Refrigerated Transport Equipment

Stay frosty

SCHMITZ CARGOBULL AND SCULLY RSV HAVE PARTNERED ON A REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT FLEET SOLUTION TO SERVICE AUSTRALIA.

Scully RSV is a full-service manufacturer, providing customers all over Australia with refrigerated trucks and trailers for sale and hire. The company also offers refrigerator servicing, maintenance and repairs. The company manufactures its own vehicles from utes through to trucks and has an expansive fleet right up to triple axel trailers. It also works with other manufacturers including Schmitz Cargobull for its hire business and fleet solutions. Quality, flexibility and service are key focuses of Scully RSV, according to General Manager, Cameron Hogg. He explains this worth ethic often requires the business to partner with like-minded businesses. “Schmitz Cargobull’s flexibility is key for us,” he says. “If a customer wants to move a small load, we can provide a small van. If they are moving a larger load, we can give you a beautiful Schmitz Cargobull B-double set with a range of options from the length of the hire to the rates charged.” The Scully RSV fleet has more than 600 vehicles for short- or long-term hire across the country, according to Cameron, and its commercial relationship with Schmitz Cargobull is geared to provide customers with a premium, competitive, and reliable product. The pandemic has seen the transport industry busier than ever, with the latest outbreak putting even more pressure on the logistics and transport sector. “As a fleet supplier we must have integrity across our entire offering, adjusting and adapting with the constantly changing situation,” Cameron says. “Schmitz Cargobull has been meeting us every step of

the way.” Cameron claims to have worked in transport for longer than he cares to admit and witnessed the industry mature specifically in regard to safety, environmental standards and advances in technology. “There is generational change coming in,” Cameron says of environmental standards. “As a business we have to lean into the changes. There is major focus on emissions controls, and we are in very early-stage discussions about onboarding some electric trucks. It is also another reason we partnered with Schmitz Cargobull.” The refrigerated body of a Schmitz Cargobull reefer is based on state-of-the-art Ferroplast technology the likes of which Cameron says provides unparalleled thermal efficiencies. This insulation technology features a higher resistance to corrosion, excellent thermal efficiency, reduced thermal expansion, higher penetration resistance, greater strength, vapour diffusion resistance, higher resistance to common chemicals and is odour neutral. Les Lange, Schmitz Cargobull Managing Director, explains Ferroplast reefers have thermal advantage due to NX17 high density polyurethane hard foam insulation. “The 125-millimetre insulated roof and unique box design with no thermal bridges creates premium conditions for refrigerated and fresh produce logistics,” he says. Cameron also points out the cumulative benefit of these efficiencies which can mean big savings for a customer. “Small increments make a huge difference,” Cameron says – adding another major change he has witnessed in the increasing role technology has played in the sector. “Technology is enabling major improvements in safety, load integrity and other efficiencies. The Schmitz Cargobull trucks are fitted with the latest telematics, providing full monitoring visibility via computer and mobile phone. The telematics provide live internal van temperature, current outside ambient temperature and fridge unit performance en route. Any variation to the set parameters will send an alert to the relevant people, meaning customers have total management of food product while it’s in transit from factory to receiver. “We can also set it up so the truck’s tech feeds directly into the customer’s system for seamless monitoring.”

Contact

Schmitz Cargobull Australia Unit 2, 221 Browns Road Noble Park North VIC 3174 Ph: +61 434 743 144 Web: www.cargobull.com.au

Ditching the diesel

IN AN EXCITING DEVELOPMENT THAT REFLECTS THE GLOBAL EN MASSE SHIFT AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUEL BURNING ENGINES, CARRIER TRANSICOLD HAS ANNOUNCED ITS FIRST FULLY ELECTRIC AND AUTONOMOUS TRAILER REFRIGERATION SYSTEM KNOWN AS VECTOR ECOOL.

