51 minute read
A long-term challenge to reduce emissions from RCVs
Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service (GCSWS)
Although designed with urban use in mind, the exceptional performance of the eCollect has already enabled operators to use it rurally too. GCSWS, a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council, uses its eCollect in villages around Cambridge.
The Head of the GCSWS, Trevor Nicoll, is also President of the CIWM and he said: “Our crews very quickly got used to the vehicle and it has already spent time collecting from both rural villages and more urban areas.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Licensing, Councillor Brian Milnes, said: “One of our top four Business Plan priorities is to be green to our core and the eCollect aligns perfectly with those ambitions,” he said.
Brian Milnes, Councillor
“Emissions from our diesel waste fleet make up more than half of our carbon footprint, so this is a very tangible way we can make a dent in local air quality.
We know South Cambridgeshire residents care deeply about the environment and I’ve no doubt they’ll be delighted to see the new clean, quiet and efficient eCollect down their street.’
And Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Climate Change, Environment and City Centre, Councillor Rosy Moore, said the eCollect was about taking practical steps to protect both man-made and natural environments.
Cambridge is a beautiful city and we are determined to do everything in our power to protect and enhance its environment,” she said.
“Real, tangible steps like this show how serious we are about our green ambitions. We’re proud to be among the very front-runners nationally in taking delivery of the eCollect.”
Zero-emissions recycling collections
Be Safe, Be Sure
It’s a brand new, 27-tonne vehicle, fresh off the drawing board with a high voltage power supply and heavy lifting gear and it will be driven along busy streets among cars, bikes and pedestrians. The first question we expect our customers to ask is: “Is it safe?”
The answer, of course, is “Yes”. But we don’t want you to just take our word for it: we want you to understand why.
The only way to be sure any new vehicle is safe is by putting it through the most comprehensive tests. Exhaustive, pain-staking, nitpicking tests.
And that is what the eCollect has been doing for the last two-years. Or rather that’s what they have been doing – we built five test vehicles to complete the trials quicker.
Affectionately known as Bolt One, Bolt Two etc, they have driven more than 450,000km at specialist proving grounds. Here, they underwent Accelerated Structural Durability Tests to emulate a typical RCV’s life’s work. Effectively, this condenses 10 years’ worth of wear and tear into a matter of months, so we can be sure the eCollect will go the distance.
It passed with flying colours but there was more. Climatic tests checked it would operate safely and efficiently at any temperatures the UK could throw at it.
Again, it passed before going through homologation compliance tests for whole vehicle type approval (WVTA), tests to ensure the vehicle can ONLY be charged safely and tests to check new components haven’t caused ride or handling issues.
“Most of the eCollect parts are used in our diesel vehicles and have been thoroughly tested already,” said Project Manager Mark Hopkins.
Mark Hopkins, Electrical Systems Manager
“But each has been retested as part of the eCollect project because, when you put a part on a different vehicle, it could – in the course of its lifetime – behave differently.
“We’ve also performed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tests. These computer simulations make sure structural components, such as brackets that hold a battery pack in place, do just that over the vehicle’s lifetime. In other words, that it’s fit for purpose.” Then there were the
Functional Safety Tests – probably the most painstaking of all but critically important. These were focused on the software to ensure that, once in operation on public roads, the eCollect would do what it was expected to.
“RCVs these days have an array of software running them safely and efficiently,” explained Mark.
“Functional Safety Tests don’t just consider what might go wrong – they assume everything will go wrong. We go through a process of false insertion testing, disrupting line after line of code that controls the vehicle. The goal is to ensure that, back in the real world, if software errors are introduced by misuse and the code is corrupted, the vehicle remains safe.”
These tests alone took thousands of man-hours but the eCollect was finally signed off as designed and tested to meet the ISO 26262 standards for Functional Safety.
This barrage of tests also enabled us to change, modify or replace elements our engineers thought could be improved and allowed us to fine tune the vehicle for efficiency. But the ultimate proof of the eCollect’s readiness came from customer field trials where it performed on collection rounds just as we’d expected it to.
“In many aspects, field trials exceeded our expectations,” said Mark.
“The cherry on the cake was that operators loved it, drivers loved it and so did the crews. Yet, despite undergoing this barrage of tests, the first eCollects are even now feeding back data to help our process of continuous improvement.
“We are one of the UK’s leading producers of specialist vehicles for waste and recycling collections and an Original Equipment Manufacturer. But we are still a relatively small company in the automotive sector,” said Dennis Eagle Managing Director
Kevin Else. “So, this whole process represents a massive investment for us but an essential one. Of course, we could have saved a considerable amount of time and money by producing a vehicle that was not so extensively tested. But we could never have put our name to it.
But having done all this work, we have total confidence that the eCollect is highly efficient, durable and totally safe. And our customers can share that confidence too.”
Terberg celebrate 25,000 bin lifts with a difference for over three decades
Volumes of commercial and household waste and recyclable materials are growing throughout the world, exacerbated by the recent impact of the Covid pandemic, and with it the need for efficient, material collection.
Terberg RosRoca Group’s subsidiary, Terberg Machines, designs and manufactures a unsurpassed range of bin lift systems to help meet this need. With models ranging from simple hydraulic level control systems to the most advanced fully automatic electric solutions along with dynamic weighing and identification systems to compliment many of the systems.
Based in IJsselstein, the Netherlands, Terberg Machines bin lift systems are distributed worldwide, sold through the Terberg RosRoca Group and its network of distributors. In 2020, their number of manufactured lift systems surpassed an amazing 25,000.
These systems are used to collect municipal and industrial waste, with models offering a low or high ‘rave’ rail, electric or hydraulic power options, body-integrated or frame-mounted, manual, semiautomatic and fully automatic operation. The company's extensive expertise and customer focus means that the systems available meet almost every requirement. Product Manager Marcel Feitsma commented: "We always aim to meet our customer's specific needs and start by analysing their application.
