When Customer Requirements Demand Tailored Solutions
The all-electric SFX 40-SO demonstrates how customer-specific custom engineering secures heavy and sensitive transport processes.
When long, wide, and sensitive loads have to be moved, load capacity alone is not the deciding factor. What matters is how the load is guided throughout the process: along which routes, over which surfaces, with what level of precision, and with what degree of protection for the component.
Precise load guidance for sensitive large components
The starting point was a demanding aerospace application in which sensitive aircraft structures weighing up to 40 metric tons had to be moved safely. The solution had to protect components, enable precise transfers, cover different areas of operation, and integrate reliably into existing processes. As such, it serves as an example of the requirements found in industries with large-format loads.
Based on the customer’s requirements, HUBTEX developed a solution: the all-electric SFX 40-SO heavy-duty platform transporter. The vehicle combines electric drive technology with a coordinated chassis, steering, and lifting concept. The SFX heavy-duty platform combines a steer-lift drive system, automatic height leveling, and 360-degree multidirectional all-wheel steering. This allows transport frames to be picked up, maneuvered, and positioned with control and precision.
At nearly 17 meters long and almost 3.5 meters wide, the SFX 40-SO moves loads of up to 40 metric tons. Despite these dimensions, the vehicle responds sensitively and consistently. Steering, lifting function, and automatic level compensation guide sensitive loads reliably. The variable travel height supports driving underneath loads, lifting, and positioning. During travel, hydraulic axle compensation offsets uneven ground; when lifting and at a standstill, the support system ensures smooth load handling.
The load capacity is 40 metric tons. Based on the scalable SFX platform, capacities from 10 to 150 metric tons can be realized.
Safe Operation Indoors and Outdoors
A key aspect of the application is transport along real plant routes. Components have to be moved between production areas, storage areas, and transfer points. Changing surfaces, transitions, gradients, and weather conditions must not compromise load guidance or process safety.
For this reason, the SFX 40-SO was designed for combined indoor and outdoor use. The platform combines a robust industrial design, protected components, and a chassis that compensates for uneven ground. Corrosion-protected components and a coordinated thermal management system support operation on concrete, asphalt, or pavement. This allows the transport process to continue in a controlled manner beyond defined indoor areas.
Electric, Quiet, and Available
Electrification was also considered in line with the application profile. An electric heavy-duty solution has to reduce local emissions, remain reliably available, provide sufficient range, and fit into synchronized production processes.
In a range test, the SFX 40-SO covered a distance of 12 kilometers under high load and still had more than 40 percent battery capacity remaining. At the same time, the electric drive reduces local CO₂, particulate, and noise emissions and supports quieter material flow.
Another key requirement for the HUBTEX solution was high machine availability during operation. The SFX 40-SO platform therefore combines assistance systems with a redundant energy and control architecture. Depending on the infrastructure, semi-automatic lane guidance systems can use LiDAR laser sensor technology or camera-based guidance. They support positioning processes, make maneuvering easier, and guide heavy loads to transfer points in a controlled manner.
The SFX 40-SO demonstrates how customer-specific custom engineering at HUBTEX takes shape: the solution does not start with an individual technical feature, but with the real transport process. The result is a coordinated overall system made up of load guidance, component protection, operating environment, electrification, and availability.