The SAF-Holland Group will present the latest technology for intelligent trailers at the Brisbane Truck Show. With the SAF-Holland Group now including industry brand names such as SAF, Holland, Neway, V.Orlandi and York, there is much to see and talk about.
Of particular interest will be the latest SAF TRAKe Trailer Axle from Germany with electric drive for recuperation and traction assistance. Developed for deployment on all types of trailers and catering for different driving conditions, this high voltage drive module generates electrical energy that can be used to power electrical equipment on the trailer. Stored energy can also be used to support the main drive engine of the tractor providing additional traction on different gradients and unpaved road surfaces.
The SAF TRAKe axle with electric drive is simple and cost effective when maintenance is required with no requirement to dismantle the drive unit when removing wheel ends and wheels and no special parts are required as the same wearing parts such as brake pads and brake discs are used as on non-driven axles.
A key advantage of the SAF TRAKe axle is a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions as a result of the main drive engine of the truck being optimised thanks to the traction assistance.
Another product to look out for is ELI-te, which stands for Electronic Lock Indicator – Technology Enhanced. Key to the ELI-te system is a visual indicator that either assists the confirmation of a successful coupling, or provides a warning that something isn’t quite right, helping to prevent mistakes from occurring.
When the kingpin has been properly seated into the fifth wheel’s lock jaws, and the cam plate is in the closed position, the ELI-te system’s four bright white LED lights activate and directly illuminate the closed jaws around the kingpin. This assists the driver in visually confirming that the kingpin is correctly coupled to the fifth wheel.
While the white LED lights indicate a correct coupling, flashing red LED lights, positioned at both sides of the fifth wheel and pointing outwards, warn the driver of a failed coupling attempt, and provide an unmistakable visual warning to anyone present that something may not be correct.
A dropped trailer due to incorrect fifth wheel coupling can be a costly and dangerous scenario. Designed specifically to address this risk, the ELI-te system helps drivers ensure a correct fifth wheel coupling is achieved each and every time.
There will also be an opportunity to talk to the SAF-Holland team about the complete range of high quality Italian manufactured V.Orlandi couplings and drawbar attachments, all meeting the demands of trucking applications from 3.5 tonne to 500 tonne for OE manufacturers and aftermarket users in heavy transport, agriculture, military and mining.
