Edbro of the UK is one of the leading suppliers of hydraulic cylinders and systems in truck and trailer industries. With the Edbro acquisition, JOST UK strengthened its product portfolio by adding a high quality line of products to its range. Mr. Peter Smith, Sales Director, Edbro, and Mr. Pradeep GS, Managing Director / VP Sales & Marketing, JOST India, share their views about the product and Indian market respectively.
Please brief us your hydraulic wet kit product program & the application segments to which the above are being supplied.
The Edbro CS series is a range of multi stage single acting cylinders used for all variety of tipping applications; sizes are available all the way through to 100t body and payload lift capacities. Mounting options are numerous and cylinders are designed to meet the market and specific design needs of manufacturers. The core technology of Edbro is the use of single piece tubes, produced using laser beam welding technologies, 5 point sealing systems, brass internal slider rings. These design features make the CS range of cylinders the strongest and most durable on the market. In addition to the CS front end range a wide range of underbody cylinder solutions are also available ranging from the UB single multi stage underbody to the TS which is a twin ram underbody incorporating a strong Domex stabilising frame. The RK range is a double acting telescopic range used mainly in waste transfer trailers and RCV’s.
Tipping cylinders are used in various industries since tipping is the most economical way in which to discharge bulk materials. Mining, construction, Infrastructure, agriculture, and waste management are the most common applications each posing their own specific challenges. Edbro cylinders have been developed to cope with each specific segments needs whether it be speed, weigh, durability the CS range scores highly on all fronts.
Do you undertake the body fabrication and integration of hydraulic systems or focus only on hydraulic wet kit supplies? Comment also on the front end and underbody tipping systems.
Edbro was established way back in 1916 and for much of its history did manufacture tipping bodies however around the year 2000 we decided to focus our activity on only the tipping cylinder side of the business. Our vast experience in body design means that our cylinders have been developed with application in mind and our engineering team know the real life environments in which our cylinders will be used. Front end represents the vast majority of the global tipping scene with most traditional underbody market now having accepted front end as the best solution. Front end tipping provides numerous advantages, it is the lightest overall solution, it offers larger lifting capabilities, it reduces the high of centre of gravity thus improving the vehicle handling. Underbody tipping still has a place and for small tippers or for tippers with vehicle mounted cranes underbody can often be the best solution.
Supply for mining tippers – is it in your scope? What are the special technical features and quality norms to be met in addressing the demands of the segment?
Mining is a very large segment of the tipping industry and is the most technically challenging since the application is the toughest test of a tipping cylinder. Edbro have extensive experience in the mining segment and many of the design developments within the CS cylinder have been introduced to tackle particular problems which cylinders experience when used of road in heavy mining applications. Laser welding rather than MIG welding of the base tube trunnion is just one example, laser welding increases the weld life by more than 10 times that of MIG welding.
Can you brief us about your supply to tip trailer segment and the special needs/points to be followed? Do you work in close association with OEMs in such supplies?
Tipping trailers are generally more challenging for cylinders than truck tippers since the number of stages within the cylinder and the tube lengths are both greater. The length of the cylinder tubes has a large impact on the flexibility of the cylinder, Edbro uses special internal brass sliders to enable our tubes to extend and retract whilst under side load without the risk of scoring which is a common problem for many other cylinder designs. The other challenge that cylinder length brings is the risk of buckling, this is front to back bending of the cylinder whilst lifting heavy loads. Edbro take a very cautious view on safety and calculate the safe lifting capacity of a trailer with full load to the very top of stroke with substantial safety factors. Selection of cylinder is critical within tipping trailer design and Edbro can provide its customers with this service.
Side stability in long tipping trailers is another consideration and whilst tipping trailers can be far more economical than trucks due to their high load carrying capacity they also are more likely to rollover when used on side inclines. Edbro have developed a device called the inclinometer which greatly improves tipping trailer safety by preventing tipping when the trailer is sat on unsuitable ground. Safety devices such as the Edbro inclinometer are essential when operating long tipping trailers in uncontrolled site conditions.
Repair work, retrofitting and after sales service – tell us about your capabilities, current involvement and support to customers.
Edbro customers often say that our cylinders are “fit and forget” as in the reliability means that you should not expect problems with the cylinder within the typical lifetime of the tipper. If a cylinder requires service we have extensive technical support documentation and videos available and parts are available internationally through the Jost network. For large fleets and sometimes on a regional basis we organise training and awareness days were we brief fleets on the lookout points through the whole tipping system and advise on how best to maintain the system for a long life.