Different public authorities, waste collection contractors, materials and countries can have completely different needs, and the trends in waste management make everything even more dynamic. Fortunately we offer solutions to handle pretty much any type and size of wheeled bin: small or large, with two wheels or four or with single or split lids.”
Production timeline and milestones
- 1989: Our production started in The Industrieweg with automatic lifts designed to empty 2 wheeled bins. - 1990: Assembly process moved to a new location (Baronieweg, IJsselstein,
Netherlands) - 1992: Introduction of the first low level automatic bin lift, the TCA-DEL - 2002: Production moves to new building - 2005: Production of the 1000th OmniDel bin lift is achieved - 2020: A total of 25,000 bin lifts have rolled of the production lines
Automation
The clearest trend is the increased adoption of automatic bin lifts since the advent of the wheelie bin. "We started producing automatic systems over thirty years ago. Then, as now, we aimed to support our customers with advanced technology to make their waste collection operations more efficient and safer, and reduce their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Automatic systems are better in both respects."
Terberg Machines development of automatic technology all those years ago showed amazing forward thinking as the demand for automatic bin lifts has greatly increased over the years. This is primarily due to the increasing cost of labour and explosive growth of the number of wheeled bins. "Nowadays, 90 percent of the systems we supply are automatic. Customers use them to empty 1,000 to 1,500 bins per day. It is only when emptying large bins of commercial waste that time is less relevant and manually operated systems can sometimes prove more cost effective."
Electric drive
The more recent demand for lownoise, environmentally-friendly systems is another clear trend. Electric drive delivers on both counts and Terberg Machines is a leading innovator in this field, supplying electric bin lift systems powered by the 24 V vehicle battery, without the need for PTO driven hydraulics. "If you use a conventional bin lift the truck engine has to increase its revs, leading to more noise and increase fuel consumption. However, our electric bin lifts typically produce 58 dBA or less and the noise level is almost constant. That is better for the loaders, reduces CO₂ emissions and extends the collection window into early morning and late evening."
Multifunctional
Both public authorities and private contractors need to operate their vehicles as efficiently and flexible as possible so it’s important to have a bin lift which can handle several types of bin, or separate waste fractions. Terberg Machines considers all parameters during product development for maximum flexibility such as bin size, pick-up height, lid shape and attachment system. The integrated bin lifts for the Olympus RCV body are particularly impressive and can be optimised for the waste stream(s). The Olympus Twin Pack has two separate split bodies, compaction systems and bin lifts to collect two different waste streams at the same time which cleverly reduces the number of collection rounds and lowers the TCO.
Remote Diagnostics and Weighing
From Q1 2021 all of Terberg’s automatic lift systems come preconfigured with the new Terberg Connect remote diagnostic system. Offering a user friendly web-based interface and real-time, two-way diagnostics, Terberg Connect will not only radically change the after-sales and service operations at Terberg but positively impact customer operating costs and uptime.
Terberg Machines bin lift production line
More and more municipalities are introducing ‘pay-as-you-throw’ systems and therefore need bin lifts which can accurately record weight and account information. This data can be used for invoicing, to assess contracts and participation rates.
Terberg Machines produces a range of advanced weighing and identification systems, tailored to the collection system, which can be fully integrated with telematics and reporting systems.
Marcel Feitsma: "We are the only manufacturer in the world which supplies bin lifts integrated with certified and calibrated weighing and identification systems." Ideally, these systems are integrated during manufacturing but they can also be retrofitted to compatible Terberg bin lifts.
Downtime is unacceptable, safety is paramount
Terberg Machines not only anticipates and responds to relevant trends and customer requirements, but also abides by set principles for design and production. Ergonomics and ease of operation are constantly optimised, while quality and safety take priority.
Similarly, the company guarantees the highest construction quality by using robust designs, high-quality materials and reliable components such as smart sensors and maintenance-free bearings.
"We make systems which are used intensively, with a technical lifespan of at least eight years. To ensure efficient operation with a minimum of downtime we innovate constantly and use state-of-the-art technology. For example, our 24 V technology and sealed electronics extend the lifespan of our systems and reduce the TCO."
In terms of safety, Terberg Machines meets the European safety and design requirements for lifting devices for refuse collection vehicles. As a member of the NEN-EN1501-1/2/3/5 standards committee we monitor all the current developments.
There is a range of measures to ensure the safety of the vehicle loaders, ranging from safety arms which shield the bins at the side, through to ensuring the safe attachment of the bins and the rear protection device. Absolutely nothing is left to chance.
Production process
Terberg Machines has an efficient and lean production process. All components are stocked for each stage of the process so large numbers of bin lifts can be produced efficiently. The production process comprises five key stages, all carefully controlled:
1. Fitting of mechanical components
2. Spray painting in a customerspecified colour
3. Fitting of smaller components
4. Fitting of electrical components
5.Adjustment and testing, and loading the software in any language
News round-up
76 new vehicles help Birmingham achieve cleaner air
Dennis Eagle is delivering 76 RCVs to Birmingham City Council in a major order that renews our partnership with the
UK’s biggest local authority fleet.
The vehicles range from the 7.5 tonne Olympus Mini to the 26 tonne 6x2 Narrow Olympus 19 and Twin Pack variant and feature both Dennis Eagle Beta 2 and Terberg OmniDEL bin lifts.
Between them, they will travel more than 387,000 miles a year and lift 16 million bins to collect 215,000 tonnes of waste.
They’ll be used for both domestic waste and recycling as well as commercial collections and they will also help Birmingham City Council meet its air quality targets as it introduces a new Clean Air Zone in June 2021. Advances in engine technology mean these new vehicles could halve microparticle emissions and produce a fraction of the nitrogen oxide gases than the last vehicles they bought in 2014.
Birmingham City Council, said: “Our aim is to always buy local where possible as this will help the city thrive with employment of local people and the growth of the economy.
“But in their responses to questions in the competitive tender documents, Dennis Eagle scored the highest not only in quality but also pricing.” Dennis Eagle’s Sales & Marketing Director Richard Taylor said: “It’s great to be supporting an operator right on our own doorstep. “Running these cleaner vehicles will benefit everyone who lives in, works in or visits Birmingham – including many of our own staff who live in and around the city.”
