DOLL Fahrzeugbau GmbH will be presenting a selection of products from its latest heavy-duty portfolio at Bauma 2019: a trade fair trio made up of a panther low-bed, a VARIO semi low-loader and a VARIO trailer. Other focal points at the trade fair will include the DOLL tronic remote control system (which now features the new EEP system for track adjustment) and the DOLL connect trailer management system.
The DOLL panther range is coming full circle at Bauma. It was at the trade fair here in Munich that these semi-trailers with independent wheel suspension – approved as a split axle with a 12-ton axle load – made their debut in 2010. The concept has undergone continuous development since its premiere and there are now around 3000 axles on the market. Currently, customers can choose from versions with up to five axles, with a variety of goosenecks and loading platforms facilitating adaptation to a wide range of applications.
DOLL will be showcasing a panther T3E-0S3FZ25 model at Bauma 2019. The abbreviated name of the model comes from Tiefbett (low-bed in English), 3 axles, Einzelradaufhängung (independent wheel suspension or panther double transverse axle), Schwanenhals (gooseneck) with Zentralaufnahme (central mount) and 25-ton fifth-wheel load. With a payload of up to 46,550 kg, the payload-optimised vehicle is suitable in particular for transporting a wide variety of construction machinery equipment: the vehicle width of 2750 mm across low-bed and chassis ensures that the centre of roll of standard crawler chassis does not stray from the frame. The detachable gooseneck with ramps that retract into the low-bed is a useful addition. A wide excavator trough that is open at the rear provides further flexibility. The minor height difference of just 490 mm between low-bed and rear running gear offers additional benefits when transporting screening plants with low conveyor belts.
Added convenience is provided by the DOLL tronic control concept which is supplied as standard equipment with panther vehicles. The concept enables all the trailer functions to be controlled via separate keypads at the rear and on the gooseneck or using wireless operation. Feedback on the wireless remote control display enables drivers to monitor many aspects of the vehicle and its operation from up front. Loading and unloading can be completed more quickly and drivers do not have to get in and out of the vehicle as often. The computer-assisted control concept, which is based on CAN bus, also supports permanent monitoring of all positions. Ride heights can even be adjusted during travel. The raising and lowering equipment has a total stroke of 315 mm (–110/+205 mm). There is also an integrated “spirit level function” for consistent ride height on terrain that slopes away steeply to the side (ride heights can be set separately on either side).
The second show vehicle at Munich, a telescopic semi low-loader with positive hydraulic steering from the VARIO S4H-GR3S18 series, is also equipped with DOLL tronic. Its other features include a gooseneck with exterior main frame and lowered loading areas to reduce the overall height when loading various items of construction machinery including wheel loaders, excavators or graders. Double ramps designed to withstand high wheel loads are attached to the semi low-loader. Hydraulic lateral adjustment enables the ramps to be adjusted to different lane widths. Furthermore, an integrated mechanical lock in the ramp cylinder means that the ramps do not have to be secured using additional means. Rubber floor coverings on the ramp and at the rear increase safety still further.
DOLL’s unique position-independent electronic track adjustment (EEP) is a very useful feature: the truck-trailer combination does not necessarily have to be fully straightened up again after loading and unloading. Instead, the electronics module determines the correct setting automatically by comparing the ramp angle of the traction unit and trailer with the steering angle of the chassis axles. The EEP system is available in combination with DOLL tronic with new purchase orders placed at Bauma.
The trade fair vehicle is also equipped with the DOLL connect trailer management system which is based on the DOLL tronic sensor system. DOLL connect captures all available vehicle data – from axle loads to tyre pressures and even the central lubrication system – and supports various communication interfaces. At Bauma DOLL will be demonstrating a variety of possible applications for the system, which is still under construction.
The VARIO semi low-loader on show at the trade fair benefits from corrosion protection in the form of the very high-quality zinc-rich primer with enamel finish which is a standard feature. Alternatively, DOLL can offer zinc spraying or, as in the case of the panther mentioned above, a KTL primer followed by powder coating.
A VARIO N4S-0195 4-axle trailer completes the Munich trade fair trio. “We have been building trailers for around 70 years and can quite justifiably speak in terms of sophisticated products backed by in-house expertise,” stresses Rolf Gerhardt, head of production management at DOLL Fahrzeugbau GmbH. DOLL is currently offering self-steering trailers with three, four or five axles. When these are combined with 2-axle or 3-axle dollies, load lengths of up to 80 metres and payloads of up to 85 tons are possible. Other defining features include three heights with three different sets of tyres.
The 4-axle vehicle on show at the trade fair features special load-securing equipment for concrete blocks. The equipment includes spindle-adjustable stakes and inclined braces. The trailer can also be used to transport other types of long material as well as rotor blades in particular. “We are noticing a general rethink in the wind energy sector,” explains Mr Gerhardt. “There is increasing evidence of a move away from semitrailers towards trailers. The reason for this is quite simply that rotor blades are getting longer and longer. We have already seen blades measuring 75 metres in length, and this trend is set to continue.”
Additional equipment for the show vehicle includes aluminium covers to the left and right over the troughs across the entire vehicle length. The covers can be locked with latches on the outer frame, with the hinges being located on the main frame. Finally, the VARIO N4S-0195 show vehicle also features a particularly high-quality KTL primer and powder coating.
