver for Indian tipper operators in the road and infrastructure space.