It simply had to happen. With the concerted march towards full electrifi cation in every application that currently relies on combustible liquid or gaseous fuel of some description, it was only a matter of time before transport refrigeration would follow suit. For many years Carrier Transicold has been at the forefront of diesel/ electric power in transport refrigeration with its E-Drive™ system for which it pioneered an electric powered compressor which had no mechanical connection to the diesel engine. This brought many benefi ts to the sector. Among them was the ability to achieve similar levels of refrigeration effi ciency whether the unit was plugged into 400V/3/50hz mains power when stationary or running off the diesel-powered generator when mobile. Another big benefi t was that the hermetically sealed compressor was far less prone to refrigerant leakage compared with the mechanical shaft-driven compressor – which relies on lip seals for refrigerant retention – that was used in other systems. Given this, it would seem a natural progression that the company has taken things to the next level and, working with global axle and component manufacturers such as SAF-Holland, Valx and others, developed a sophisticated power system that eliminates the need for a diesel generator on a refrigerated semi-trailer. The system is suitable for operation with the engineless versions of Carrier Transicold’s Vector HE 19 City, Vector HE 19 MT City and Vector 1550 E City, and will be also suitable for hybrid combination between a standard Vector unit equipped with a diesel engine. The company says the introduction of this innovative technology reaffi rms its

SAF-Holland supplies the axle-mounted generator that’s said to have an operating lifespan of at least 25,000 hours.

commitment to reducing emissions, improving sustainability and increasing effi ciency across the refrigerated transport sector. “We believe the Vector eCool represents the future of refrigerated trailer technology,” says Kelly Geddes, Director – Product and Aftermarket Solutions at Carrier Australia. “It’s one of the most exciting new products we have ever developed. The launch follows years of research and development, including extensive real-world testing with prototypes operating in customer fl eets.” Suitable for operation with the engineless versions of Carrier Transicold’s Vector HE 19 and Vector 1550 E, the Vector eCool combines the company’s well-proven E-Drive all-electric technology with a new cuttingedge energy recovery and storage system. This converts kinetic energy generated by one of the trailer’s axles into electricity which is stored in a battery pack for subsequent use by the refrigeration unit. It is a fully autonomous system that produces no direct carbon dioxide or particulate emissions. With the refrigeration unit operating on battery power alone – which it can do for up to six hours, depending on climatic and load conditions – Carrier Transicold’s energy management system automatically switches on the axle-powered generator when the pre-determined charge level is reached. The eCool system can also be plugged into the electrical grid when the trailer is parked, and Carrier says in addition to powering the fridge this will fully charge the batteries in two hours. When travelling, the 19.2kWh battery pack is recharged by a generator driven by the centre axle of the tri-axle group, producing a maximum continuous power of 9kW. The generator, SAF-Holland says, has been qualifi ed to endure the same life span – upwards of 25,000 hours – as a traditional transport refrigeration unit. Similarly, cell technology in the battery pack has reportedly been tested to endure 4,000 cycles, which equates to a 10-year lifecycle. There are two other signifi cant benefi ts of the system over conventional diesel-powered units. Firstly, according to Carrier Transicold, when used with the company’s fl agship Vector HE 19 unit, the Vector eCool provides a signifi cant weight saving. Even with the system’s axle generator and battery pack fi tted, it is still signifi cantly lighter than a standard diesel unit with a full tank of fuel. Another major benefi t comes from the substantial reduction in operating noise levels. Vector eCool is PIEK-compliant, meaning when used with the City versions of the Vector HE 19 and Vector 1550 E, operating noise is below 60 dB(A), which is equivalent to normal conversation or background music. This means that, combined with its emissions performance, the Vector eCool provides an effective solution to ever-tightening innercity and urban noise abatement regulations. As for keeping an eye on operations, the Vector eCool system is equipped with a Carrier Transicold telematics system that seamlessly provides information about the power level of the battery (remaining running time) to the customer. This remote visibility into the battery power level can help customers, including fl eet operators, better manage battery utilisation.

When operating on the move, the smart system activates the generator when a pre-determined battery charge level is reached. The Lithium Iron Phosphate (Li FE PO4) battery pack is tidily tucked away beneath the chassis.

Fast Fact

In an industry fi rst, Carrier Transicold has developed its engineless eCool transport refrigeration system that is powered by a Lithium Iron Phosphate (Li FE PO4) battery pack recharged by an axle-mounted generator.

Contact

Carrier Transicold 44B Amy Johnson Place Eagle Farm QLD 4009 Ph: 1800 448 166 Web: www.transicold.carrier.com.au