Calling in the experts

Every vehicle comes to the end of its life, and usually all that’s needed is to replace it with another. But what happens when the equipment it carries is highly specialised and needs to be fitted into the new vehicle? That’s when you call in the experts, writes John Oxley.

Steel & Tube is one of New Zealand’s leading suppliers of steel products and services, with almost 60 years of trading history, and a nationwide service and distribution network engaging in all sectors of the economy, catering for all steel requirements and services.

One of the services it supplies is a variety of chain and rigging services, including testing, sales and repairs for lifting equipment to national compliance standards. And it offers a mobile facility for on- site repairs, certification, training and yearly compliance checks.

Which is where we come in – or, rather, where sgfleet comes in.

Geoff Tipene, sgfleet MD, explained: “We were contacted by Steel & Tube to replace its fleet of testing vans. These were all Ford Transit vans working in S& T’s chain and rigging sector, undertaking a variety of tasks in arduous situations whilst carrying extremely heavy testing equipment.

As a result a number were due for replacement.

So sgfleet brought in its team of experts and suppliers and set to work.

But it wasn’t just a matter of replacing like-for- like: the end result had to be state- of-the- art, and had to take into account Health and Safety requirements given the environment they operate in.

Bryce Grove, sgfleet’s General Manager of Trade Operations, said safety was high on the list of requirements for the new vans, so one of the first things included in the new design was a rear step for easier and safer access.

The vans were fitted with a thicker plywood floor than before to more evenly distribute the weight, as well as grab handles, LED lighting, rear and side steps, cable hangers, extra storage, and integrated air lines instead of the snarl of cables that had covered the floor before.

“The testing equipment sits on one side of the van, so the amount of space we had to play with was quite limited, but we did manage to put in wider aisles for easier and safer access,” he said.

The vehicles were all supplied by Fairview Motors in Hamilton. Fairview’s Rodney Goodrick said the company had completed delivery of eight Transits to date, with more planned over coming months.

He said Fairview worked with sgfleet fleet to understand the client’s replacement programme. “Due to production timeframes we pre- ordered our Transit stock five months in advance of arrival in New Zealand. We also keep extra stock on hand if required”, he said.

One issue which arose during the first build was that the Transit has a smart regenerative charging system, which controls the alternator output voltage to boost the charge rate to the battery during deceleration, and reduce the charge rate during acceleration, reducing the load on the engine. “This regenerative charging makes the charging system more efficient, therefore saving fuel,” he said.

“However, Steel & Tube have a requirement of additional batteries to operate their equipment in the rear of the vehicle. Due to this voltage range, if the vehicle is fitted with an aftermarket dual battery system there will often be times when the voltage is below the threshold to switch off the isolator, resulting in the auxiliary batteries not being fully charged.

“For this reason we have made a modification to the system to charge the aftermarket dual batteries at the voltage rates they require,” he said.

He added that the modification was developed by Fairview’s own technicians.

“Fairview have a lot of experience within the dealership,” he added. “It was a case of understanding how the system works and coming up with a solution that meets the customer’s needs, without voiding the manufacturer’s warranties.”

Rodney added that his company has a lot of customers with fit- outs and special requirements that they have been able to help with.

Each Transit van came into New Zealand as a plain shell, and was then sent to Van Extras in Auckland to meet up with the vehicle it was to replace. “The vans sat side- by- side, and once the floor and wall linings were fitted we swapped over the test bed, hydraulics, workbench, and inverter,” said Bryce Grove.

“Limiting downtime is very important with vehicles such as these, and there were

very strict timelines”.

The team at Van Extras did the full interior fit- out, from the B pillar to the purpose- built rear step.

This has made a significant difference to the vans’ safety standards. Says Van Extras: “We believe it has increased their professional company image, and provided a more space- efficient user-friendly layout which has made the equipment a lot more accessible and tidy.”

Typically a fit- out like this is done and delivered in a five- day turnaround, with a team of three dedicated technicians to coordinate and deliver the project.

“With this project the Steel & Tube fitouts are a standard uniformed fleet, and they like our consistency and the quality of workmanship that we deliver,” says Van Extras.

Van Extras serve many fleet operators in New Zealand, giving each customer individual focused attention, with full project management, nationwide.

One issue which came up when sgfleet did its initial audit on the vans, and the way they were operated, was that there were no clear guidelines around tyre pressure used across the fleet and which should be used for the loaded vehicles. Sgfleet called in Bridgestone to assist.

Said corporate accounts manager Bill Dyall: “After comprehensive vehicle checking by sgfleet it was noted that there was variation in tyre pressures, meaning that the correct amount of tread was not in contact with the road. This in turn leads to early tyre wear, as under- and over- inflated tyres will not last as long as correctly inflated tyres, and excessive fuel use, as under- inflated tyres make the vehicle use more fuel on every journey.

“After checking with the manufacturer sgfleet made certain the recommended pressures were known.”

He said the tyres were also inflated with pure nitrogen.

“Replacing the compressed air in tyres with pure nitrogen helps them to maintain a constant pressure, and therefore perform at their peak for longer. In fact, nitrogen leaks three or four times slower from tyres than compressed air, which can lead to some pretty useful benefits: stable tyre pressure, improved road grip, safer all weather performance, improved fuel economy, and no internal oxidisation through the elimination of moisture – all of that leading to increased tyre life,” he said.

“At this stage the improvement strategies have been directed towards improving the performance and safety of the existing fleet. Stage two will look more specifically at the best tyres that can be fitted when worn tyres need replacing.”

The final step in the process, before the vehicles were delivered to their respective Steel & Tube branches, was the application of the graphics by Fulton Hogan Signs & Graphics.