Richard Taylor Sales & Marketing Director, Dennis Eagle
Conquest territory win on Merseyside
Dennis Eagle is in the process of delivering 13 27-tonne RCVs to Sefton Council on Merseyside after the vehicles came top in the council’s competitive tendering process.
The order marks the first sales to Sefton in more than 12 years.
The vehicles are based on the Elite 6x2 RS chassis, fitted with OL-21W bodies and Terberg OmniDel Full Width bin lifts as well as DE Connect and Dennis Eagle’s own Five Camera System. A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “We also looked at these vehicles in use with our neighbouring authorities and we were impressed by what we saw.
“One of the key points for our Cleansing Department was having the DE Connect telematics, the camera system and the in-cab devices all under one roof – that is coming from the same source, factory fitted and designed to operate together, helping to create a more efficient street cleansing operation.”
They added that by familiarising themselves with Dennis Eagle vehicles and services now, it would help the council make a more well-informed decision about the suitability of Dennis Eagle electric/alternative fuel vehicles in the future.
New vehicles at BCP backed by drivers and crews
Eight new vehicles have just been delivered to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) – with the approval of the drivers and crews.
The vehicles are part of a rolling update of the BCP Council fleet after Dennis Eagle won a competitive tender and which has seen 16 Dennis Eagle RCVs delivered since 2019 and 8 more in the coming month.
The trucks are providing full waste services for the council as well as supporting recycling services. And maintenance is also being provided by Dennis Eagle’s Aftermarket team at Croydon Service Centre.
The council runs a waste and recycling fleet of 74 vehicles, the majority of which are Dennis Eagle RCVs.
The council’s Transport & Operating Centres Manager, Mark Parsons, said: “Both our drivers and our loaders like Dennis Eagle RCVs and they worked with our procurement team to make sure their needs were addressed in the tender.
“We know the product well and the support we get throughout the entire process – from sales through to delivery then aftermarket maintenance and parts – is very good.
“Another winning feature was that on some of our routes we have narrow access and the narrow vehicles, with their rear steer function, have good turning circles. And we’re also keen on the low-entry, walk-through cab which helps protect the crews.
“Our relationship with Dennis Eagle has also been strengthened by the support they’ve provided us as we trial a couple of alternative fuel vehicles.
We currently have two RCVs running on hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) – with Dennis Eagle's support – to see what sort of emissions reductions we can achieve.”
One of the biggest orders ever for waste and recycling vehicles was landed by Terberg Matec UK and Dennis Eagle earlier this year.
The tenders for 81 recycling vehicles and 61 RCVs were issued by Cornwall County Council. They were based on vehicle specifications from the operator, Biffa, who will be running domestic waste collections in the county for the next eight years.
The Terberg Matec UK and Dennis Eagle teams each worked directly with Biffa and came together to plan the contracts. The recycling vehicles were a mixture of Kerbloader Urban, Kerbloader Urban Minis and Single Person Operated Vehicles (SPOVs). Their roles will be to collect segregated dry recyclable materials from households across the county.
Terberg Matec UK’s Managing Director Will Marzano said: “Across the recycling vehicle market, the Kerbloader Urbans are the fastest vehicle to load, have the best payload and are the fastest to unload. Those are the three key aspects of recycling vehicles and they go a long way to explaining why we won this tender. “In addition to that, we were also more flexible in the vehicle set up, tailoring the different containers to match the proportions of different recyclables Biffa had worked out for Cornwall.
“And they left little to chance, taking the vehicles for extensive trials on different routes with all the different geographical attributes Cornwall has to offer. But in the end, they loved what we were offering them.
“The contract cements a strong relationship between Terberg
Matec UK and Biffa and vindicates our commitment to investing in product development.”
The RCV fleet consists of 31 26-tonne OL19s, four 22-tonne OL14s and three 18-tonne OL10s. Each is fitted with Terberg OmniDEL bin lifts. The 23 Mini Olympus vehicles – four OL6s and 19 OL8s fitted with bar lifts – were prepared at Terberg’s Worksop plant. These vehicles will be used for domestic collections throughout the county, operating from depots in St Austell, Newham, Hale and Bodmin.
“A key requirement of the contract was delivery on time ¬in a tight window,” explained Dennis Eagle’s General Sales Manager Mick
Friend. “The first was delivered in mid-September and the last in the last week of October. And all were delivered on time. “Delivery was supported by engineers from our local depot at Ivybridge. We checked the vehicles as they were delivered and we are on-hand to provide support if needed as they go into operation and all the way along the line.” While the vehicles will be operating from different depots, all the training was delivered over one weekend at one location to avoid interfering with the customer’s ongoing operations. This included the Train the Trainer course which enables selected staff from Cornwall to train any newcomers themselves.
“And they were really pleased with how it all went,” added Mick. “There are numerous benefits for Cornwall of having one big company to do business with. From the one-stop-shop elements to the additional benefits which we can bring, this was a truly joined-up approach.”
Biffa’s contract in Cornwall runs the next for eight years with a potential two-year extension to January 2031. It covers domestic refuse, recycling and in 2022, the introduction of food waste collections to around 277,000 homes in Cornwall. It also includes the street and beach cleansing services, clinical and bulky waste collections as well as working with the Council to develop commercial collections. The company will have around 750 people working on the contract at its peak, with more than 300 vehicles in the fleet.
Biffa Commercial Director Simon Baddeley said the Terberg Kerbloader and Dennis RCV solutions were each the best solution for the contract.
“We are absolutely delighted to continue our relationship with Cornwall County Council and to be working together to develop the services for the people of Cornwall for the next eight years,” he added.
“Mobilising and operating any contract is a big undertaking and the support from our key partners – including Terberg and
Dennis Eagle – is fundamental to achieving a successful start to the contract and the ongoing service changes.”
