Equipment specialist, SAF-Holland, has launched its FW3510-TR fifth wheel – a cast steel coupling spec’d for imposed loads of up to 36 tonnes featuring a remotely operated locking system.
The FW3510-TR fifth wheel is designed for port and container terminal applications.
“Several hundred coupling cycles per day are not unusual in this type of environment,” said Dr. Rainer-Rudolf Gärtner, Managing Director of the Fifth Wheel division at SAF-HOLLAND in Europe.
“For this reason, port operators and shipping agencies have been using our specially developed product for many years, as it is ideally adapted to the extreme conditions to which terminal trucks are exposed,” he said. “This facilitates the turnaround of semi-trailers at ports and in industrial use.”
For perfect performance, the fifth wheel with compressed-air locking system is cast from particularly high-quality steel according to SAF-Holland. The individual components are also designed for increased imposed loads and a very long service life. The fifth wheel is reported to be suitable for operating temperatures of up to -40°C and for the SAF steering wedge for semi-trailers with forced steering. With 36 tons imposed load and a maximum overall weight of 100 tons, the permissible top speed is 35 km/h.
A manual locking for trailer transport on public roads is optionally available. In isolated cases, this allows short-term use for transports on public roads, but only with a maximum of 23 tons imposed load.
Optionally, the FW3510-TR fifth wheel is also available with an electronic locking sensor system.
“This clever extra also indicates locking electronically to support the driver during the coupling process: From the seat in the cab, the driver can visually monitor whether the semi-trailer was correctly coupled and locked,” SAF-Holland said in a statement. “The optionally available sensor system decreases the risk of incorrect locking, reducing the resulting damage and downtime.”