Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download

trailer world Issue Two 2014

Issue Two 2014 23 More information about HESTAL, the brand from F. Hesterberg & Söhne & Co. KG, can be found at www.hestal.de »We are both a traditional company and a trendsetter. In the future too, we will provide added value to our products for users.« Michael Klatt, head of Product Development Photos:OliverFelchner launched ten years ago and has already been installed in hundreds of thousands of trailers, but is now combined with reliable sensor technology. Automatic information for the cockpit The sensor integrated in the LiftMaster automatically transmits a signal as soon as the roof has been raised for the loading proce- dure, or when it is lowered again after loading. The signal from the sensor is processed digitally for this purpose using a converter box that has also been newly developed. At the same time, this meets the requirements for the sensor-monitored roof height monitoring system to be directly integrated into telematics systems from the BPW subsidiary, idem telematics GmbH. “The system continuous- ly supplies a clear and central information stream about the roof status which the driver can view using a display in the cockpit. The telematics solution from idem telematics also enables the informa- tion to be called up centrally by the haulage company,” explains Jo- hannes Otte, mechatronics project manager at Hesterberg. This means it will be almost impossible to drive off inadvertently with the roof raised in future. However, it is more than a question of safety: The roof height monitoring is also important in cross-border transport. Different legal requirements in European countries regard- ing the permitted overall height mean that the driver has to adjust the roof lift before starting a journey. The automatic information can con- tribute to ensuring that this adaptation will not be forgotten in future. Transparency for greater safety The further development of the tried and tested LiftMaster lift system thus delivers a three-fold benefit: During transport, it offers complete transparency at all times for the driver and the haulage company, allowing greater safety and more efficiency. After all, in- advertently driving with the roof raised not only increases fuel con- sumption but also emissions – a factor that should not be neglected. By avoiding this mistake in everyday transport it is possible to re- duce both pollution emissions and costs. Furthermore, integrating the sensor-monitored LiftMaster can be done in a straightforward manner. The solution will be available from the start of 2015 both for the mechanical and the hydraulic roof lift system from HES- TAL. It will even be possible to retrofit the sensor technology to trailers with an existing LiftMaster. Further development stages are planned Hesterberg, the specialist for body technology and a member of the BPW Group, regards the roof height control as a jump- ing-off point for further telematics applications. “We are both a traditional company and a trendsetter. In the future too, we want our products to create greater transparency and safety in the transport and loading processes,” says Michael Klatt. The next expansion stages of the sensor-monitored roof lift system are al- ready in planning: As the second step, it should be possible to determine the current vehicle height in metres and centimetres, and to transmit the absolute numerical value to the cockpit indi- cator. The third expansion stage of the intelligent system is in- tended to link the height information to the navigation system via telematics. “In this way, the driver could automatically be giv- en appropriate route suggestions that are suitable for the actual roof height, if we are thinking about the topic of driving under bridges,” explains Johannes Otte. Active alarms are also planned, he continues, if the permitted roof height is lower following a border crossing. As a result, it can be hoped that we will no longer have to read headlines such as “Truck collides with bridge” so frequently in the future. (os) Innovation

Overview