Digital Dennis for Sustainable Schools
Social value plays a prominent part in large contracts. It can range from using local contractors and employing local staff to helping customers in other aspects of their activities by putting our expertise to good use.
In Cornwall, our Sustainable Schools programme was the biggest we’d ever planned. It was all about educating school children – and through them, their parents too – on the “whys and hows” of recycling. At the centre of it all was our Dennis the Dustcart book, developed with Skips Educational and tailored to Cornwall’s specific recycling operations. It was to be supported by our new mobile classroom which would tour schools. And a teacher training programme – complete with lesson plans – to ensure the right message was clearly delivered.
Then the pandemic came along. But did that stop us? No!
Instead, while the country went in and out of lockdown, we turned to technology. Dennis went digital, books became eBooks and teachers turned to Teams.
And we reinvented the Sustainable Schools programme to make sure it can still happen.
EV support: we’ll show you the way
Andy Hardwick
General Manager Technical Support
Electric RCVs present a whole new world to most repair and maintenance engineers. But our Aftermarket team has been fully trained to provide expert support and guidance to customers as they enter this new era.
While much of the eCollect maintenance will be familiar to customers, HV systems demand strict new safety guidelines and everyone working on the vehicle needs specialist training. A lot of workshop engineers probably started as curious youngsters, fiddling around with car engines at home before they trained to do it as a career but you just can’t do that safely with an electric vehicle,” said Aftermarket Director Geoff Rigg.
“Most repair and maintenance teams around the country won’t have much experience of HV systems. But that’s quite helpful because they can be shown how to do it safely from the start.”
Geoff Rigg, Aftermarket Director
The Health and Safety Executive has put the onus on different industries to develop appropriate standards for EV safety. So, as the first OEM to produce an eRCV, Dennis Eagle has created a blueprint for their safe repair and maintenance.
“We are well-placed to develop these standards. Our design and test engineers first established safe working practices when building hybrid RCVs 10 years ago and we’ve developed them specifically for different aspects of the Dennis Eagle operation. It means our production teams, field service and repair and maintenance teams all have clear and specific sets of safety rules and procedures. And we’ll share these too.”
Some fundamental practices demonstrate just how much emphasis we put on EV safety. In our workshops, eCollects are fenced off so the only people who approach them are those working on them – and we’re very clear about who that can be. We’ve also developed a traffic light system, indicating the state of an electric vehicle. An unmissable coloured card in the windscreen informs everyone: Red means don’t approach, Amber shows the vehicle is working normally and Green indicates the electrical systems are totally isolated.
Our High Voltage Board is a safety kit which includes a defibrillator, a charge meter, a long-handled electrically-insulated rubber hook and a first aid kit. Padlock switches on the eCollect, used for electrical isolation, are put on the board away from the truck so it can’t be accidently reactivated. This kit is also available to customers. Underpinning this are those hard and fast rules about who can and who can not work on an EV.
“Nobody can carry out repair and maintenance work on an electric truck in any way – not even to change a windscreen wiper – unless they have successfully completed the Electric Vehicle Foundation Training course. This rule applies to all Dennis Eagle staff, wherever they are working. We strongly recommend that our customers adopt it too. And this half-day course for eCollect customers can also be delivered on Microsoft Teams. Alternatively, full repair and maintenance contracts are available for our electric vehicles, just as they are for our conventional vehicles, which some operators will find an easier introduction to EVs.”said Geoff Rigg.
For now, only Dennis Eagle engineers who have undergone more detailed HV training will be authorised to work on a vehicle’s high voltage components. This not only ensures safety but also totally reliable maintenance while the new vehicle is settling in. Authorised staff will be available in each service centre and in workshops where we have EV repair and maintenance contracts.
“Our training goes way beyond repair and maintenance teams and covers the whole operation,” added Geoff. “Starting with the basics, we’ve produced a short awareness video. It helps people identify electric vehicles and what precautions to take around them.
All Dennis Eagle staff will see this and visitors to our production or service facilities will be shown it at reception before they’re allowed in. It is fundamentally important. Without it, our traffic light system would be pointless.”
The Electric Vehicle Foundation Training is not just for workshop engineers. We recommend anyone who might be working with the vehicle, from specialist electrical cleaners to First Aiders, receives it.
“Other aspects of the Aftermarket support, such as ordering spare parts, dealing with warranties and learning from DEConnect, are the same as with diesel RCVs. There is a lot for operators to get their heads around but it’s a journey everyone will take in due course. And if anyone needs reassurance, we’re here to help them every step of the way.”
Terberg Matec Dynamic Weighing
The next generation of certified bin weighing technology.
How weight-watching helps lean operators
Dynamic weighing systems are in greater demand than ever across the UK says market-leading bin lift manufacturer Terberg Matec UK.
Operators in both public and private sectors are increasingly turning to dynamic weighing systems to get a clearer insight into their operations.
This reflects changes in the industry which has become leaner and more efficient as it attempts to rise to the challenges faced with helping to overcome environmental issues, says Ian Warren Weighing & Data Manager at Terberg Matec UK.
“Operators have been faced with a number of testing objectives in recent years, from improving recycling rates to implementing measures with the aim of lowering the carbon footprint, and all against the backdrop of a steep rise in the cost of landfill,” he said.
“But whatever they do and however they do it, private operators still need to be profitable and both private and public sector operations must be cost-effective”.
“Accurate weighing systems can play a huge part in making sure this happens and Terberg’s Dynamic Weighing solution (TMDW) is designed to help do just that. It was developed in-house using the very latest in technology and materials. TMDW is both reliable and robust and can be seamlessly integrated with our entire range of market-leading bin lifts”.
“If operators are using Terberg bin lifts, who better to provide bin weighing than the bin lift manufacturer? The two were designed to work together”.
“And using TMDW in conjunction with a Terberg lift also means that our fully trained & qualified engineers are able to maintain all elements of the bin lift and weighing system for that added piece of mind”. The TMDW solution weighs while the bin is being lifted and lowered without slowing the cycle down. Each bin is weighed 80 times in just 0.5 seconds for impressive reliability and accuracy. And it can weigh two-wheeled bins with as little as 0.5kg content, a market-leading figure.
