Heavy-haulage manufacturer Andover Trailers says the completion of its largest trailer in 26 years marks a triumph for British engineering.
Measuring 16.7m by 4m and with a gross weight capacity of 152 tonnes, the four- axle step frame, with beavertail, will be used by international energy company Eesti Energia to transport mining machines across an expansive oil shale mine in Narva, Estonia.
Operating with a heavy-duty 600bhp 8x8 Mercedes-Benz Actros Titan tractor unit, and reinforced with steel plating on the ramps and deck, it this trailer is custom-built to carry loads of up to 120 tonnes.
The 32-wheel trailer features a sophisticated load-compensating rocker-beam suspension system and was chosen from among several offered by competitors across Europe.
"We were one of a number of European companies tendering for the Eesti Energia order – and in the end we were the successful bidders, with a trailer designed and manufactured entirely in Andover," comments says Andover Trailers' sales director Ivan Collins.
The 32-tonne frame is fitted with four sets of SAF walking beam bogies, each attached to two swing axles rated at 15 tonnes apiece, and mounted through four Andover-designed pivoting suspension beams.
These give load compensation between each bogie, preventing wheels from lifting while traversing slopes and uneven ground.
