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VW chooses the HUBTEX SFX 65
Reliable, safe heavy-load transport – tailored to fit
Moving press tools and coils weighing up to 65 t (143,300 lb) is everyday business for the automotive manufacturer in Wolfsburg. Going forward, these bulky loads will be transported by the compact HUBTEX SFX 65 heavy-load platform transporter. With its two-way steering, the SFX is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use—and thanks to its tight turning radius, it performs even where space is limited.
Around 180 double-deck rail cars and approximately 185 car carriers leave the Wolfsburg plant every day. At the same time, about 1,600 suppliers deliver their products daily—including raw materials such as coils—arriving on around 100 rail cars and roughly 750 trucks. To ensure smooth material flow for these mostly very heavy items, material-handling equipment must match the exact on-site conditions as well as operational requirements. “We needed an alternative to rail-bound equipment—something that can travel in all directions without requiring a lot of space,” says Carsten Meissner, Technical Planning, Press Shop at VW in Wolfsburg.
The vehicle needed a suitable load deck to reliably transport both tools and heavy coils—used to press blanks for, among other things, side panels, doors, and hoods and tailgates—within the press shop. Material flow must always be ensured, whether coils are being moved to press lines, tools are being transported to or from machines, or tool changes are required.
In the search for the optimal industrial truck solution, HUBTEX came into play. The specialist material-handling equipment manufacturer was already known from previous projects. HUBTEX experts identified a heavy-load platform transporter as the best match for the Wolfsburg application. However, the base model didn’t fully meet the requirements. On the one hand, VW needed a transporter with a level load surface for tools weighing up to 65 t (143,300 lb) on the other, the vehicle also had to include a recessed bed for coils up to 32 t (70,500 lb). HUBTEX successfully met these needs.
“At first, we discussed a removable coil attachment for the SFX 65 heavy-load platform transporter. But in our consultations, we were able to convince the customer of a more efficient solution,” says Stephan Rückert, Sales, Material Handling Technology at HUBTEX.
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Implemented through close collaboration
The new solution is a customer-specific enhancement of the SFX 65 base vehicle using a raised frame. Along with a flat surface for supporting the tools, the center of the SFX features a dedicated recess designed for safe coil transport. The truck’s modular design allows this configuration without major changes to the vehicle. With PU tires, the SFX 65 is ideally suited for the required indoor operation. Thanks to two-way steering and tight turning radii, users benefit from the vehicle’s minimal space requirements.
Standard operation is straightforward via wired and wireless remote control. Functions to integrate the platform transporter into automated processes can also be incorporated into the SFX series using the HUBTEX modular automation system.
With the SFX 65 for tools up to 65 t (143,300 lb) and coils up to 32 t (70,500 lb), the automotive manufacturer benefits from safe, flexible transport—and HUBTEX proved to be a valuable partner throughout.
“We are completely satisfied with the solution HUBTEX has tailored to our processes. During our collaboration, the company consistently took our structures and specifications into account and made implementation as transparent and efficient as possible,” Meissner concludes.
“In particular, employee training showed we chose a reliable, future-proof vehicle that not only meets all requirements but is also intuitive to operate. Overall, the partnership has proven very successful.”
Photos of the HUBTEX SFX 65
