BPW has pushed the module weight of its nine-tonne Airlight II trailer running gear to under 370kg with a new type of trailing arm and lighter components.
This development, BPW claims, will allow transport companies to benefit from more usable load and digital services throughout the life of a vehicle fitted with Airlight II.
A trailer is reported to annually generate up to 900 euros more in revenue and reduce its carbon emissions by 200kg if it uses lightweight components from BPW.
BPW combines the tried and tested nine-tonne on-road chassis Airlight II with an aluminium hub and the ECO Disc TS2 trailer disc brake. In addition, there is now for the first time an ultralight handlebar spring, which is a technological novelty due to an innovative manufacturing process: It consists of high-strength spring steel, which is forged as a hollow profile based on nature – comparable to the structure of a bone. In this way, BPW combines unshakable robustness with unmatched lightness: the handlebar spring alone in the three-axle unit results in a weight saving of 42kg. The aluminium hub reduces the weight by another 54kg.
These configurations lower chassis weight to what BPW claim are 'record values', enabling more payload with less fuel consumption.
The following example from BPW shows how much lightweight construction has an impact on profitability: When transporting heating oil, transport companies can take 96kg more payload with the lightweight components – this corresponds to 112 litre of heating oil that can be transported in addition. With a fleet of 10 vehicles (average mileage 120,000 km / year) and an average service life of four years, more than 38,000 euros in additional revenue is possible. The carbon emissions for these fleets are reduced by more than 8,000kg.
“It is now becoming easier, more profitable and more climate-friendly to transport, because with the lightweight construction options for our Airlight II chassis noticeable savings effects can be achieved in many transport applications – not only for liquid goods,” said BPW Head of Product Management Trailer Solutions & Mobility Services, Andreas Poll.
“With the new handlebar spring, we achieve efficiency gains that no one can easily imitate.
“Therefore, we already have strong market demand for our lightweight construction kit,” he said “We are happy to start delivering immediately.”
Norbert Kempmann, Managing Director of Kempmann Speditions GmbH & Co. KG: “There are many adjustments to the trailer that have an impact on profitability. The weight of the chassis plays an important role, but also its quality and ease of maintenance. For this reason, lightweight components from BPW, such as the forged aluminum hub, won us over”.
BPW has digitally designed all of the components of the Airlight II chassis from scratch: This is how artificial intelligence supports the vehicle manufacturer in determining the optimal chassis configuration from trillions of possible variants for every transport task – online and in a matter of seconds. The digital DNA accompanies the chassis for a lifetime and also ensures unmatched efficiency in maintenance and spare parts procurement.
Typical BPW: the chassis is practically maintenance-free. The modular design makes the chassis extremely easy to repair, and the track adjustment is very easy thanks to the adjustable air suspension struts. A look at the warranty services shows how much BPW is convinced of the robustness of its lightweight components: BPW grants a 5 + 3 year ECO Plus guarantee with unlimited mileage in on-road operation throughout Europe.