COMBEX RENEWS CRANE SEMI-TRAILER WITH PACTON

11 May 2020 Combex from the Frisian Eastermar is a modern transport company with a diverse fleet.  With its 118 trucks and 220 semi-trailers, a large clientele in the construction segment is being served.  Technical director Allard Tadema, is in charge of the fleet which consists among others of 85 crane semi-trailers.  Tadema says that they have been using Floor crane semi-trailers with great satisfaction for the last 50 years.  The Floor brand has been an important part of their fleet for many years.  Two new crane semi-trailers have been delivered to Friesland recently.  Besides that, an order for another three crane semi-trailers have been placed with Pacton trailers of which one is an extendable.  The new crane semi-trailers serve as replacement and renewal of the fleet of Combex.  Tadema explains that modern material is important and that keeping the fleet up-to-date requires great attention.  They have their own workshop and ten mechanics attending to maintenance.  Furthermore, they see to inspection which includes cranes.  The crane semi-trailer for Combex has been executed with a diversity of Kennis cranes with a capacity of 16 to 50 tonnes/metre, depending on the application.  The precise specifications of a semi-trailer came about with the usage thereof as well as the wishes of the driver.  Individual driver choices include storage space, fork hooks, accessories and the handling of the crane.  Tadema is of the opinion that material should and may be a little personalised to the driver in those areas.

Heavy and special as well 

Combex is almost exclusively involved in the construction sector.  That involves mobile craner transport, inloader transport, exceptional and open transport and transportable forklift transport.  Storage and transhipment (more than 50,000 m² available) are also part of their service.  Combex has a large and varied fleet to carry out their activities comprising of crane semi-trailers, curtain siders, inloader, open trailers and stepdeck semi-trailers. The company has 165 employees of which 125 are drivers, divided over the headoffice in Eastermar and the location in Emmer Compascuum (which are mainly focused on Germany) to serve many suppliers and manufacturers in the carcase work.  Tadema says that they give advice on and take care of clever logistical solutions.  He adds that they deliver products ranging from 0,5 m to 50 m in length, or from 0,5 kg to 100 tonnes to their clients.  Their daily loads include piles, floors, walls and a diversity of steel products.  Having a varied fleet makes it possible to transport all kinds of loads, from ‘standard’ transportation from their clients to the construction sites to the transportation of loads with exceptional length, width or height.  Tadema concludes that this is where they distinguish themselves with their specific knowledge of and experience in heavy haulage and special transportation.

Steered semi-trailers

The Pacton crane semi-trailer (type TPD.348.C-B) for Combex has been fitted with three axles on a BPW Airlite II air suspension.  The last two axles are forced steered using Kennis two rod steering from the coupling disc.  The front axle has been supplied with an automatic liftaxle linked to the EBS with a switch for forced lowering.  The trailers each have a chassis length of 13,15 m, a coupling weight of 18,000 kg, a total axle weight of 30,000 kg and a gross vehicle weight of 48,000 kg.  The chassis beam doubles as crane guide and is 1,300 mm in width.  There are fixed ramps and the Pacton/Kennis rear has a removable light fixture as well as a removable steel bumper.  The aluminium bulkhead is likewise removable and the side panels consist of 2 x 6 hinges and anodised aluminium removable panels of one metre in height. Besides that, the semi-trailers each have aluminium air vessels, rope hooks, a stainless steel box, an open storage box, SKF central lubrication and a number of storage spaces.  Compartmentalisation can be accomplished by the use of a aluminium partition of one metre in height.  The partition can be placed at 800, 1,300, 1,800, 2,650 and 3,150 mm from the bulkhead.  An Orlaco rear view camera has been placed at the rear end underneath the spout.  The semi-trailers meet all the requirements regarding securing provisions.  What is new, is the signalling of the central lubrication level on the bulkhead. Tadema says that Combex has been working with Floor crane trailers for about 50 years.  When the production was taken over by Pacton, he adds that they have automatically become a client of them and to still to their fullest satisfaction.  The crane semi-trailers that Pacton produces are of excellent quality and sturdy.  Due to the custom-made work that Pacton delivers, the semi-trailers could be adjusted to their requirements.  Tadema explains that they often come across tight construction sites in their daily practice or situations such as roundabouts where the two steered axles on the new crane semi-trailers offer the solution.