In addition, the system is approved under the Measurement Instrument Directive (MID 2014/32/ EC) which the UK accepts in the Product Safety and Metrology etc (Amendment etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. This confirms the weighing system is suitable for pay-by-weight operations.
Safety is of paramount importance and the TMDW automatically rejects overweight bins while the cumulative weight function prevents vehicle overloading.
In addition, it uses a CANbus interface with the bin lift, communicates via the 4G network, supports ‘stop list’ functions and it is compatible with the RFID technologies utilised by the waste industry, making it simple to use.
“This state-of-the-art weighing system presents our customers with a wide range of operational benefits” added Nick Robinson.
“Efficient route planning, accurate bin collection pricing and swift resolution to potential invoicing disputes are just a few of the many advantages. With industry leading accuracy, a fully certified system; in line with legislation, allows service providers to charge by the kilogram too, which helps to eradicate side waste and encourage recycling. It also means commercial business proprietors are being charged fairly for the service”.
“When the operational benefits are further endorsed by the usual Terberg product values; with quality, reliability, and robustness providing customer peace of mind, it’s a package that everyone should consider.”
When the show must go on…
Thanks to the extraordinary determination shown by both staff and suppliers, Dennis Eagle has been able to meet all the demands put upon us as “key workers” during the pandemic.
While we maintained vehicle production we launched a new truck too. And our Aftermarket services are not only fulfilling all our customers’ needs but also providing a lifeline to others. Meanwhile, our stores remain well stocked and our supply chains as resilient as any.
So, here’s a big Thank You to everyone. And here are some of the things we’ve learned.
“As the first lockdown was announced, we brought our annual factory shutdown forwards,” said OE Technical Support Manager Mark Richardson.
“This allowed us to put extensive preventative measures in place that followed the Government’s guidelines so we could get back to work as soon as we were allowed.”
This decisive approach worked and obviously struck a chord further afield. Other companies, including a major banking group, got in touch with us to see what they could learn. Communication was vital, with different departments and sites working together closely.
Mark liaised closely with Blackpool Plant Manager Steve Spence and Production Manager Andy Coulson took the lead at our Terberg facility at Worksop.
“There were a couple of minor supply chain issues but we sorted them out and met our delivery deadlines,” said Andy.
And it was a similar scenario at Terberg Matec's Warrington facility where Parts & Workshop Manager Mike Bullock took control.
“If there have been any issues, we have managed them accordingly, occasionally with some people working overtime if we had people off. And the regular support we had from Human Resources was brilliant.”
Meanwhile, our Aftermarket teams have never stopped working. “Vitally, all our maintenance teams have worked at full capacity throughout to keep our customers’ vehicles on the road, which was fundamentally important to the Government’s strategy." saidGeoff Rigg, Aftermarket Director.
Mark Richardson, OE Technical Support Manager
“We’ve even arranged for engineers to provide maintenance support to help other customers keep going when they suffered staff shortages at their own depots.”
Supply chains were a major concern throughout our industry but our suppliers have consistently gone the extra mile to keep us working, with help from our Purchasing team.
“In the 25 years I’ve worked in procurement, it’s never been as difficult,” said Purchasing Manager
Paul Marvin. “But our staff and suppliers went to extraordinary lengths to make it happen, often against the odds. As a result, we were able to keep working.
“From a suppliers’ perspective, it helps that Dennis Eagle is a very good customer. Not only do we operate in a key industry that has had to keep going in these extraordinary circumstances but we’re also very consistent in our requirements and provide remarkably regular orders.
“Some sectors, such as yellow goods – diggers, dumper trucks and the like – are very irregular with orders but the even spread of our orders really helps suppliers and leaves us better placed than most going forwards.” That sentiment is echoed by steel producer MTL Advanced Ltd of Rotherham, who have been supplying parts to Dennis Eagle since 1998. “We supply the sides, roof and floor of the body, the hopper, compaction plates made of wear-resistant steel… hundreds of line items… as well as working with Dennis Eagle on new designs and development projects,” said General Manager Karl Stewart.
“We employ 230 people on a 30-acre site and generate sales of £30m a year. Dennis Eagle is one of our three biggest customers – the others are in the defence and rail sectors – and in normal times you get a delivery from us every day.
“We followed Government advice on safety. That meant we had to furlough 100 staff at one point. It was hard. At different times we’ve had team leaders and managers operating machines to get orders out but we managed to look after our customers. All staff came back in though and our turnover wasn’t affected much. Sales are above pre-Covid levels and it’s looking good for 2021.
“Having a key customer in a key industry has been really important to us throughout. Work in other sectors did at times drop off but Dennis Eagle kept going which helped us to keep going.
“That meant we could look ahead with confidence. Now we’re recruiting again and have 10 apprentices just starting. And Dennis Eagle played a significant part in enabling us to make those decisions.”
Aftermarket round-up
Retrofitting service has £1 million order book
The new service launched by Dennis Eagle to upgrade customers’ Euro 4 and Euro 5 vehicles to meet Euro 6 emissions standards has already got a £1 million order book. The EMxE6 system was developed by Eminox and the retrofit operation – exclusive to Dennis
Eagle – was launched in January 2020 and is run from our Croydon Service Centre by Regional Service Manager Dan Cole.
“All Dennis Eagle vehicles produced since January 2014 have had Euro 6 compliant engines but there are still a lot of older RCVs that have plenty of life left in them,” he said.
“The problem is that they won’t feasibly be able to operate in Low Emission
Zones (LEZs) which are spreading quickly across the UK. But we can convert them using the EMxE6 system developed by Eminox so that they are compliant. In fact, they’ll produce lower NOx emissions than most Euro 6 engines. And it is very cost effective – we check the vehicles first and if it won’t work for some reason, we’ll tell the operator. But most are fine and it comes with a 36-month warranty.”
