misinformation

CARGO HANDLINGOttawa’s next generationThe Kalmar plant in Ottawa,Kansas, part of Cargotec,has long been theglobal leader in terminal tractorproduction. This month Ottawaturned out its 60,000th unit, aT2 for Averitt Express, soldthrough one of Kalmar’s topdealers, Alley-Cassetty in NashvilleTennessee. The Ottawa total,the company claims, is morethan twice the number of machinesbuilt by its three largestcompetitors in North America.Production of the T2 began inJanuary, but the design processstarted in 2011. Kalmar built awhite-walled “idea room” at theOttawa plant with a full-scalecab mock-up and a 50% chassismodel. Over 60 drivers, maintenancetechnicians, safety directorsand management staff wereconsulted, along with sales, serviceand parts professionals fromKalmar’s own dealer network.Three “guiding design criteria”were identified: trusteddurability and reliability; serviceability;and driver ergonomics.Dave Wood, VP sales andmarketing for Kalmar OttawaTerminal Tractors, said thesehighlight that customers’ toppriority is being able to assumea machine is reliable. They wantto keep it as simple as possible,while at the same time having acomfortable, safe and productiveenvironment for drivers.Rugged and reliableThe T2 looks more evolutionarythan revolutionary, but it isa completely new machine inseveral important respects. Thechassis made from pre-punchedpowder-coated open C-channelsections that are bolted together,as opposed to the welded boxconstruction used for the previousdesign, now called T1.The cab is completely new,and is all steel except the roofcap, front access panel and enginehood, which are fibreglass.It is ROPS (Roll Over ProtectionStructure) certified asstandard, with FOPS (FallingObject Protection Structure)available as an option.The inside of the cab is roomier,to cope with the ever increasingsize of drivers, with thedoor 4 inches wider and a 20%increase in the glass area. A coathook and cup holder have alsobeen added. All the glass is stillflat, which is a market requirementin North America.For the front suspension, Kalmarhas taken a 3-leaf, parabolictaper leaf design fromClass 8 trucks, which it claimsThe chassis for the T2 is a new boltedC-channel constructionKalmar’s plant in Kansas has beenredesigned to produce its newflagship terminal tractor, the T2provides a smoother ride whilebeing maintenance-free. Thefront shackle pins that were aservice point have been replacedwith a spring eye that wraps arubber bushing and pinch tube,and does not require any regulargreasing.The lifting cylinders now includespherical bushings at thetop and bottom to improve durability,and a lower lift cylindersupport is now standard (previouslyoptional). The 4-inch cylindersare said to lift trailers 18%faster, while being shorter thanthe previous components. If required,5-inch versions are stillavailable.Other changes include relocatingthe emissions equipmentfor DOT models insidethe frame rail, creating space foran additional fuel tank, and improvingserviceability by placingall fluid check points wherethey can be accessed from theground. The main electricalcentre is now accessible via anaccess plate that can be removedfrom the driver’s seat.Kalmar has taken a bold stepand extended the warranty to atwo-year, 6,000-hour basic warrantyon the T2, double the industrystandard. Wood said thisis a sign of the company’s faithin the product design and components,and its own improvedmanufacturing process.MAU of oneKalmar wanted to use the T2 toincrease its daily output by 40%or more per shift. It has a goalto produce 15 machines a day,which would enable it to takeorders with a lead time of 90-100 days.To achieve this, it has redesignedthe plant layout. Cargotechad earlier expandedKansas into a Multi AssemblyUnit (MAU) producing counterweightand Princeton truckmounted FLTs, but these wererecently moved to its RTCH facilityin Cibolo, Texas.The Kansas plant now exclusivelyassembles terminal tractors,from components broughtin from subcontractors and supplierswithin the US. Previously,Kalmar had been shipping weldedchassis from China to Kansas,but the new chassis sectionsare made in the US and boltedtogether at the Kalmar plant. Infact, the same chassis will nowbe shipped to the Shanghai facility.The bolted design makeslogistics much simpler, as upto 40 chassis can be shipped ina 40ft container, as opposed tojust three welded units.Inside the factory, the productionline is no longer continuallyrolling, but moves betweenstations in set intervals. Eachmachine goes down the linewith a bill of materials, payingclose attention to ensure it isbuilt as ordered. Though there isa “base” Ottawa model, “we’venever sold one”, added Wood.Wood is happy with how thetransition from T1 to T2 is progressing.Mid-way through theyear, Kansas is producing roughlya 50:50 mix. The productionrecord is 22 machines in oneday, but coming into the quietersummer months, the plant is operatingat around 12.5 machinesa day. By early June, Kalmar hadbuilt 605 T2s, with a backlog of762 units. By January, all productionwill be T2, apart froma handful of right-hand drivemachines.Meeting the marketOver 80% of all machines sold inthe US are for the distributionmarket, with just 15% going toports and intermodal terminals.This market is changing significantly.Since 2009, the baseprice of an off-road machinehas increased from US$55,000to almost US$100,000, mainlybecause of emissions technology.As a consequence, more usersare looking to rent rather thanown.Since 2011, the dealer-ownedrental fleet held by Kalmar Ottawadealers has almost doubled toaround 1,300 machines. “Priceescalation, increasingly complextechnology, and the needto maximise the efficient useof capital are all influences thatare moving the market towardspaying for usage, or in anotherword, rental,” said Bob McTernan,manager of marketing anddealer operations.The number of DOT (roadThe T2 is Kalmar’s new flagship terminal tractorlegal) machines is increasingsteadily. The price premiumcompared to off-road units isnow small, and DOT-compliantmachines are much more flexiblein a lease fleet.Wood believes lease fleetowners are ready to embracetelematics, something that hastraditionally been seen as tooexpensive for a tractor. That attitude,he said, is changing as leasefleet owners in particular lookto better manage costs. “We arein the very early stages of definingthe needs and performancecriteria for such systems but weknow the trend is here to stay,and we are committed to beingready,” he said.Sticking with dieselOne notable feature of the T2launch is the lack of a hybridoption. Kalmar is sticking withthe North American standardlight & quickfor heavy-weightsCummins/Allison combination,with the ISB6.7 200 hp for theDOT version and the QSB6.7164HP version for off-road machines(Tier 4 Final).Wood said that over the lastdecade Kalmar has “investedmany millions” into R&D onalternatives to diesel, but “littleof our efforts have producedfruitful results”. It continues tooffer CNG and LNG options,but they are not popular. LNGrefuelling infrastructure is a perennialissue, but many users arealso not convinced they will seea return on the 25% premiumfor an LNG machine. Kalmarsees more potential in propane,and Wood said it will have moreto say on this technology in 12months’ time.Kalmar has not given up onhybrids, “but we have significantlyscaled back our developmentefforts on hybrids, in favourof looking closer at straightelectric drive systems”. Of particularinterest are Lithium-ionbatteries, which Wood said aredelivering “impressive and veryencouraging results” in tractorapplications. P4 rol in e-chain®an aluminium troughAll media in a single e-chain ® . Drive and data cables, hoses, accessories.Corrosion-free and resistant to salt water in the igus ® aluminium trough.Saves 30% weight compared to steel troughs. Travel of up to 800 m andspeed of up to 600 m/min with 57% less drive power. 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