Ronco is the national distributor of Scheuerle specialist heavy transport vehicles, as well as other brands from the TII Group such as Nicolas and Kamag. It recently announced the availability of the Scheuerle SPMT Light in Australia. Greg Keane reports.
While Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) are not new to Australia, the SPMT Light range adds a new dimension in providing self-contained high capacity trailers for applications such as carrying large precast elements or fabricated components.
The SPMT Light is available in two- and four-axle line variants, and has a diesel engine integrated into the chassis, in contrast to conventional modular SMPTs that have an external Power Pack Unit. There is electric drive to the wheels, which are offered with either solid polyfill tyres or pneumatic tyres.
The absence of the external power pack means that the SPMT Light has advantages over a conventional SPMT in manoeuvrability and accessing tight locations.
This also gives the SPMT Light good approach and departure angles, as it eliminates the overhang of a conventional external power pack.
The two-axle line model has a capacity of 86t and deck area of 6000mm x 2430mm, while the four-axle line model has a capacity of 176t and deck area of 9030mm x 2430mm. The deck height is 1500mm +/- 350mm i.e. the hydraulic suspension has 700mm of total travel. In some applications, this suspension can be used to pick up and place loads, without the need for cranes.
The SPMT Light range offers the same multi-directional steering capabilities as the conventional SPMT range and is operated by remote control.
The transporters can be coupled side by side using lateral cross-coupling elements and spacers or in a line with electronic linkage. The latter mode allows an SPMT Light to be positioned at either end of a long load, with electronic coordination of the steering of the two units.
The limited number of axle lines on the SPMT Light models, and consequent high load per wheel, means that this needs to be taken into account when evaluating the SPMT Light for an application.
However, the SPMT Light can be an economical solution in the right application, with two SPMT Lights able to be purchased for little more than the price of a single conventional SPMT.
There is a fully electric variant of the two-axle line model, the SPMT E-Light. It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor work, has zero emissions and is virtually silent.