The EMxE6 system uses a combination of DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technologies and uses AdBlue – familiar to all operators – to convert NOx gases into harmless nitrogen and oxygen.
Although most of the conversions are carried out in Croydon, the service has proved so popular that Dennis Eagle’s Aftermarket team has developed overspill capacity at service centres in Witham, near Basildon in Essex and at Leeds. “We work under exclusive licence with Eminox – we’re the only ones who can retrofit this system to Dennis Eagle vehicles,” added Dan.
“We’ve got around 50 retrofits in progress or on order at the moment. Some are big private operators, some small, others are local authorities. Low Emission Zones (LEZs), Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZs) and Clean Air Zones (CAZs) are spreading all the time. London’s ULEZ had just expanded dramatically, Bath starts charging in March, Birmingham’s goes live in June and four cities in Scotland have set a date. The pressure is on operators but this is a real solution. It also fits in nicely with the full refurbishment services we offer for older RCVs and we’ve even retrofitted a couple of trucks for sale through our DE Approved Used business.”
For further information on Dennis Eagle’s exclusive retrofitting service, please contact: DAN COLEat Croydon on020 8662 4501.
Aldridge expansion boosts Aftermarket services
More bays, more staff and more work – our Aldridge Service Centre has expanded and despite the far from normal circumstances, business is booming. A new 9,100sq ft building with five additional workshop bays was finished earlier this year and the team moved in last spring.
The existing facilities were refurbished too, providing a total of 18 fully-equipped workshop bays plus offices and a conference room that will hold up to 20 people in normal times for training. Service Centre Manager Graeme Hill took over the reins earlier this year having worked as Customer Support Manager after joining Dennis Eagle’s Aftermarket team 20 years ago.
“We have added 9,100sq ft of floor space, 6,000sq ft of yard space, fitted it all out with top quality new equipment and brought in six new staff –with more to come as business continues to grow. The team here loves it and customers don’t just see a better facility, it also inspires confidence in the services we provide." said Graeme.
The Aldridge Service Centre is conveniently located at Beecham Business Park – just a few minutes east from the Junction 10 of the M6 and south of the M6 toll road. Twenty-nine staff are currently based there including workshop technicians, three apprentices, stores and office staff and field service engineers. “Local operators from all over the Midlands already know what we can do and we have a loyal and valuable customer base in both the waste and recycling and the general haulage sectors. It also helps that the new building gives us signage that’s visible from the main road. We’re getting customers from as far away as the east coast and all along the Welsh borders coming in too.” added Graeme.
“And we’ve also picked up overspill work from local authorities who have had to reduce capacity in their own workshops in the current climate. They all know we do the job properly and turn it around quickly – that’s the bottom line for them – reputation really counts in this line of work.” Aftermarket Director
Geoff Rigg added: “Aldridge represents another substantial investment in our Service Centre facilities – the fit-out here was around £250,000 but we know it was money well spent.
“We’ve created a model for developing sites to a particular set of very high standards and the result is already there to be seen: Aldridge is booming.”
Graeme Hill Service Centre Manager, Dennis Eagle
DE-Assured repair and maintenance contracts grow
The high levels of service and operational certainty have helped Dennis Eagle expand its repair and maintenance portfolio with more contract wins, says Geoff Rigg. Among them, the company took on the Somerset contract for Suez in spring 2020, repairing and maintaining all the municipal vehicles in the county – 180 in total.
The operation is based at three workshops in Willerton, Shepton Mallet and Bridgwater staffed by 18 people and backed up by our experienced pool of Field Service Engineers. At the same time, the Aftermarket team also won the repair and maintenance contract for Cheshire West Recycling, a company set up by Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council.
The operation involves maintaining 95 vehicles at workshops in Winsford and Ellesmere Port with further support from the team at our Manchester Service Centre (Trafford Park).
“Despite the challenges everyone faced, 2020 turned out to be a very busy year for us,” said Aftermarket
Director Geoff Rigg. “As well as these new contracts, we won a 10-year contract extension in Kensington and Chelsea – looking after 70 RCVs and renewing links with one of our first repair and maintenance customers.”
“And the London Borough of Tower Hamlets took us on to look after their vehicles when they took their collection operation in-house. This enabled us to expand our night-shift at Bexley Service Centre. ‘
“Our new workshop in Portsmouth was opened in
September and we’re looking after vehicles for Biffa in a contract running to 2024, as well as taking on thirdparty work. And we also stepped in to help Hertsmere Borough Council at short notice last spring, taking over the council’s existing premises at Potters Bar to maintain 44 RCVs.”
“We were uniquely placed to do this because of our network of field service engineers and our Service Centres at Bexley and Croydon. And it’s these resources, plus the highest standards of service all our staff provide, that enable our Aftermarket operation to keep on growing.”
Where our 1989 project first started Phil Worthington, Geoff Rigg and Kevin Else with the restored RCV.
Classic restored
Out of the ashes a Phoenix arises – a Dennis Eagle Phoenix, that is. This RCV, a Dennis Eagle Delta chassis and Phoenix 1 body, rolled off the production line in Warwick in 1989. After being found in a quarry in Devon, it’s been painstakingly restored by the Dennis Eagle Aftermarket team.
Not only is the vehicle in full working order but it’s even been given an authentic livery based on what the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea ran in 1989 when we first won this maintenance contract. “It’s already attracted a lot of interest,” said Aftermarket
Director Geoff Rigg, who himself was as apprentice engineer with Dennis Eagle at Warwick in 1989. “ But compare it to what we’re producing today and people will be amazed at how far this industry has developed in 30 years.”
You’ll be able to see the Phoenix at exhibitions and events once normality itself is restored – hopefully later this year. And the long-term plans for the vehicle are to put it on permanent display.
New faces in Merthyr
Chris Munn has been appointed as Assistant Manager at the Merthyr Service Centre. Chris has been with the company for almost four years, joining initially as a Field Service Engineer. Before that he gained extensive experience running a workshop and 24-hour call-out operation.
