Heavy-duty trailer manufacturer Nooteboom has further added to its wind turbine transporter range by launching the Super Wing Carrier XL (SWC-XL).
The SWC-XL is specially designed for transporting wind turbine rotor blades that have a length exceeding 85 m. The SWC-91-24V(QP) trailer offers further length and payload capacity without impacting stability.
Amongst others, the Nooteboom-patented wing-shaped beam enables the transport height behind the gooseneck – where the root end of the rotor blade is placed – to remain extremely low.
The front of the trailer is equipped with a two-axle Jeep dolly suitable for an 8x4 truck, meanwhile the rear of the SWC-XL is composed of four pendulum axle lines. The loading floor behind the gooseneck can be extended in multiple stages to over 75 m in length. Using additional filling plates, the driver can alter the curve of the unloaded trailer to match the wing’s shape, ensuring an optimal balance between ground clearance and transport height.
Additional stability at the front of the trailer has been made possible thanks to integration of the steering system into the Jeep dolly chassis instead of the gooseneck. Plus, the torsion-resistant chassis beams and the 2,840 mm wide axle bogie at the rear give extra stability.
The SWC-XL’s manoeuvrability is enhanced by its free rotating Jeep dolly and a large 60 degree steering angle of its pendulum axles, along with a 1,600 mm gooseneck stroke and a 600 mm stroke of the rear pendulum axles. Its entire side protection is foldable too, which is ideal for movements involving tight corners.
Fast and efficient loading and unloading is enhanced by features such as a self-steered dolly, hydraulic support legs with remote control, and all the trailer’s system lines between the front and rear of the trailer being mounted inside the chassis beams for protection. When the SWC-XL is empty, the entire Jeep dolly can be lifted using the gooseneck, and the rolling load support makes adapting to different rotor blade lengths and support distances simple.
Laso Transportes put the first SWC-XL to the test prior to entering the market, and the Portuguese freight forwarder is to take delivery of a second vehicle in April, following its showcasing at the bauma trade fair in Munich, Germany.
Last month, Nooteboom launched the Mega Windmill Trailer XXL (MWT-XXL).
