Moving experience 05 April 2012

Although aimed primarily at commercial vehicle operators, engineers and technicians, the CV Show offers useful opportunities for those whose careers span the fixed and moving plant divide. Brian Tinham reports

The Commercial Vehicle Show 2012, Britain's premier road transport operators and workshops event, runs at the NEC from 24—26 April – and plant engineers concerned with maintenance and operations may find a visit more informative than they might think. Although aimed primarily at transport engineers and technicians, the CV Show provides an excellent opportunity not only to see what's new, in terms of tools and equipment around mobile plant, but also to evaluate specialist vehicles, and health and safety thinking around, for example lifting and fork lift trucks.

It's also the chance to discover areas of common interest, particularly for those whose work spans both the plant and the transport engineering camps. Indeed, type specialist Bridgestone is running a series of free seminars on topics, hosted by members of its commercial team, ranging from wheel security (looking at the costs of good practice and the consequences of failure) to the future of fuel efficiency and how to save money by improving tyre maintenance.

"These seminars ... are part of our drive to help fleets reduce costs and improve efficiencies," explains John Folliss, Bridgestone's commercial sales and marketing director. "They cover some of the biggest issues facing the industry over the next 12 to 18 months." If you're contemplating a change of career towards transport, here's a golden opportunity to assess some of the issues and find out what this vendor is doing about them.

Beyond seminars, though, there's should be much on the exhibition floor to get your metaphorical teeth into. On lifting, for example, names to watch out for include Penny Hydraulics and Maxon Lift. The former makes the point that load handling devices, such as cranes and platform lifts, are among the most popular items to be installed on commercial vehicles – and hence its latest developments.

The company's SwingLift FV995 was introduced to provide a fully hydraulic vehicle-mounted crane with near one-tonne working load. Demand has come from operators that do not want the cost or complexity implications of the incoming EN12999 legislation, which stipulates that cranes having a maximum working load of 1,000kg or over must have additional sensors and interlocks to remain compliant. By modifying one of its proven designs, Penny Hydraulics says it has devised a highly reliable lift that offers precision and control, and is simple to specify for handling a wide range of loads safely, simply and economically.

Other innovations on show for the first time include uprated versions of the firm's StepLift, LoadLift and Single Wheel Lift platform lifts, with maximum working loads of 500kg. Meanwhile, Penny Hydraulics also promises to demonstrate products including its MezzLift goods lift for handling loads up to 500kg between floors in workshops, warehouses and retail areas.
Elsewhere, Maxon Lift says it will be revealing three tail lifts, which it says have been rationalised to suit requirements in the commercial vehicle market. First up is the Max15S – Maxon's level ride, retractable lift, which claims several innovations. One is SmartStow, which ensures that, with the touch of one button, the lift accurately and safely deploys or stows beneath the rear of a truck chassis, without damage to itself or the vehicle.

Next, Max10/15R features in Maxon's new Railift series, designed, it says, to revolutionise the segment. This lift features two vertical cylinders, as opposed to one horizontal cylinder with chains or pulleys, as has been industry practice. Finally, MAX15T is the company's new high-end tail lift from its Tuk-A-Way range. This unit features a steel/aluminium, or all-aluminium platform up to 1,420mm in depth. The Max15T includes grease fittings at all critical rotation points, and works for bed heights from 1,016mm (laden) up to 1,370mm (unladen).

Moving on, Axtec will be showing its range of axle weighing equipment, as used by VOSA (the Vehicle and Operators Services Agency) since 1996 for the national enforcement network of 67 roadside weighbridges. Among show products will be its 4000 dynamic weighbridge, which is the most accurate device of its type in the world. Axtec On-Board is the other big one: the unit can be retrofitted to vehicles from 3.5 to 18 tonnes gvw, as well as larger trucks with air suspension, in about three hours. Sensors fitted to the axles determine axle and gross weights, displayed to the driver in graphic and numeric format on a dash-mounted colour screen.

With such a large show, there is too much more to mention in any detail. Suffice to say there will be displays of everything from safety and security solutions – with, for example a debut for the Global Live CCTV security system, which is a joint development between Cobra UK and Global Vehicle Systems – to telematics systems, for instance, from Trafficmaster, with its Smartnav satellite navigation and Teletrac Fleet Director real-time fleet management system.

Brian Tinham

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