Away from work, he is married with two children and enjoys the great outdoors – particularly fishing and walking.
And a new parts specialist, Jeff Hyett has also joined the Aftermarket team in Wales. Jeff has extensive experience in the HGV parts business and joins Chris at the Merthyr Service Centre, just off the A470 at Merthyr Tydfil Industrial Park, Pentrebach.
Chris Munn
Jeff Hyett
Unrivaled protection straight from the vehicle manufacturer
When you’ve officially got the best view in the UK, it can hardly be improved. Can it?
The answer is ‘Yes’, according to Dennis Eagle’s designers. They have been working on safety systems for our Elite cab which already provides drivers with the best direct vision of any HGV on the UK’s roads, according to the independent assessment commissioned by Transport for London.
And the improvement they’ve made is to introduce a fully-integrated, factory-fitted 5 camera recording system which gives drivers a 360º view around the vehicle.
This is designed to provide the best protection possible for the crew, the public and the operator by seeing and recording everything that happens around the vehicle.
It uses five HD cameras mounted at the front, sides and rear providing a 360º view around the RCV. The front-facing camera has a wideangle lens for a broader field of view.
The fifth camera is focused on the work area at the back of the vehicle to ensure extra protection for the crew.
Crystal-clear images are displayed on a seven-inch in-cab screen to help the driver manoeuvre safely. The system addresses the key safety issues faced by RCVs. The nearside view is automatically shown when the left indicator is activated to ensure drivers can clearly see cyclists in this key danger spot. And the rear view is shown when the vehicle is put into reverse gear.
Footage from all five cameras is recorded by an eight-channel system on a solid state 1TB hard drive. Unlike ordinary hard drives where spinning discs are prone to jump if there is an impact, our hard drive is vibration and shock-resistant, therefore recordings of bumps or crashes are not lost.
Up to two months’ worth of recordings can be stored on the system to ensure a clear record is still available for insurance claims and court proceedings which can arise several weeks after the event. And the option of a ‘crash reconstruction playback’ feature means any incidents are quickly found when reviewing recordings.
The 5 Camera Recording System can be fully integrated with our DE-Connect telematics system.
This enables back office staff to see both live video and recordings while the vehicle completes its rounds.
"First and foremost, it’s about the security of our staff. With this system, we can see and record everything that goes on around the vehicle.”
Richard Haste, Waste and Recycling Manager at Torridge District Council
It also has other benefits, such as the option of remote camera system checks, saving time and money downloading footage, confirming bins were not presented or were missed and allowing the back office staff to see for themselves any hold-ups on the round so alternative routes or schedules can be arranged.
The system is factory-fitted before delivery to avoid delays. It also comes with full support from Dennis Eagle's Aftermarket Team which is renowned for its timely maintenance, prompt repairs and fully stocked parts which are available via the Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC).
The first RCV fitted with the new system was delivered to Torridge District Council in Devon last summer, fitted to an Elite chassis with Olympus body and Terberg lift – an all-Dennis Eagle vehicle.
And the council’s Waste and Recycling Manager Richard Haste was in no doubt about the benefits of the new system: “First and foremost, it’s about the security of our staff,” he said.
“With this system, we can see and record everything that goes on around the vehicle. It will not only enable us to refute fraudulent claims but will also help us accept liability when it is our fault and hopefully, help us to learn from it. And it’s not just the cost of claims but also the cost of the time spent dealing with them.
“But since this is an all-Dennis Eagle RCV, we’ve got one point of contact for everything. It makes life a lot simpler.”
Dennis Eagle’s Technical Sales Support Manager Simon McCulloch explained: “We are in a unique position to offer everything under one roof and that adds significantly to the efficiency of the 5 Camera Recording System.
“It has been designed specifically for RCVs using our unrivalled knowledge of how operators work to create a system tailor-made for the waste industry.
“This is a fully-integrated five camera system, so footage from the fifth camera – focused on crews’ working area – is also recorded on the hard drive. This isn’t always the case with other systems.”
The benefits include fewer accidents, lower insurance premiums, the certainty brought to insurance claims and court cases and the protection for crews, other road users and operators themselves.
“In addition to all these, this system can save operators so much time and frustration,” added Simon. “It’s fair to say, safety and certainty has never been easier.”
Dennis Eagle
enters U.S. market
The production facility in Summerville, near Charleston, South Carolina, is manufacturing the ProView truck with sales being delivered by established dealers throughout North America.
The purpose-built ProView is designed to revolutionise garbage collection in the US by making significant improvements to both operational efficiency and safety. And the first trucks rolled off the production line in July 2020 as the first orders were received.
Dennis Eagle Inc President Ian Handley explained that, after extensive research of the North American market, the company felt the time was indeed right to fully engage with it.
“In recent years, technology and design have made such an impact in waste management in other parts of the world, there is now a gap in the North American market for a specialist truck, designed and built specifically for garbage collection and we are filling that gap,” said Ian.
“The ProView is an American truck. It is specifically designed for American operators, it’s made in America and it uses all American components. “It’s big on safety and big on efficiency and we expect to make a major impact on waste management operations in North America.”
The US and Canadian waste collection markets are around eight times the size of the UK’s. Yet design and technological innovations widespread here have yet to have the same impact on the industry in North America.
However, concerns over climate change and the environment, operational safety and efficiency are growing among operators who have been impressed by significant improvements offered by the ProView. The vehicle is aimed exclusively at the garbage collection market which not all trucks used by the industry are.
It features a low-entry walk-thru cab that is based on our Elite cab and so provides the driver with as much direct vision as possible of other road users and obstacles.
Although introduced to the UK by Dennis Eagle in the 1990s, the walk-thru cab is a relatively new concept in the USA – as is the fact that it comfortably seats a driver and three crew.
Joe McCalip, Technical Services Manager
4Comfortably seats a driver and three crew
8Around eight times the size of the UK’s waste collection market
Diesel and CNG options available
CNG trucks also have the option of a “tag axle” – an extra axle at the back to help with heavier loads – which are popular in California.
