trailer world issue Two 2010

26 Issue Two 2010 new cooperation was announced at the IAA in September. Alloy wheels for trailers The leap from car to truck was in fact smaller than some may believe. After all, Fuchs currently produces car wheels with a 22 inch diameter. And so it was no great step up to the 22.5 inch wheel for trucks. “Prima- rily it was important to take account of the special de- mandsmade by commercial vehicle manufacturers and adapt the geometry to the higher wheel load”, explains Ludwig. Thanks to decades of experience with the forged wheel, Fuchs has also coped with this hurdle, safeguarding a strong ad- vantageoverthecompetition.“Nooneelse iscapableofbulkproductionforwheelscapable of taking five tonnes”, says Ludwig. It was also a quite deliberate decision to opt for BPW as partner. “BPW and Otto Fuchs are two partners that are not only at home in the same region: above all, these are two family companies that share the same sound basic values”, says Dr. Mählmann. “Both companies go back more than 100 years, a pe- riod of time in which they have become suc- cessfully established on the global markets with continuity, state-of-the-art technology and a sound financial basis. They have a reliable, credible image, an ideal basis for building up the trust of business partners and employees.” Dr. Mählmann is sure that the combination of the shared strengths from both compa- nies will provide customers with a convincing product. While Fuchs is responsible for devel- opment and production of the wheel, BPW takesonthemarketingactivitieswith3,500sales points worldwide. (bb) At the IAA 2010, for the first time BPW pre- sented the new, forged aluminium wheel ECO Wheel with the unmistakable crescent design, developed and produced by Otto Fuchs and sold through BPW. Bianca Hagebeuker, Product Manager at BPW, talks about the new wheel. What makes the ECO Wheel ecological? Compared to the steel wheel, our ECO Wheel is around 50 percent lighter, while being robust and durable thanks to the properties of the forge alloy. This generates weight savings of about 120 kilo in a three-axle trailer. Less weight means less fuel consumption … ... and the added possibility of increasing the payload means that the investment pays off in next-to-no time. Light alloy wheels have a lower inertia moment when braking and ac- celerating the vehicle. This means that less energy is needed, which also saves fuel. And what about driveability? Also excellent. Aluminium has good thermal conductivity so that braking heat is quickly dispersed – both in summer and winter. This benefits tyre mileage as well as the service life of brake discs and linings. Furthermore, the material com- bined with the production procedure also enhances driving comfort and generates higher safety reserves. »Investment pays off in next-to-no time.« Bianca Hagebeuker, BPW Info More information about the Fuchs wheel and the company Otto Fuchs can be found at www.otto-fuchs.com Photos:Behler,BPW Innovation

trailer world issue Two 2010

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