8-axle Panther transports 85 tonne column

A Doll Panther trailer with 6 + 2 axles, which was presented at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2012, has successfully transported a boiler support structure column from Darmstadt. The destination of the column was the steel company Donges SteelTec Ltd.

The boiler support structure column, weighed 85 tonnes and had a length of 25.35 metres, was 2.65 m wide and 2.6 m high. Due to the Panther trailer’s design it could be easily loaded with very little set-up time, reports said.

The Doll Panther trailer, which is lightweight and has a dead weight of 23 tonnes, did not require any special permission for the unloaded journey. The dead weight of the trailer combination – including the truck and the trailer – was less than 37 tonnes.

The total combination length of the extendable trailer was no more than 23.3 m, the trailer could also be driven without an assistant, which resulted in a reduction of transport costs.

Unlike most 8-axle semi-trailers, the Panther of the forwarding company Hegmann is extendable between the second and the third axle. The two front axles always remain firmly behind the gooseneck. This ensures that the centre of gravity of the working load is always optimal in each telescopic state. Besides, the first and second axle, with a total suspension travel of 380 mm, is connected to the hinging gooseneck, whereby ground unevenness can be compensated without any problems. In addition, the world’s first independent wheel suspension has been installed in this trailer to guarantee the optimal curve negotiability of all axles in any situation.

To keep the gross combination length including the load as short as possible, it was loaded via the gooseneck. As a consequence, the centre of gravity of the working load was relatively high. In this regard, the panther could demonstrate its strengths in terms of safety. The independent wheel suspension with hydraulic suspension, as well as a wide track and a small lever arm (formula 1 technology) made sure that the cargo reached its destination in good condition.

The boiler support structure column was unloaded in the port of Antwerp and after a 3-week shipping trip, the column arrived in South Africa where it is now being used in a coal-fired power plant in Medupi.