Driving new semi-trailer technology Schwarzmueller

The Schwarzmueller Group is one of the world’s largest providers of premium, custom-built trailers and semitrailers. As a global technology leader, the company continues to set new standards throughout the industry. Philip Yorke reviews three new vehicles presented by Schwarzmueller at the recent IAA trade fair in Hannover and looks at its strategy for future growth.

DRIVING NEW SEMITRAILER TECHNOLOGY

Schwarzmueller is a privately owned company that was founded in Passau, Germany in 1870, and stands out as one of the largest, premium suppliers of towed commercial vehicles in Europe. The company’s success is founded on a long track record of innovation and reliability. Currently, Schwarzmueller is operational in more than 20 countries, mostly in central, eastern and southern Europe. The company develops, produces and services premium vehicles for customers that require tailor-made, addedvalue transport solutions.

In addition to its state-of-the-art production facilities in Hanzig, Austria, Zebrak in the Czech Republic and Budapest, Hungary, the company provides an international network of over 260 specialist service centres.

Today the Schwarzmueller Group produces more than 7000 bespoke commercial vehicles every year and currently employs over 2000 people. In 2014 the company recorded sales of more than €260 million.

New lightweight semi-trailers

At the recent IAA commercial vehicles trade fair in Hannover, Schwarzmueller unveiled not one, but three new transportation concepts – thus demonstrating its innovative strengths in custom-built trailers and semi-trailers. These included the next generation of tipper semitrailers: the Thermo-Mulde. This thermally insulated tipper semi-trailer is now available in a special lightweight version with a deadweight of 4700kg upwards, offering a potential payload of 28 tonnes, depending upon the tractor unit selected. The new ThermoMulde already incorporates all known future EU requirements. For example, from 1 January 2015 manual temperature monitoring in insulated tippers is a legal requirement and from 2016 this facility must also be available on all transportation vehicles.

The new Thermo-Mulde has five builtin temperature sensors and its measuring apparatus for recording temperature data and its mobile printer for logging this information means that all these requirements are met. Using ultra-modern moisture-inert insulation in the tipper and thermal tarpaulins with heat tolerance up to 200oC, temperature losses during transit are reduced to a minimum. These features make the new Thermo-Muldo semi-trailer ideally suited for the construction industry.

More flexible options

Schwarzmueller has scored another competitive first with its latest Tele-Mega platform semi-trailers. These offer optimal flexibility thanks to a special, variable configuration,

which allows long goods, manufactured parts, construction equipment and containers to be transported with ease. What is more, the removable central frame and low trailer height further guarantee its exceptional, multifunctional capability.

Additional equipment for this latest model includes ExTE and tubular stanchions as well as strengthened point-loads, which in turn allows for heavy payloads to be placed on a small surface. This new Tele-Mega platform semi-trailer from Schwarzmueller can be used for transporting containers ranging from 1X20ft to 1X30ft, and from 1X40ft to 2X20ft.

Lightweight innovation

As a pioneer in lightweight semi-trailer construction, it comes as no surprise that the company has launched another first in its sector. At the recent IAA trade fair in Hanover, Schwarzmuller announced that it has completely re-designed its advanced ‘Ultralight’ semi-trailer. This has been developed in order to meet the market’s increasing demand for ever more lightweight trailers and bodies. With a deadweight starting at 4850kg, the new design offers enormous payload benefits along with a high degree of stability.

The all-new lightweight construction also means that operators can benefit from improved fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions. This adds up to an efficient contribution to the overall reduction of transport costs and to improved protection of the environment. In addition to these benefits, this new semi-trailer is equipped with a rapid-opening tarpaulin system, which allows the opening and closing of the tarpaulin to be achieved in less than ten seconds.

This unique, lightweight semi-trailer from Schwarzmueller is now available in cargo, coil, paper and mega versions and is optimised for long distance haulage and for the construction industries. New sector priorities

Following a record year for sales in 2013 of over €235 million, the company is expected to exceed its target of more than €260 million in 2014. The reasons for the continuing growth in sales may be found in the economic recovery that started in this industry sector in the summer of 2013 and in the transition from Euro 5 to Euro 6 engines, which has since been taking place across Europe.

The resulting increased weight of the tractor units has been compensated for by the devel-

opment of lighter trailers and truck bodies.

Another driver for growth is the company’s decision to include the construction industry in its portfolio, in addition to those of oil, food and timber.

The role of Schwarzmueller’s key suppliers is also recognised as a factor in the continuing success of the company and underpins its reputation for quality and reliability. “We are very happy with the path we have embarked upon. Our strategic realignment, which we have been putting in place since 2013, is already reflected in our figures. Our forward looking strategy for growth, as well as the support of our key suppliers will continue to play an important role in helping us to meet our goal, which is to double our turnover by the year 2020 to €420 million,” said Jan Willem Jongert, CEO of the Schwarzmueller Group. n

For further details of Schwarzmueller’s innovative products and services visit: www.schwarzmueller.com