On day one of the Brisbane Truck Show, leading tipper trailer manufacturer Hamelex White unveiled a new range to its product line-up – VersaBOLT.
More than a new model, Hamelex White says VersaBOLT is an entire range of new trailers. The company claims the range boasts a revolutionary modular construction, which will shorten lead times and dramatically reduce downtime.
The trailer was recognised by Brisbane Truck Show Awards judges as the 2015 “trailer of show”.
In choosing the VersaBOLT, the judges took into account various factors such as its innovation, safety and appearance.
Craig Wallace, the general manager of tippers at Hamelex White’s parent company MaxiTRANS, said the development came as a result of extensive customer consultation.
“Feedback suggested that many tipper operators would greatly appreciate a trailer that can be delivered sooner upon winning a contract, and that has greater ease of servicing,” Wallace said. “VersaBOLT is Hamelex White’s solution to that feedback.
“The VersaBOLT name is derived from the words ‘versatile’ and ‘bolted’. At the heart of the concept is a modular design, which will enable us to quickly and effectively manufacture a variety of trailers for a broad range of applications.”
Wallace said that, broadly, VersaBOLT allows Hamelex White to build any trailer configuration for any application and from any one of MaxiTRANS’ manufacturing and service facilities, expediting lead times.
“What it means is that if we are approached by a customer in Queensland looking for a low tare dog tipper for quarry applications, we can select aluminium floor and wall modules, install them in our Queensland facility and have a tipper on the road within a matter of weeks.
“Conversely, if we are approached by a customer in South Australia looking for a grain semi-tipper, we can use our low tare steel modules, install them in SA and deliver that equally quickly.”
Wallace said the dog trailers and rigid bodies were available now in steel or Hardox, with semi-tippers and aluminium construction to be available in the near future.
BOLTED CONSTRUCTION
An additional benefit of the VersaBOLT design is ease of repair, with bolted floors, walls, tub bases, front walls, rear frames and mudguard sections. The bolted construction ensures each of these can be removed and replaced if worn or damaged, minimising downtime.
Furthermore, hinges on the VersaBOLT have been hidden below the top rail for simple tarp movement, while the trailer comes with a clever two-way tailgate, which can be easily switched between side or top-hinged.
“By engineering hinges beneath the top rail, the tarp can move smoothly all the way to the back of the trailer without obstruction, while the two-way tailgate enhances the VersaBOLT’s versatility and possesses an added safety benefit in that it can be operated from a secure position beside the trailer,” Wallace said.
The VersaBOLT model Hamelex White chose to display in Brisbane was a PBS pre-approved four-axle dog, built for heavy-duty rock transport and featuring Hardox steel construction. Wallace said this highlighted another key market for the brand.
“Hamelex White was one of the first trailer manufacturers to embrace the PBS concept and we believe there is still more potential for our customers to take further advantage of it,” he said. “The fact that our display trailer is a PBS model exhibits some further flexibility of the VersaBOLT concept, while also demonstrating our commitment to remaining Australia’s leading PBS tipper manufacturer.”
Acquired by MaxiTRANS in 2004, Hamelex White is one of Australia’s largest manufacturers of steel and aluminium tippers.
The company caters to the bulk carrying, quarry and construction industries among others. Hamelex White manufactures semi-tippers, side tippers, walking floors and many specialty units in its manufacturing facility in Ballarat, Victoria. A dedicated national dealer network supports the company’s trailers, with 14 dealers covering the complete eastern seaboard as well as south-western New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.
Source: Hamelex White