Ian said: “The ProView’s low-entry, walkthru cab is obviously super-safe. It is accessed by one small, anti-slip step. The driver can also stand-up and walk thru the cab to the kerbside door to avoid exiting into traffic. And the crew travelling in the cab also presents both the safest and the most efficient option.
“We’ve set up a network of established dealers to cover the whole of North America and they love it – and so do their customers. And we’ve also covered all the bases for stock and spare parts, to ensure outstanding support for operators which is being provided through our dealership network.”
One significant difference is that customers can choose either a Cummins L9 360bhp diesel or L9N 320bhp CNG. Both provide high torque at low speeds at a wide range of RPM making them ideal for the stopstart nature of garbage collection.
Left-hand drive and dual steer models are also both available and CNG trucks also have the option of a “tag axle” – an extra axle at the back to help with heavier loads – which are popular in California. Low noise levels, automatic transmission, air conditioning and ergonomic design will help keep drivers and crew happy. And disc brakes on all axles and an Electronic Braking System (EBS) for improved antilocking add to the ultra-safe profile of the ProView.
In the North American market, trucks are fitted with bodies and lifts by specialist body-builders to whom Dennis Eagle Inc will deliver the ProView chassis.
Ian Handley added: “We’re used to working with body-builders so we understand the need not only to deliver on time but also ensure vehicles are engineered to the highest standards to avoid delays.
“Meeting operators in the US and understanding their needs has been a real pleasure and I’m looking forward to meeting more in the months ahead. The orders are coming in and I’m pleased to say we’ve got off to a flying start.”
Enjoying the view from the top with retirement
It’s taken him from the leafy Home Counties to the parched plains of South Africa. He’s sold fire engines, buses and perhaps more RCVs than anyone on the planet. And he’s made friends for life wherever he’s been. As careers go, it’s been glorious. But it nearly started in disaster for Mick Friend.
Mick Friend
General Sales Manager
“I was in South Africa selling fire engines,” he recalls.
“We didn’t sell many so every sale counted. In those days, we took a tender to the town hall in a sealed envelope and as soon as the clock struck midday, the bidding was closed. Then, the Town Clerk would open the envelopes and read out the pricing of all the different tenders.
“Being new in South Africa, I went the wrong way and got lost. By the time I got to where I should have been, the bidding was closed. I thought ‘I’m going to get fired’ but then I thought again.
“I parked in a side street, lifted up the bonnet and got oil all over my hands. Then I ran into the Town Hall. The Town
Clerk was there with all the other bidders – our competitors – and I gasped ‘Sorry… my car broke down! Am I too late?’ Everyone felt sorry for me and accepted it was genuine excuse. So, they let me submit our bid and I won it!”
It was a desperate way to start a career. But when he retires as General Sales Manager in May, Mick will be able to look back on a wonderfully successful working life.
“It has been hugely rewarding,” said Mick whose relentless travels have taken him to every corner of the UK and beyond.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in cars,” he observed. “My first company car was a Ford Cortina –how times have changed. But it’s technology that’s changed the job more than anything.
“When I started, there was no internet or email: we didn’t even have faxes. It was all done either through the post or on huge, noisy Telex machines for quicker messages.
“Before smartphones we had pagers and prepagers you had no contact with the factory once you were on the road unless you stopped and used a phone box. I remember once, I needed to call the office urgently and I had to visit half a dozen before I found one that hadn’t been vandalised.”
Of course, most legends attract myths but there’s one that Mick is keen to dispel: “Mick’s always on the golf course… it’s simply not true! I’m rubbish! I only play eight or nine times a year. When I retire, however, that will change. I’m going to join a local club and play a couple of times a week.
“I also had a reputation for doing DIY projects and that was deserved. But now people keep asking me what are you going to tackle when you retire? and I’m not. I’m going to finish the latest one – a new kitchen – then that will be it.” But Mick, who lives with his wife Linda in Frimley in Surrey, does have other plans.
“Linda retired just before lockdown after a career in nursing. So, we’ll be free to spend our time as we want, doing the things we want to do together.
“You’ve got to make the most of your time while you’re still fit and healthy. I absolutely love skiing. And I do like the gym and playing tennis. Linda and I did a freefall tandem parachute jump together last year. I’m not planning anything else like that but you never know.
“There’s a fair bit of travelling we want to do.
We’ll be off to St Lucia next year and we’re going on a safari in Africa with our son Simon and daughter Sam. But we’ve both worked hard all our lives so now is the time to enjoy it.”
He recalls, when he first came to Dennis Eagle in Warwick, the Managing Director Norman Thoday told him: ‘Well Mick, you’ve gone from selling fire engines to RCVs – the glamour days are clearly over! But this is a great industry with great people.’
“And he was right. It is a great industry and I will massively miss the people at Dennis Eagle.
“I’m hoping they’re going to invite me back for the corporate golf day…”
Our all-new 5 Camera DVR Recording System
Integrated Safety Solutions by the vehicle manufacturer
Our state-of-the-art 5 Camera Recording System is designed to provide unrivalled protection for the crew, the public and the operator by seeing and recording everything that happens around the vehicle.
It uses five 720 pixel HD cameras. Four are mounted at the front, sides and rear to provide a full 360⁰ field of view. Crystal clear live images are displayed on a seven-inch in-cab screen to help the driver manoeuvre more safely.
The fifth recording camera is focused on the vital work area and is displayed on the in-cab body screen, ensuring extra protection for the crew.
The whole system is factory-fitted by Dennis Eagle with our mark of quality and comes with full Aftermarket support including timely maintenance, prompt repairs and fully stocked parts on our Electronic Parts Catalogue. We are also able to provide an Aftermarket retrofit option through our service network.
5 cameras and crystal clear recordings help you:
- Prevent accidents and decrease vehicle downtime
- Provide evidence for any insurance claims
- Protect your crew, cyclists and other road users
