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trailer world Issue One 2014

24      Issue One 2014 Interview Kopplow: Indeed, a really extreme one: for a heavy-duty transport, modules of an oil rig up to 20 metres tall and 40 metres wide were transported for installation on a modular low-loader featuring 160 BPW swinging ax- les. Because swinging axle vehicles use steer- ing and hydraulically-sprung bogies, they offer particularly high load capacities, gener- ous steering angles and very long lifting and equalisation travels. As a result, they are the first choice for transport companies which need to carry particularly heavy loads under especially difficult transport conditions. Where are the trends moving in technical development? Kopplow: For our users, what counts above all are lifecycle costs, by which I mean low costs over the entire service life of a prod- uct, a low likelihood of failure, long main- tenance intervals and straightforward ser- vicing. This ensures that the users can con- centrate on their core business; it is a topic that we always encounter during our devel- opment work. Could you describe the sequence from de- velopment through to production and deliv- ery to customers? Kopplow: We can manufacture the majority of our products and cover a significant part of the applications using our modular system. As a result, thanks to short throughput times, we can respond to customers’ requests within a matter of weeks. In particular cases when we need to develop new components and prod- ucts, on the other hand, it can take a year or more before the product enters series produc- tion, depending on the amount of develop- ment work involved. Heidrich: An example: In October 2013, we began to develop an entirely new concept for a lowering axle. This was done in very close cooperation with a customer, even though at the time this customer was not entirely certain what it wanted. We produced a few drafts, took a look at the situation, went for a few meetings with the customer to its de- sign department and thought about how to achieve the requirements. Once the concept had been approved, the components were cal- culated, the design of them finished and pro- totypes of the vehicles were built and tested. Following that, a few components were opti- mised further. It is at times like this that our many years of experience pay off, because we can take the correct decisions quickly. Once the tooling and fixtures for mass production of the axles had been built, we could get go- ing. The first axles were delivered from se- ries production in mid-February. Do you also come up against limits? Kopplow: BPW is and will remain a mass producer of running gear technology. Without doubt, we do encounter our limits in certain project enquiries, and incidentally also have to obey the laws of physics such as when it comes to the minimum size of an axle. But in actual fact, the limits are more of a commercial na- ture: sometimes, a project is simply not finan- cially worthwhile. But we do want to be the first point of contact for our customers. As a result, we offer all customers the opportunity to come to us with their project ideas, so we can talk about them and think whether and how it could be achieved. Generally speaking, we find a solution. (ag) For more information, refer to www.bpw.de and www.bpw-fahrzeugtechnik.de Hans Werner Kopplow  Hans Werner Kopplow (48) has been working for BPW Bergische Achsen in Wiehl for the past 25 years. He holds an engineering diploma after studying mechanical engineering in Dortmund, following which he started work at BPW in 1988. After undertaking various tasks in the areas of Design and Development, he headed the Pneumatic Axles area for 14 years, before moving to the Development area. He has been in charge of the Special Vehicle Systems business unit for one year now. Johann Philipp Heidrich  Johann Philipp Heidrich (31) works at BPW Fahrzeugtechnik in Paderborn. He studied mechanical engineering in Lemgo, where he still lives today. After joining the company in 2007, he initially worked on design tasks in the Chassis and Axles area, before mov- ing to product management. He also holds an engineering diploma. Since 1 March 2014, he has been in charge of the Development and Design area. The engineers are unanimous: As far as the special vehicles area is concerned, BPW is charac- terised by a very wide range of running gear which is unparalleled in the market. Photo:JoachimStretz

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