trailer world issue Two 2011

Issue Two 2011 3KRWRV2OLYHU:LOOPV%3: 9scene reminiscent of a Formula 1 pit stop: Four mechanics rush to tackle a vehicle axle. Adam‘s heavy hammer pounds down on the wheel bolts, while his colleague Marc loosens the clamps and re- moves the brake pads with a steady hand in order to release the disc brake from the caliper. A few quick turns of the ratchet wrench make the hub come loose. To score a “touchdown”, the disc has to briefly touch the shop floor. On the other end of the axle, Lukas and Jo- hann are doing the same thing. After dismantling it, the specialists from the Stegmaier team in Crailsheim, expertly remount the BPW disc brake – all in a race against time. The digital stopwatch shows 2 minutes, 42 seconds. At this point, the mechanics still have to wait and see whether this result will win first place and a BPW-sponsored company event worth 7,500 euros. BPW invited the repair shops from companies throughout Germany to participate in a very special competition this year, the BPW ECO Disc Challenge, and present- ed them with both a simple and challenging mission: to change a disc brake as fast as possible – in less than 9 minutes, 28 seconds. BPW customer service employee BPW customer service employ- ees Uwe Theis and Udo Nölling (25 and 39 years respectively with the company), privy to the only imaginable secrets of axles, brakes and suspension systems, set this benchmark time together. The idea for this unusual challenge came from Bernhard Rossenbach, head of Product Management at BPW. From the numerous applications, ten teams entered the elimination process. 2QO\ WKH XVXDO WRROV DUH DOORZHG The contestants were allowed to use the usual set of mechanical tools that suffice for a routine change of the BPW ECO Disc: alu- minium and copper hammers, ratchet wrenches, pliers and hub cap spanners. Specialist tools, like a torque wrench, are not necessary for the normal ECO disc service. The teams had to submit a creative and convincing team presentation to qualify to take part in the contest. Daily changing record times for the two rounds that each team was allowed, made the competition extremely exciting all the way up to the final contest in Hamburg. The repair specialists prac- tised the same procedure over and over again: hitting the stop- watch buzzer started the race for the four high-speed mechan- ics. One sharp blow with the aluminium hammer sends the wheel bolts flying from their holes, the pads and disc are removed and put down, and then everything is reassembled again. Even if the teams were working on a clean specimen and not on an axle used in ac- tual trailer operation, and taking into account that during the daily routine there are hardly ever four mechanics working on one axle, it becomes clear that the BPW system is designed to make main- tenance particularly easy and that a disc replacement is indeed a remarkably hassle-free and fast procedure. For example, with the ECO Disc, the brake calliper stays on the axle during the change. Andreas Frank from the Frank Fahrzeugbau vehicle manufacturing company in Markranstaedt explains: “This lets us significantly reduce repair times for our customers. And shorter idle times are always an advantage for the customers, since they only earn money with vehicles that are running.” Frank‘s team went all-in for victory as well, and after a last 9f\j]YkOak[`f]okcaYf\Dgl`YjCfa_^jge:l]^`jKg`fdggk]f l`]Zgdlk& L`]l]Ye^jgel`]9DDmaZd]dg_akla[k[gehYfqj]da]\eYafdq gfk`]]jklj]f_l`& :KR FDQ VHW D QHZ UHFRUG WLPH IRU FKDQJLQJ D WUDLOHU EUDNH GLVF Õ XQGHU PLQXWHV VHFRQGV" ,Q WKH %3: (&2 'LVF &KDOOHQJH VSHHG DQG WHDP ZRUN DUH MXVW DV LPSRUWDQW DV VNLOO DQG NQRZKRZ 7HQ UHSDLU VKRS WHDPV FRPSHWHG WR ZLQ WKH SUL]H DV WKH IDVWHVW GLVF EUDNH FKDQJHUV LQ *HUPDQ\ 3UDFWLFH

trailer world issue Two 2011

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