Capital Equipment News January 2019

SPECIALISED VEHICLE

standard full air trailer brake system for increased safety during high-speed hauls. Meanwhile, auxiliary braking is via the powerful engine compression brake. “One of the major talking points is its safe high speed capability of up to 80 km/ hour made possible by its truck steering geometry, two-stage engine brake and truck type full air brake system,” explains Alvelos. With a 40 t gross combined weight, the utility vehicle offers a legal payload of 25 t with an appropriate trailer configuration. It has a tare weight of approximately 8 000 kg, maximum front axle mass of 6 000 kg and maximum rear axle mass of 8 000 kg. The Unimog U529 has a gross vehicle weight of 13 500 kg on 495/70R24 agricultural lug tyres, which increases to 15 500 kg on 385/65R22.5 truck tyres. Efficiency matters The Unimog U529 is designed to offer greater efficiency than comparable tractors. In South Africa, it is available with the Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS), which allows inflation and deflation of tyres while the vehicle is in motion. Tyre pressures are adjustable from as low as 1,2 bar up to a maximum of 4,5 bar depending on the type of tyres employed. Vehicle speed is limited according to tyre pressure and load to prevent tyre damage. CTIS ensures that tyres are always properly inflated, which brings many benefits. It can result in tyres wearing evenly, prolonging their life and improving the fuel economy of the vehicle. CTIS is said to increase the lifecycle of tyres by 20-25%. With appropriately inflated tyres, the vehicle has better handling, giving the operator a more comfortable ride and dependable traction. “CTIS offers excellent traction, protects the soil, prevents unwanted compaction and avoids wheel-spin that results in excessive tyre wear when operating in field. When operating in a high speed transport mode, the tyres are inflated on the move to highway pressures, ensuring greater fuel economy,” says Alvelos. Speaking of fuel economy, Alvelos says the UGE Unimog has been extensively tested by the German DLG Test Centre and has been proved to be more fuel efficient than standard agricultural tractors in about 70% of the roles where standard agricultural tractors are employed in Western Europe. The Unimog U529 is said to consume up to 20% less fuel than a comparable tractor in haulage applications.

The UGE Unimog has been proved to be more fuel efficient than standard agricultural tractors in about 70% of the roles where standard agricultural tractors are employed in Western Europe.

High-speed trailers can be braked via the standard full air trailer brake system for increased safety during high-speed hauls.

A key concept behind the Unimog U529 is its versatility, which allows it to be deployed across several applications in all four seasons.

to the chassis via parallel torque arm system. The brake system is a full air system actuating dry discs on all four

wheels with a fail-safe spring actuated parking brake on the rear axle. High- speed trailers can be braked via the

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JANUARY 2019 14