Thompsons selects RCV tipping gear from Edbro 11 July 2011

When bodybuilder Thompsons was commissioned to build a recycling vehicle that operates six days a week for Exeter City Council, the firm says it chose Edbro UB tipping cylinders for their robustness and reliability.

Exeter went for a Mercedes 26T vehicle, and contracted Thompsons to fit it with a lightweight body as well as weighing equipment to monitor the popularity of each collection site. The RCV body also had to be compartmentalised to keep different materials separate.

Scott Burton, sales director for Thompsons, explains that the council wanted the collection vehicle to be as lightweight as possible, to maximise payload – so reducing the number of trips and hence also running costs.

He says that tipping gear is among key areas for light-weighting, but adds that, with the vehicle likely to have a high work load, it was important to use equipment with the highest levels of quality.

Hence, he says, Thompsons approached Edbro to develop a lightweight solution for the tipping cylinder, fluids and controls to fit the dimensions of the new vehicle.

"We have a long history of working with Edbro," says Burton. "In this case, the customer needed lightweight and compact tipping gear that would stand up to regular use nearly every day. I spoke with Peter Angell at Edbro and straight away he was able to recommend the UB cylinder."

Angell, Edbro's sales manager, explains that, due to building height restrictions where the vehicle would operate, the body needed low ground clearance to maximise space. Hence the choice of the UB series, which is a high performance, underbody telescopic hoist.

"We pride ourselves on offering solutions for any application and were happy to be able to offer the solution to Thompsons. The UB Series is a very flexible range, with a number of sizes; I have no doubt that it will continue to operate smoothly for many years," says Angell.

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Thompsons Group

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