April 12 - Scheuerle has developed a SPMT widening adaptor for high and wide loads, which is claimed will reduce the amount of trailers needed and the carbon footprint for specific transport projects.
The development, which was initiated at the request of Mammoet and introduced at bauma 2016 this week, makes it possible to increase the track width of a split SPMT - thereby increasing the width of the loading platform without the need to add more SPMT trailer units.
Scheuerle's new SPMT variation is quite literally split down the middle along its entire length. Double sets of articulated arms are attached to the inner walls of the two halves of the split SPMT and to runners that slide over a central tube down the centre of the SPMT. The central tube keeps the articulated arms aligned as they move to either increase or decrease the track width.
The split SPMT with a widening adaptor has a minimum width of 3 m and a maximum width of 6.4 m, which means that one row of split SPMTs can replace two rows of conventional SPMTs.
Furthermore, by removing the widening mechanism and placing it on top of the two reconnected SPMT halves, the width is reduced to 2.43 m, which allows the split SPMT to be shipped on a standard flatrack shipping container.
Mammoet says that the advantage with the new system is that it removes the need for multiple SPMTs to be connected side-by-side to create a wider loading platform to ensure stability, as is often the requirement when transporting high and wide loads with a high centre-of-gravity - such as large pipe rack modules.
The widening adaptor, which allows for variable spacing of split SPMT trailers, increases the width of the loading platform without the need to add more SPMTs and Power Pack Units (PPUs), says Mammoet.
The split SPMT with widening adaptor was tested and approved by Mammoet at the end of last year and the first units will go into operation in the first half of 2016.
One split SPMT with a widening adapter can replace two rows of conventional SPMTs.
The widening adaptor works with double sets of articulated arms attached to the inner walls of the two halves of the SPMT and to runners that slide over a central tube down the middle of the SPMT.
